Astraea calmly walked into the Tower of Babel and entered the elevator. She pressed the button to the 30th floor and waited as the elevator began its ascent.

She felt nervous going to a Denatus after so long. The last one she could remember was five years ago. Right before the incident happened.

The elevator lurched to a stop and opened on the 30th floor. Astraea walked out, keeping her regal-like posture calm and steady. She saw the giant door to the meeting room with gods outside milling about.

They didn't pay her any mind as their chatter drowned out the sound of the elevator opening, so they didn't know she arrived. However, someone did call out to her.

"Astraea, it's good to see you again!" Ganesha called out.

Astraea smiled at her old friend and approached him. "Ganesha, it's so good to see you as well. This time, there are no Minotaurs about."

Ganesha chuckled. "That is true; I must extend an apology to you once more for the incident occurring during Monsterphelia."

"Oh, that's quite alright, Ganesha. I wasn't harmed. My child was, however, but he doesn't blame you."

Ganesha laughed again. "Your new child is something else. Beating a Minotaur at level one, taking down the Soma familia, and once more with calling out the guild. You always know how to pick them."

Astraea smiled as Ganesha said good things about Bell. She was hoping the two of them could meet someday.

"Yes, he really is a wildcard, but I wouldn't have it any other way. How are your children doing?"

"Well, they're doing alright. Your child has driven Shakti up a wall, however. He refused to tell her where you were. But I can make an assumption as to where he brought you during the Soma incident."

"Yes, he brought me to safety. Bell's good at keeping quiet."

"Right, well, I'll keep my mouth shut. Remind him I still owe him a favor for his help in Monsterphelia. I, Ganesha, never fail to pay a debt I owe."

"I'll make sure he's reminded. Maybe you two could meet up for lunch one day?"

"Excellent idea! That way, we can hash out the details. Hopefully, it shall be productive."

Ganesha then noticed that the gods were filtering into the room.

"Looks like they're heading in. Shall we follow?" He asked.

Astraea felt nervousness emerging from the pit of her stomach. She hadn't been to one in so long, and she didn't know her standing with the other gods she didn't know how'd she be treated.

"I don't care what name I get. As long as you give it to me, I'll wear it with pride."

Bell's words rang through her mind, and she could see his smile. His smile telling her he would accept whatever she gave him.

She couldn't let him down.

"Yes, let's head inside," Astraea spoke.

Ganesha and Astraea entered the amphitheater, where the rest of the gods were gathered. Ganesha had to bid her farewell as he was the one hosting

Astraea looked around for a seat and saw Freya waving her over. This didn't confuse her much, as she and Freya had a cordial relationship before she left Orario. But she didn't expect Freya to come here as she rarely did.

"Astraea over here!" She called out.

Astraea walked over to Freya as all eyes turned to her. She took her seat next to Freya, causing the goddess of beauty to smile.

"It's so good to see you again, Astraea. How have you been?" Freya asked.

Astraea gave her a kind smile. "I've been alright, Freya. City life has been a little disorienting getting used to again."

"I bet so, how's your new child doing? I saw he called out the guild. How bold of him." Freya giggled.

Astraea sighed. It seemed like Bell was the talk of the town.

"Yes, he did, Bell's not one to honey his words. He'll tell you what he's thinking or how he feels without sugarcoating."

"My, my, how interesting. Tell me, how does it feel having him be the fastest level-up in history?"

Astraea chuckled. "Amusing, Bell is truly one of a kind when it comes to adventuring. I just hope I can get a good alias for him."

"Oh, I'm sure you will. But we should hush up since Ganesha seems to be starting."

Astraea turned her attention to the center, where Ganesha was standing on a table.

"I AN GANESHA, and I call this Denatus to order. Now, does anyone have any gossip they'd like to share?"

"I heard that Astraea's boy took down the Soma familia."

"That little bastard took away the good wine."

"I also heard he was able to kill a Minotaur at level one."

"What, no way, that's a lie."

"No, it's true. Ganesha confirmed it."

"I also heard he killed the Soma familia captain."

"Well, I heard he killed himself."

"Did you hear her boy called out the guild on the Gale Wind?"

"What you mean that mass murderer the guild has a bounty on."

"But it was thanks to her we have peace."

"She still killed dozens of people."

"Not the paragon of justice she used to be at all."

Ganesha could see Astraea was starting to get uncomfortable, so he cleared his throat.

"Alright, do any of you have any other gossip other than Astraea's kid?" He asked.

The amphitheater filled with silence as the other gods just stared at him.

"Really, there's nothing else any of you have heard? Just about Astraea's kid."

"Well, he has kind of taken the city by storm, Ganesha."

Ganesha pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Ok, moving on; in other news, Rakia looks like they're about to invade again. Loki, Freya, it's your turn this time."

"Aw, come on, I don't wanna do it!" Loki complained.

"Oh, Loki dear, don't tell me you're scared of Ares and his goons." Freya cooed.

"Pssh as if. I just don't want to waste my time with Ares."

"Too bad, Loki, it's your turn," Ganesha stated.

"Fine." Loki groaned.

Ganesha looked over to Freya, and she gave him a small smile.

"Don't worry, I won't complain when asked to do something. Besides, a little vacation will be nice."

Ganesha nodded. "Alright, now onto the final piece of business. The naming ceremony!"

Astraea grew nervous as the gods cheered. It was their favorite part of Denatus, where the bigger familia could bully the smaller ones by giving them lousy aliases.

Freya noticed this and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "Deep breaths, you've done this before, and you can easily do it again."

Astraea took a deep breath as the first candidate popped up.

"Mikoto Yamato, Takemikazuchi familia."

The gods took a look at the paper below and then saw her face. She was what many would call a Far-Eastern beauty.

"Name her shadows-braid."

"No shadow-heart!"

"Samurai-Hunter!"

"Samurai-dancer!"

"Hookers-delight!"

"Those are all horrible names!" Takemikazchi protested. He was ignored.

More names were thrown out, each worse than the last. But no one could seem to agree on one.

"Dionysus, you say something!"

The handsome blonde god quirked an eyebrow before turning his gaze to Takemikazuchi.

"Absolute shadow." He lazily waved off.

The gods in the amphitheater agreed with Takemikazuchi's head hitting the table.

"Alright, it's agreed then! Mikoto Yamato shall henceforth be known as Absolute Shadow!" Ganesha declared.

Takemikazuchi groaned as they moved on to the next one. Time passed with more embarrassing names being thrown out there.

Eventually, they got to the last name, and Astraea felt her heart start to race with it being Bell's.

"Alright, our final candidate is Bell Cranel. He just made level two. IN THREE MONTHS!" Ganesha yelled.

The Denatus was in an uproar at having a new record holder.

"He blew the Sword Princess's record out of the water!"

"There's no way he leveled up that fast!"

"He cheated he had to!"

"But this is Astraea we're talking about! She's not a cheater!"

"But she was gone for five years!"

"Alright, everyone quiet down!" Ganesha yelled. "Like it or not, the kid broke the record. Loki, I can see you getting angry over there."

"Because that kid cheated! There's no way he beat my Aiz!"

"Sounds like jealousy, Loki. You're not going to do anything to Astraea's boy, are you?" Freya asked.

Loki crossed her arms and grumbled. "No."

"Good." Freya cooed.

"Alright, now that we're back on track, let's have some names be brought forth."

Immediately, the gods started throwing out insulting names towards Bell. Trying to find some way to embarrass him because of their jealousy.

"Burning fighter flame!"

"Denied! That's close to one of my children!" Ganesha yelled.

"Flaming rock!"

"Roundhouse!"

"Cheater!"

"Rabbit-fucker!"

Astraea began to feel overwhelmed by the names and felt dizzy. Freya, sensing her friend's plight, cleared her throat.

"Alright, all of you, calm down now. I don't think any of those names fit at all." She sensually protested.

"Then why don't you give us one, Freya!" Loki yelled from across the room.

Astraea looked at Freya with begging eyes. The goddess gave her a smile as she looked at Bell's picture.

"Hmm, well, let's see, his whole rampage against the Soma familia was to protect those close to him. So how about Alexiares? He that guards from death and ruin? Does that please everyone?"

Hushed chatter filled the amphitheater with sounds of agreement and praises for the name. Mostly from a huge majority of the male gods and a small minority of the female ones.

"Alright, from this point onward, Bell Cranel shall be known as Alexiares! This Denatus is now over!"

Cheers were released, and papers were thrown in the air. Astraea gave Freya a thankful look, to which the goddess gave her a wink.

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After the Denatus, Astraea was alone in some far-off part of Babel's 30th floor. Her hand was pressed to her chest as her heart was racing.

Her breath was caught in her throat, and her world became muted and hazy. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt scared.

She was having trouble getting air into her lungs. She was too high up. The air was too thin. She couldn't breathe.

"Astraea." Ganesha calmly called out.

She jumped in fright as he placed a comforting hand on her back. He rubbed gentle circles on her back.

"You're alright, take a deep breath. In through your nose and out through your mouth." Ganesha softly spoke.

Astraea did as he said and took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. She did this a few more times, feeling herself calm down just a little.

"That's good, you're doing great. Another deep breath in and out."

Astraea took more deep breaths and felt her heart calm down. Once she finally caught her breath, she looked to her with, who merely smiled at her.

"See, you're alright," Ganesha said.

Astraea nodded. "Thank you, Ganesha, I don't know what came over me."

"You had a panic attack." He answered.

"A panic attack? No, I couldn't have."

"You did, and there's nothing to be ashamed about for having one. Most of my lower-level adventurers have them all the time. Nothing wrong with them."

"But I'm a goddess. I shouldn't be having these types of things."

"Says who? Panic attacks are normal for everyone. I've had a few myself in the past. I'm sure the other gods have to."

"B-but I don't know why I would have one. I mean, I froze up in there."

"Astraea, you've been gone for five years after a terrible tragedy. Then you were recently attacked, and your new child went on a warpath. You've been under a lot of stress."

"Maybe you're right, but can you please not tell anyone?"

"Of course, your secret is safe with me. But I'd at least tell someone in your familia so that they can help you out."

Astraea nodded as she took another deep breath. "Alright, I will. But let's not talk about that anymore. Let's go to the banquet you've been promising."

Ganesha chuckled as he and Astraea began walking to the elevator. "Alright, let's go, I'll make sure you don't drink too much."

"You sound like Bell."

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Bell skidded back as Ryu charged forward. She thrusted her Alf's Lumina forward, and Bell ducked under it.

He thrusted his Xiphos forward, aiming at her stomach. But Ryu batted his blade away before backhanding him.

Bell flew back but landed on his feet before running forward. Ryu readied herself and narrowed her eyes as Bell seemed to be faster than a level two should be.

When Bell was about 30 feet from her, he leaned down and shot forward. He cleared the distance in an instant, and Ryu's eyes widened briefly.

Her left foot shot up and met his cheek, sending him flying away. Bell landed on the ground and rolled a bit away before getting back up.

"Damn! You kick hard." Bell groaned, moving his jaw.

"My apologies, I will admit your speed caught me a little off guard."

"Thanks for the compliment." Bell stretched.

Ryu readied her weapon once more as Bell charged. He swung up in a diagonal, aiming at Ryu's hip.

Ryu swung her Alf's Lumina to parry but was surprised when Bell let go of his sword mid-air. The blade fell for a second before Bell's left hand grabbed it, and he thrusted it toward her stomach.

Ryu reacted quickly and smacked Bell to the ground with her right hand. Bell landed face-first on the ground, right at her feet.

He lifted his head up to see Ryu standing above him.

"You fight dirty. That's good it'll keep your enemies on their toes. Now, let's take a break for now."

Bell pushed himself up as Ryu sat on a bench and patted the spot next to her. Bell sheathed his sword and walked over to the bench.

He sat down next to her, and she handed him a water-skin. Bell uncorked the cap and drank the water as Ryu drank from hers.

The two sat in silence but could hear the party coming from inside the Hostess. Cheers and yells were heard, and some music as well.

"Sounds quite lively in there," Bell commented.

"It does," Ryu responded.

Silence once more as a cool breeze blew in the air. The moon was steadily rising over the walls of Orario, bathing the city in its light.

Ryu looked to the boy who gazed remained on the stars. She had a question that had been nagging her in the back of her mind.

"Be- Mr Cranel. Did you mean what you said to those reporters?" She softly asked.

Bell nodded. "I did, while it may not have been justice, your actions brought this city out of a dark time."

"But I killed so many people."

"I've killed people too. I know it's not as many as you. But I have a feeling I'll have to kill again. This world isn't one where you can beat the bad guy and take him off to jail. Sometimes, people have to do things where death is needed. At least that's how I see it."

"Didn't you use to have a different opinion?" Ryu asked.

"Three months can change an opinion," Bell responded.

The air grew still as they stopped taking. The moon had risen more, and the party inside seemed to calm down ever so slightly.

"Bell, if our situations were reversed. Would you have done what I did?" Ryu hesitantly asked.

Bell was quiet for a moment as he took another sip from the water-skin.

"Honestly, Ryu, I would. You, Astraea, Anya, Lili, and Syr are all important to me. If someone killed all of you. I wouldn't stop until every last son of a bitch involved was dead."

Ryu felt her heart sink slightly hearing those words. She had noticed a change in Bell ever since he killed those two men in the dungeon.

He had become somewhat more stoic. Which was to be expected since he had taken a person's life. But Ryu didn't want to see that. She didn't want to see him become like her.

To become so full of rage, he'd go on a killing spree to get revenge. She vowed to herself to never let that happen.

"I see, and what would you do after?" Ryu asked.

Bell looked to the ground. "I'm not sure, but I'd miss you all a lot. You're my friends, after all."

"..."

"I know you're keeping me at arm's length. You're scared to grow close, and that's ok. But you're still my friend Ryu. Even if you don't want to be."

Ryu turned away as she felt a slight pang in her chest. Again, her heart yelled at her to befriend the boy who was always kind to her and stuck up for her actions as well.

Such a kindness she hadn't seen since...it didn't matter now. Bell wasn't her, she was long gone by now.

"You know, I know nothing about you, Mr Cranel. You know almost everything about me. Yet all I really know about you is your name and that you're kind." Ryu spoke.

Bell chuckled. "That's because you simply haven't asked. Most of the things I've learned about you is just from Astraea talking."

"Who are you then, Mr Cranel? Where is it you come from?"

Bell turned to Ryu. "I come from a village far away from here. I was raised by my Grandpa because my parents are dead. When I turned twelve, my Grandpa taught me a multitude of things. From fighting to the anatomy of people and monsters. Then, about three and a half months ago, he fell to his death. So, with nothing left for me back home, I came here."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr Cr-Bell."

Bell sadly smiled. "It's alright, I'm working through his death. Slowly, I guess, this is the first time in a while that I've acknowledged that he's dead. Been mostly keeping my mind busy to forget."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Ryu asked.

Bell shook his head. "Not really, no, I'd like to get back to sparring if that's alright with you?"

Ryu looked to the sky again and nodded. "It's getting late, one more spar, and then you head back home. Deal?"

Bell smiled. "Deal."

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Bell laid on the ground as Ryu had once more knocked him on his ass. He pushed himself up and saw Ryu sheathing her Alf's Lumina.

"You fight well, even caught me off guard a few times. Sorry for hitting you so hard."

Bell smiled as he sheathed his sword. "It's alright, you're just helping my durability stay go up."

"Well, I enjoyed our sparring, Mr Cranel. We should do it again sometime." Ryu said.

"I'd like that, hey, is it alright if I use the bathroom real quick before I head home?"

"Of course, Mr Cranel. It seems like the party has ended as well."

Bell and Ryu walked back through the kitchen door, and the scent of fruit hit Bell's nose. He paid it no mind as he was in a kitchen, standing next to a pantry.

"Looks like they all drank themselves silly," Ryu stated.

"Eh, they had fun, they might regret it in the morning when Mia shows up." Bell joked.

Ryu allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she grabbed some blankets and covered everyone up. Bell looked over to Anya, who was sleeping soundly with a cookie shaped like a fish in her hand.

Bell found the sight cute.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair in a minute. Goodnight Ryu." Bell said, walking to the bathroom.

"Goodnight, Mr Cranel," Ryu responded.

Ryu began heading upstairs as Bell made his way over to the bathroom. He flipped the light switch on and yawned as he did his business.

His eyelids felt heavy as he began to wash his hands. He yawned once more.

"Damn, I feel tired. Sparring must've tired me out more than I thought."

Bell finished washing his hands and dried them off. The fruity smell still hadn't left his nostrils. Bell yawned once more, and it was then he knew what was going on.

"Oh shit!" He thought.

Bell quickly reached down to his belt and grabbed his dagger. He could feel sleep drawing closer and closer.

He fiddled around with the dagger before unsheathing it and stabbing himself in his left hand. A rush of adrenaline pumped into his body, waking him up.

He was quick to draw his sword. "Shit Ryu! She needs my help!"

Bell burst out the bathroom door and quickly ran upstairs. When he reached the top of the stairs, the building shook, and a hole opened up in the wall at the end of the hallway.

"No, no, no, she's being attacked!" Bell worriedly thought. The incessant ringing began in his head once more.

He ran over to where the hole was and saw Ryu engaged in a battle with the same brown-haired woman he had seen what felt like another lifetime ago. She had practically left his memory.

"Need to get down there and help her! Even if I'm not strong enough to help, I can maybe serve as a distraction."

Bell was about to jump out of the hole when he stopped. He felt someone above him, on the roof.

"There's another!"

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A black-haired catgirl stood on the rooftop of the Hostess of Fertility overlooking the courtyard. She watched as Ryu fought off a bounty hunter, wanting to claim the sound bounty as her.

But the catgirl calmly waited atop the roof. She wasn't in a rush after all.

"I'll let them tire each other out, then kill them both meow. This is such child's play meow."

That plan was put to a stop as she heard a running cascade of footsteps behind her. She quickly turned around but was too late to stop the charging Bell.

Using his momentum, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tackled her off the rooftop. The catgirl let out a shout as she and Bell plummeted three stories down to the ground below.

The two landed hard on the ground. But Bell had used the catgirl as a cushion and quickly rolled off her, ignoring the pain in his chest.

His sword was already drawn, and he was ready to fight.

"What! How is there another one still awake?! That sleeping gas should've put him to sleep!" The catgirl thought.

She then took a closer look at Bell and noticed his left hand was bleeding.

"He knew what was going on. How could he possibly know someone was trying to put him to sleep?! No matter, he's just in the way. I'll take care of him first. Should be easy."

The catgirl drew two knives and used her magic to create two mirages of herself. Then, for a final touch, she tossed half a dozen smoke bombs at Bell.

They exploded and covered the area around him in smoke. Limiting his vision and confusing him on which one was the real assassin.

"My eyes are lying to me. The smoke and the mirages make it hard to tell which one is her. Luckily, I have a solution."

Bell, knowing he couldn't rely on his eyes, closed them and attuned his other sense to his surroundings.

He could feel three figures surrounding him. Two seem weightless. He felt one of the weightless ones approach him, but he didn't react.

The mirage moved past him but didn't attack.

The heavier one then launched at him, and Bell was quick to parry her strike. It was then he realized he might be in a little over his head.

"She's strong, level three? No four!"

Bell felt another one of the weightless ones approach him, and again, it simply moved past him.

"Can her mirages not attack?" Bell wondered.

He quickly parried another two slashes, but the third bounced off his chestplate. The force from the strike pushed him back slightly.

"Definitely in over my head here. But my job isn't to win it's to buy Ryu time."

"Nya looks like you need saving Bell, nya."

Bell opened his eyes and turned to face Anya. She was out of her waitress uniform and wore a simple white tank top with jeans.

She was also atop the roof.

The assassin took her chance. She threw one of her dagger, aiming for Bell's neck. His body acted more out of instinct than anything.

He batted the dagger away, but the assassin was already in front of Bell. She reeled her fist back and punched him squarely in the stomach.

His chestplate absorbed most of the force, but Bell still went flying back, slamming through a wall with his body and causing him to be buried in rubble.

"Bell!" Anya yelled.

She glared at the assassin, who picked up her other dagger. Anya didn't say another word as she jumped off the roof and thrusted her spear forward.

The assassin quickly parried, but Anya became relentless in her attacks. It was now Anya and Ryu vs the bounty hunter and assassin. Both are on an equal playing field, with each being level four.

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"Second time I've been thrown through a damn wall." Bell groaned, pushing the rubble off him.

He could see Ryu and Anya fighting outside. He wanted to go and help him, but he'd be in the way. He winced as he pushed himself to his feet.

"At least everything isn't bleeding like time." He thought.

Bell caught his breath as he watched the fight outside. But as he did so, he realized that the other waitress and cooks were passed out. They were in harm's way.

"Focus on rescue, then see if you can find somewhere to help. Maybe I'll have to use Gospel to give one of them an opening?" Bell thought.

Bell made his way to the kitchen. However, something was odd. The light was on inside the dining room.

"Didn't Ryu turn that off?" Bell wondered.

He entered the room, and his eyes widened in shock. Twenty hardened mercenaries stood waiting, their weapons drawn.

Bell sensed over a dozen high-level twos and a few low-level threes. They all stopped talking when they saw Bell staring at them.

"Well shit, looks like the kid didn't fall asleep."

"Are you here to harm my friends?" Bell asked.

One of the mercs scoffed. "If you mean taking Gale Wind's head and collecting her bounty, then yeah. But that just confirms you truly do support her actions."

"I said I did, I don't lie," Bell responded.

His heart began racing in his chest. Two mercs were on the stairs with bows. While the rest were all scattered around the dining room.

Twenty vs one, and Bell wasn't certain he could win. But if he didn't at least buy Ryu and Anya time, these mercenaries could ambush them and possibly kill them.

Bell couldn't, no, he wouldn't allow this to happen then.

"Go home, kid, you're too young to be involved with the Gale. Friend or not, she'll only bring you pain."

Bell sighed as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "I don't care, she's my friend."

"Suit yourself."

The mercs all turned their attention to Bell. The archers aimed their arrows, and Bell closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Time seemed to crawl to a standstill as tension filled the room.

Bell released his breath, and the archers fired. Bell was quick to cut both arrows in half before he ran forward.

He grabbed a mug that was on the bar and threw it at a man holding a mace. The wood shattered against his face, causing shards to dig deep into it.

He screamed as Bell parried a sword aimed at his head. A mace hit him in the side, but his armor absorbed the blow. Bell yelled as he cut the man with the mace down. Blood spurting from his chest.

Bell didn't have any time to think as a club smacked him in the head. He stumbled forward where a boot met his face. Then, another mace met his chest.

Bell wildly swung his Xiphos and slit a man's throat open. Two arrows bounced off his chestplate as another club hit Bell's ankle.

Bell yelled in pain as another boot kicked his nose. Bell slid back and felt a mace hit him in the chest once more. His back hit the wall, and he dropped his sword on the ground.

Bell quickly brought his hands up to his face as Sword, club, mace, dagger, flail, punches, and kicks all met his body.

Most attacks bounced off his gauntlets and greaves, but they slowly began to crack under the constant attack.

Bell didn't have a weapon to fight back, so all he could do was protect his head. An arrow sunk its way into his knee, causing Bell to sink down.

Now, only standing on one knee, the attacks were focused on his arms. These men fully intended to kill Bell. They just needed to move his arms out of the way.

His left gauntlet shattered, and a club slammed into it right after. Bell yelled out in pain as he felt his arm break. His arm dropped to his side, and a dagger cut down his face.

It barely missed his eye, but a deep gash ran down the left side of his face. Bell felt a mace slam into his stomach. His armor absorbed the impact, but Bell felt the force behind it.

A club then slammed into the left side of his temple, causing it to crack open and bleed. A mace slammed into his right knee, shattering his knee guard and making shards of metal dig in.

Another arrow sunk into Bell's body, this time his left hand. Bell yelled in pain again as every nerve in his left hand felt like it was on fire.

The beating didn't stop, however, and eventually, his right gauntlet shattered, and a sword dragged its way down his arm.

A deep cut opened up, causing blood to spill on the ground as his right arm was swatted aside.

Bell was on his knees. His eyes were barely open, and his body was covered in wounds. A merc raised his sword up in the air and aimed for the center of Bell's head.

The blade drew closer and closer. Mere inches from burying itself into his skull. Bell's life began to flash before his eyes, and he realized he wanted to live.

"Gospel!" Bell chanted.

A sound wave emerged from his lips and sent the surrounding mercenaries flying back, knocking over and breaking tables.

Bell knew he had to act quickly, so not even wasting a minute, he grabbed his Xiphos once more and quickly cut down two men.

One had their throat slit, while the other was stabbed in the heart. He kicked a table at another, causing it to shatter against the man.

Two more arrows hit Bell. One bouncing off his chestplate and the other digging itself into his left elbow. The guard for that shattered in impact.

Bell paid it no mind, however. He spun on his heel and looked toward the stairs.

"Gospel. Lugio."

The spell traveled to the stairs before exploding in the archer's faces. Bell used a spell key to cause an Ignis Fatus.

The archers flew back and slammed into the wall before rolling downstairs. Their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears all bled.

Bell ducked under a sword swing and pushed himself up. He impaled his sword through the man's gut before pulling it out.

The man collapsed to his knees before Bell kicked him down. A flail slammed into Bell's left shoulder, causing it to crack.

But again, Bell felt nothing as he jumped and twisted his body around. His blade sunk into the man's neck before Bell took it out.

Bell quickly spun on his heel to see four men charging him.

"Gospel, Lugio."

What happened to the archers happened to these men as well. Bell paid them no mind as a dagger cut the back of his knee.

Bell grunted in pain before kicking the table at him. The man dodged the table, but that was a distraction.

Bell's blade swung down and sliced his arm off. The man screamed in pain before a slit to his throat quiet him.

The remaining eight men began to grow scared as Bell was cutting them down like flies. It seemed like anything they did to him didn't work, and they couldn't get past his chestplate.

Every vital point on his body except for his head was covered by his armor. All of it, but the chestplate was shattered now.

Not a word was said before the remaining eight all charged at once. Hoping to try and overwhelm Bell with numbers. It had worked before.

Bell quickly killed one man, and a flail slammed into his temple. His head started to bleed more before Bell jumped back.

"Gospel, Lugio."

His spell killed another three people, leaving only four remaining.

"He can't have much left in him! He's bleeding like a stuck pig!"

Bell quickly shut the man up by lopping off his head. He dropped to his knee and twisted his arm, backstabbing the man in the kidney.

Blood went everywhere as Bell kicked the man to his two companions. One caught him, and Bell killed them both with a single sword thrust to the head.

The blade went through both of them, and Bell took his sword out. The last man swung his sword down, but Bell parried it and stabbed the man through the mouth.

His blade came out the other side of his head, and the man dropped dead. Bell panted as the adrenaline was finally starting to wear off.

The bar area was destroyed. Shattered tables and mugs littered the ground with dead and dying bodies as well.

Blood poured from every open wound on Bell's body. His left arm hurt to high hell with a broken shoulder, arm, and an arrow in his elbow.

Shards of his armor buried themselves deep in his skin, with his temple bleeding on both sides. Bell felt sick and dizzy. His legs felt wobbly and weak. An arrow stuck out from his knee.

But he still had a job to do. Anya and Ryu needed his help. He could help them. He had to help them.

He could use Gospel and provide them with an opening. An opening where they could win. He would help them win.

"Ryu…Anya…hang…on." He wheezed as he limped forward.

His wheezing grew more and more labored as he bumped into the bar. He placed his hand against it to steady himself as he kept moving forward.

"Ryu…Anya…almost…there."

He pushed himself off the bar and began hobbling to the kitchen. His eyes grew heavy while more and more strength left his body.

"No…please…please give me…the strength to…help my friends."

His body didn't listen as Bell didn't even reach the doorway to the kitchen. His legs gave out from under him, and he fell to his knees. Then, to his stomach.

His wheezing grew weaker and more labored as Bell tried crawling to Ryu and Anya. But he barely moved.

"Ryu…Anya."

Those were his last words as the darkness overtook Bell, as his consciousness escaped him. His grip went slack, and his sword laid in front of him.

A pool of blood started to form around him as Bell slowly began to bleed out. Failing in his goal to give Anya and Ryu an opening.

"LUMINOUS WIND!"

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Astraea arrived back at the Stardust Garden late at night. A smile shone brightly on her face as she enjoyed her time at Ganesha's banquet.

She made sure to be quiet, however, so as to not wake anyone. Astraea made her way to her room but wanted to see if Bell had gotten her a new dining room table yet first.

When she saw the new table, her eyes widened in shock and delight.

It was made of Black Ironwood that glistened in the moonlight. But it wasn't the wood that caught her attention. It was what was carved into it.

A carving of the symbol of justice with Astraea's smiling face next to it. Astraea felt tears brimming her eyes at the small gesture.

Bell knew he didn't have to do that, but he did anyway, and it made Astraea happy.

"Oh, Bell, you really are a good person. I'll make sure to give you a big hug as a thank you." She thought.

Astraea then took one last look at the table before heading to bed.

Well, for those of you confused, the events of Ryu chronicle where Ryu and Anya met Lunoire and Chloe just happened.

So now, with that cleared up, Astraea had a panic attack, and Ganesha was a homie and helped her through it. Bell got his ass kicked by a bunch of mercenaries and nearly died from being overwhelmed. But he survived thanks to Alise's skills and Gospel.

Also, for those of you wondering why I haven't been updating my other stories, it's because I'm focusing on a select few right now, so I don't get overwhelmed.

Also, for those wondering how Bell cheats the Falna, it was explained in the earlier chapters. His Grandpa pretty much told him how to farm excila at an absurd degree.

Anyway, that's all I got for today. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you all later.