Hey, I'm finally back! It's been a long few months, and I honestly wanted to post an update on why I was on an unannounced hiatus. But then I realized I didn't actually did it, and I was already done with the chapter.

Long story short, I went to Japan, attended FGO Fes, got into issues with housing, and now I'm back here. But anyways... Yall know how we've been having EMIYA's cooking as a gag? I'm thinking if I should have him inherit Beni-Enma, similar to how he inherited D'eon.

XBOY40, here's a new one... way overdue, and you'll see a new Servant soon enough.

Daemon of Wrath, Bell will become more jaded, more cynical. But at heart he is still the same boy who wants to become a hero. But anyways, god slaying weapons, well, that's not impossible.

rider09mk2, soon... well, hopefully 2 months qualifies as soon for you... cuz it doesn't for me. A bit overdue, but here ya are.

Guest, honestly, I agree. Ryuu is so much better, and I am a larger Hayami Saori fan than an Onishi Saori fan.

Lightning Lord Kaji, you mentioned Finn and the others just ignoring why Bell killed the Ikelos Familia. But the intention here is not to focus on the deaths of the Ikelos Familia, more so on the Xenos. They can't accept the Xenos as a legitimate reason, for well, personal reasons.

AnimeFan13579, Chaos Labyrinthos will definitely be a huge game changer. In fact, that will basically give Bell the win.

Arturwho, it'll be fun to write, ngl.

Shinigami200, it would be inconsistent if all Bell has is EMIYA's powers. Bell is linked to the Throne of Heroes, and by extension every other Heroic Spirit. So I don't find it a stretch that Bell can trace certain items that EMIYA cannot trace.

Also, the Danmachi World in this story exists outside of TYPE-Moon continuity, so the Throne of Heroes technically exists outside of the world outside of the Danmachi world.

And how EMIYA's fighting style and command seals work... well, it's Fanfiction, I'll try to do it most of the time, but it ain't gonna just fully adhere to canon shit.

nbjdawe2001, Archetype Earth Bell... well, that's gonna be hell for Orario. I guess technically I already threw in a Grand Class Servant with Orion, but we'll see.

codywhite162, glad you're liking what I'm doing with the Xenos arc so far... here's a new chapter!

lonewolf1986, glad you like how I'm portraying Bell. Honestly, Syr/Freya is still pending, the only confirmed ship is Ryuu anyways. But we'll see.

Anyways, I won't delay this any further. Here's the newest chapter.

XXX

With Bell and the Xenos, the group were getting ready to infiltrate Knossos.

Gros asked, "Bell, this Knossos, it's a labyrinth, yes?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah, it is."

The gargoyle nodded, "Are you able to draw a map of it?"

Bell shook his head, "No, there's no point. Knossos itself has countless trap doors made into walls, even the floors can be trap doors. Once Dix realizes we're in, he'll probably alter the labyrinth to make it hard for us to get to him."

Lyd hummed, "That'd be annoying."

Rei folded her wings, "That means we'll have to wing it then."

The boy looked at the sage, "Fels-san, let us know when you have the others ready, we'll meet up at one of Knossos' entrances."

Fels raised an eyebrow, "You don't want us to go through the entrance on Daedalus street?"

Bell shook his head, "No, it's too risky. If Barca Perdix joins in, they will easily split us all up. It'll be better if we go in together."

He narrowed his eyes, "Besides, if what you told me is true, then a large portion of Orario will be watching my Familia too."

The sage nodded in acceptance, "Very well."

He brought out a small blue pearl and handed it to Bell, "Take this, I'll contact you when we're ready."

Bell took the pearl, "Thanks, Fels-san."

Fels turned to the door, "I'll be off then."

With that said, the sage vanished into the shadows, leaving Bell and the Xenos.

Rei spoke up, "I suppose we should take the chance to prepare and rest."

No one disagreed, and Bell took a breath, "I'll make us some food."

Using the Gate of Babylon, the boy summoned a portable stove and wok, along with a bunch of other cooking equipment.

Soon, the heir to the Throne and the Xenos sat around a campfire.

Lyd looked at Bell in surprise, "Holy shiet! Bell-cchi! Wha-How?!"

Every other monster was devouring the food in front of them, and the lizardman could barely hold in his hunger to wolf down the plate of food in front of him.

Bell chuckled as he ate his own plate at a much slower pace, "Well, perks of inheriting the abilities of a chef."

Gros looked at him, "Bell Cranel. If things don't go well, you are more than welcome to stay with us indefinitely."

A few other monsters nodded vigorously, but most of them were too absorbed into devouring their food.

The boy smiled, "I'll keep that in mind."

As they ate, Rei's eyes narrowed as she looked at the direction of the entrance to their hideout, "Lyd."

The lizardman glanced at her, "What's up?"

The siren kept her eyes at the direction of the entrance, "I hear many adventurers outside the entrance. They've been there ever since Fels left."

Lyd's eyes widened, and every other monster tensed up at her words.

Bell furrowed his brows, "You think the enemy has found us?"

Rei nodded, "It's possible."

The boy asked, "If we move closer to the entrance, would you be able to hear what they're saying?"

The siren stared at the direction of the entrance, "If they speak, I suppose I can."

Bell stood up, "Let's go see who these people are."

Lyd stood up, "I'm coming too."

The boy nodded, "Alright, be ready to get everyone to run if need be though."

Bell looked at Rei, and the two nodded before they headed to the entrance.

As they approached the entrance, Rei commented, "I can hear the voices more clearly now."

Bell mentally readied himself to Load a Heroic Spirit, "Can you hear what they're saying?"

The siren nodded, "Give me a moment."

Rei closed her eyes as she focused on the voices behind the entrance.

"Are you sure we can't just blow the wall apart?"

"No! We don't want to scare them off!"

"But we don't even know if the Xenos are here. Bell Cranel could've just teleported or erased his scent or something!"

"Lulune, are you sure this is where Bell's scent leads?"

"Positive. It leads further down into the wall. There's definitely more behind this."

The siren opened her eyes, "It sounds like they're looking for you, Bell."

Bell furrowed his brows, "Who could it be?"

He looked at Rei, "Can you hear any names?"

Rei closed her eyes again, "... I can. Andromeda… Lulune… and Lion?"

Bell paused, "Ryuu-san…"

He clenched his fists. Unlike Finn or the other members of the Loki Familia, Ryuu could definitely be convinced, and whilst he wasn't as close to Asfi, he knew she was someone he could try to convince too.

But there was also the fact that the Evilus was involved, and with his current reputation in Orario, he didn't want to risk having Ryuu against him and the Xenos.

The boy took a deep breath, "Rei-san, can you open the entrance?"

Lyd blinked in surprise, "Bell-cchi?!"

Bell looked at the two Xenos, "The people outside are my friends. But unlike Finn-san, I think I can convince them."

Rei nodded, "Alright, I trust you."

The lizardman scratched his head, "... If you say so, Bell-cchi."

The boy smiled, "Thank you. If they end up fighting against us, I'll take them out myself. I promise."

Lyd frowned, and before Rei could open the entrance, the lizardman placed his hand on Bell's shoulder, "I'm gonna stop you there, Bell-cchi. You don't have to take responsibility for that."

Bell's smile thinned, "But-"

Lyd shook his head, "Again, they, you are adventurers. We are monsters. It is only natural that they seek to kill us, and we them."

The lizardman sighed, "Look, everyone is trying. But if you take responsibility for all that, you'll burn yourself out."

The boy paused, and EMIYA's memories surfaced in his mind, and he chuckled, "I guess you're right, I take that one back."

Lyd grinned, "Now let's see if we can make some new friends, eh?"

Rei nodded, "I'll open the entrance now."

Soon, the wall crumbled down, revealing a very surprised Hermes Familia and Ryuu Lion.

Asfi looked at the people inside the entrance, "Bell Cranel?!"

Bell took a brief count, noting that there were only members of the Hermes Familia and Ryuu, "Asfi-san."

Ryuu rushed forward almost immediately, "Bell! Are you okay?"

Bell was slightly taken aback, before he smiled slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The elf looked at the Xenos beside him, "... So the rumors are true… Are they…"

She trailed off, and Bell nodded, "These are Lyd and Rei, they are part of the Xenos."

His eyes steeled, "Asfi-san, where does the Hermes Familia stand regarding their existence?"

Ryuu almost showed her surprise at the sudden change in tone, but Asfi was half expecting this.

The captain of the Hermes Familia answered firmly, "I cannot say we will ally ourselves with them like you have, but I can say we are not hostile."

Bell studied the item maker, before he nodded, "Okay."

He looked at Lyd, "Lyd-san, do you mind if we bring them in? Talking out here isn't the best idea."

The lizardman nodded, "I don't mind. They're your friends, right, Bell-cchi? If you trust them, we will too."

Lyd's words surprised the Hermes Familia members, and Ryuu to some extent.

Lulune commented in surprise, "They really can speak…"

Rei nodded, "Most of us can, but some cannot."

Lyd nodded, "Come, we should head inside."

The three turned to enter the hideout again, and Ryuu followed quickly.

The rest of the Hermes Familia looked at Asfi, and Lulune asked, "What do we do, Asfi?"

The captain sighed, "We don't have much of a choice, do we?"

With that said, she walked into the entrance, and the rest followed after her.

After a while, they were back at the campfire.

Asfi looked around, seeing all the different Xenos around them.

The blue haired woman took a deep breath, "Bell, are you aware of the situation on the surface?"

Bell looked at her, and he nodded, "To some extent. I know most of Orario knows I killed a party from the Ikelos Familia, and I guess I'm not really liked at the moment."

Asfi nodded, "You'll be in quite a bit of trouble when you go up."

The boy sighed, "Not much I can do about that, can I?"

Ryuu frowned, "Why did you go that far? You didn't have to-"

Bell cut her off, "I did, actually. The Xenos are my friends, I couldn't leave them to die, not when the Ikelos Familia are actively hunting them."

Asfi's lips thinned, "Then what do you plan to do?"

The boy answered immediately, "Simple, we take them out."

Laurier blinked in surprise, "Take them out? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Bell shook his head, "Dix Perdix won't back down just because I beat them up. He'll get back up and get back at us, if only just for revenge. Not to mention, Barca Perdix might get involved too. It'll be annoying if the Evilus get involved too."

Asfi hummed, "So you know that much already."

Ryuu pursed her lips under her mask, not liking where this was going, "Bell, you'll be going against the remnants of the Evilus eventually."

The boy nodded, "I know-"

The elf held on to his hands gently and firmly, "Please, come back with me, Syr is worried. Everyone is."

Her words and actions surprised everyone, and Bell took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Ryuu-san. But I can't do that."

Ryuu sighed, "I guess I should've seen this coming."

The boy smiled, "I'll be fine. Lyd-san and everyone else here, they're strong. I won't be alone."

The elf nodded, "I know. But you're still going up against the remnants of the Evilus."

Ryuu closed her eyes, before she spoke again, "I suppose I'll have to help then."

Asfi gaped, "Lion?!"

The elf looked at her friend apologetically, "Sorry, but I cannot allow Bell to go in just like this."

The Perseus sighed, massaging her temples, "Fine…"

She looked at Bell, "I suppose we can give you a hand, but only against the Evilus remnants."

Bell nodded, "That will help a lot."

Asfi frowned, "But I don't know how much help we'll be. Unfortunately, even I don't know how strong they are."

The boy hummed, "They number around 50 at the moment, but they won't send everyone in. At most they'll send in dozens."

The item maker nodded, "Then it should be fine."

Asfi asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Bell nodded, "Yeah, I do."

After explaining what they were planning to do, Asfi sighed, "Alright, we'll go along with your plan. We'll do our best to deal with the Thanatos Familia, but even then I'm not confident we can do much."

Bell nodded, "It's fine. I'll have the Ishtar Familia and some of my Familia members help too."

Asfi nodded, "We'll need you with us too, Lion."

Ryuu looked reluctant, but nodded, "Alright."

The blue haired woman looked at the boy, "I guess you and the Xenos will head straight for Dix Perdix then?"

Bell nodded again, "Exactly."

Lyd spoke up, "I'm sure he has more of our kind with him. We'll have to rescue them."

Asfi nodded, "Of course."

Rei asked, "So, we'll be entering Knossos with them too?"

Bell nodded, "Yeah, once we enter, we'll split up and head for Dix's chamber."

No one objected, and as if on cue, the orb from Fels lit up, "Bell Cranel, I've met up with your Familia. We'll be heading down in 20 minutes."

Bell nodded as he held up the orb, "Gotcha, we'll meet at the entrance of Knossos."

He looked at everyone, "Alright, everyone, get ready."

Everyone nodded, even the members of the Hermes Familia.

As everyone went to get their equipment, Ryuu approached Bell, "Bell, are you feeling okay?"

The boy looked at the elf, and he smiled, "Yeah, why?"

The elf looked conflicted, "It's just… when you go back to the surface, it won't be pretty. Most likely, you will be detained and questioned for killing members of the Ikelos Familia, and even if you get out of that, the people of Orario will probably…"

Bell blinked, before he smiled again, "If that's what is going to happen, then I'll just have to live with it. There will be people that know the truth, that's all it matters."

Ryuu didn't seem content with his answer, but before she could speak more, Lyd's voice reached their ears.

"Bell-cchi, we're ready."

The boy turned, almost surprised, "Already?"

The lizardman nodded, "We don't have much we need to bring, and we always have our stuff ready to go in case we need to bail."

Bell nodded in understanding, "Alright."

He turned to where Asfi and the rest of the Hermes Familia were, "What about your end, Asfi-san?"

The blue haired woman nodded, "We're ready as well."

Bell nodded, "Good, then let's head out. Fels-san and the others shouldn't be long."

(Linebreak)

Earlier, with Fels, the sage had found their way to the Hearth Mansion.

Using his owl familiar, the sage had managed to drop a letter into Hestia's hands.

Now, the sage stood inside the Hestia Familia's office.

Hestia had a concerned but serious expression, "I see… So that's what Bell-kun has decided."

Fels nodded, "That's correct."

Artemis looked at her fellow goddess, "What do you want to do, Hestia?"

The goddess of the hearth sighed, "If that's what Bell-kun wants, I'll support him. I'll have the others ready, then you can bring them to meet Bell-kun."

The sage nodded, "Thank you, goddess Hestia."

The busty goddess shook her head, "Don't thank me yet. Thank Bell-kun."

Fels nodded in agreement, "And I am extremely grateful."

The sage asked, "Speaking of which, Bell Cranel mentioned obtaining assistance from the Ishtar Familia as well. I am not as familiar with them as I would like."

Artemis hummed, "I can go talk to her about this."

Hestia nodded, before another idea came up, "I think… I might ask Freya for help too."

That surprised the other two, Fels furrowed his unseen brows, "Is that wise?"

The busty goddess nodded, "Freya… Freya will want to help Bell. I just hope the matter with the Xenos won't change that."

Artemis nodded, "Very well, I'll go talk to Ishtar, you look for Freya then."

Hestia nodded, and she looked at Fels, "We'll be back soon."

With Artemis, the goddess of the hunt had put on a hood and made her way to the Entertainment District.

Fortunately, Artemis was stealthy enough to stay unnoticed and easily made her way to the Belit Babili.

The virgin goddess shook off her disgust once more as she walked through the entrance, the Amazonesses recognizing her and letting her in.

Soon, Artemis found herself in Ishtar's room.

The goddess of fertility sighed when she saw her fellow goddess, "Artemis, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The blue haired goddess took off her hood, "We need your help, Ishtar."

The darker skinned goddess nodded, "Suppose you do. I heard our Little Hero's gotten into quite a bit of trouble."

Artemis nodded, "It's a bit to explain, but-"

Ishtar smirked slightly as she cut her off, "Oh you don't have to, I've been keeping track. Despite being under the Hestia Familia, there are still a fair number of men that I… shall we say, hold sway over."

The goddess of the hunt thinned her lips in disgust, "... I suppose you would."

The goddess of sex laughed softly, "Oh, don't you worry, compared to whatever alternative, helping Bell Cranel is a much better option. So much better."

Artemis nodded, "Then you'll help?"

Ishtar smirked again, "Of course. My girls are already ready."

The goddess of the hunt let out a breath in relief, "Good, good. Hestia's kids will be heading into the dungeon soon, so-"

Ishtar shook her head, "No, my girls won't be going in with you."

Artemis blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

The goddess of fertility chuckled, "Oh don't worry about us, we have our ways into Knossos too. But sending everyone in at once is not exactly inconspicuous, no?"

The goddess of the hunt nodded, "You're not wrong…"

Ishtar nodded, "I'll have my girls meet your kids in the dungeon if you're worried, but we shouldn't send them in together."

Artemis nodded in agreement, "Very well. Thank you, Ishtar."

The goddess of sex scoffed, "Don't thank me yet. Once the issue with the Ikelos Familia is dealt with, we'll still need to deal with Bell's reputation."

The goddess of the moon sighed, "We'll… we'll figure something out."

Ishtar leaned back in her seat, "Well, good luck with that."

She looked at Artemis again, "Anyway, was that all you came for?"

The moon goddess nodded, "Yes, I'll be going now."

Ishtar raised an eyebrow, "You sure? You're more than welcome to stay here for a while, at least until things quiet down a bit."

Artemis made an uncomfortable face, "I'd rather not."

The other goddess chuckled, "Right, brothel. Of course. I'll have one of my girls send you back then, better safe than sorry."

The goddess of the hunt nodded in appreciation, "Thank you, Ishtar."

Ishtar made a shoo-ing motion, "Now get going, I have another appointment later, and unless you're into voyeurism, well you're more than welcome to stay."

Artemis just scowled in disgust and left without another word, putting an amused smile on Ishtar's face.

As soon as the virgin goddess left, she chuckled to herself, "Still can't take a joke, can she?"

Ishtar's smile dropped, "Whatever you have planned, boy, I hope it goes well."

(Linebreak)

At the same time, Hestia made her way to the tower of Babel, going up to Freya's floor.

Just like Artemis, the goddess of the hearth had put on a cloak to hide her appearance.

Soon, Hestia found herself in front of Freya's room.

The short goddess went to knock on the door, but before she could do so, Freya's voice reached her ears.

"You don't have to knock, Hestia. Please, come in."

Hestia blinked in surprise, but opened the door regardless.

The twin-tailed goddess was met with the sight of the silver haired goddess rising up from her chair, a glass of wine in her hand.

Freya smiled, "Hello, Hestia."

Hestia pulled her hood down, "Freya. How did you know I was coming?"

The goddess of love chuckled, "I just looked down, and I saw you coming from your home."

The goddess of fire nodded slowly, "I see…"

Freya smiled, "So, what can I do for you?"

Hestia blinked, "Huh?"

The silver haired goddess giggled, "Now I'd love to catch up, but that's not what you're here for, right? Now's not the time either anyway."

The twin tailed goddess pursed her lips, "Freya… I… I need your help."

Freya nodded, "I know, what with everything happening with Bell."

Hestia nodded, "Bell-kun has allied with the Xenos. But that puts us against the Ikelos Familia…. And the Loki Familia."

The Norse goddess of love raised an eyebrow, "The Loki Familia? Now that's news to me."

The Greek goddess nodded, "Bell-kun is strong, so are the Xenos… But I don't think that's enough."

She looked Freya in the eye, "I know you've helped us a lot before, and I know I'm asking a lot from you for this. But-"

"Sure, I'll help."

Hestia blinked, "Huh?"

Freya smiled, "I'll help."

The goddess of the hearth was flabbergasted, "Bwah?! You sure?"

The silver haired goddess nodded, "Yep, definitely."

Hestia gaped, "Just like that? But you'll be going against Loki's kids! Heck, you might be going against all of Orario!"

Freya laughed, "My dear Hestia, have you forgotten who I am? I thought you came to me because my Familia is the strongest Familia in Orario."

The goddess of the hearth felt dumb, "W-well… I… I mean…"

Her face flushed, "I only came to you because you're one of the only ones I can trust now… When it comes to Bell-kun, at least."

Freya smiled wholeheartedly, "Thank you, Hestia. I mean it."

Hestia furrowed her brows, "I'm the one who should thank you."

The goddess of love shook her head, "No, I'm… you know what, let's leave it at that."

Freya turned to look over Orario again, "I'll have Ottar and a few of my kids keep a lookout. Let us know if there are any other places you need us too."

Hestia nodded, "Thank you, I'll let you know as soon as I can."

The silver haired goddess smiled, before she asked, "Are you not going to ask me how I know about the Xenos?"

The twin tailed goddess shrugged, "Eh, I won't pry, you have your ways."

Freya blinked again, "Well… I guess…"

The taller goddess hummed, "Perhaps… I should have a chat with Loki too."

Hestia froze, before she added, "Just… don't send her back to Tenkai, or rough them up too bad… It just happened to end up this way."

Freya giggled, "Don't worry, Loki is still too important to Orario for me to do that. We'll just have a chat about what she's doing, that's all."

(Linebreak)

A short while later, Bell, the Xenos, Ryuu and the Hermes Familia were some distance away from the entrance to Knossos.

"Bell!"

The group turned to see the remaining members of the Hestia Familia along with a few dozen members of the Ishtar Familia.

As soon as they closed in, Lyd grinned, "Ah, there they are!"

Samira made a complicated expression, "By the gods, a lizardman really just spoke… and smiled…"

Aisha ignored the reactions from her fellow Amazonesses, "Bell, is that everyone here?"

The boy nodded, "Yep, that's right."

He asked, "Why, you wanted more?"

The level 3 Amazoness smiled dryly, "Well, it doesn't hurt."

Bell glanced around, "I honestly like our chances, not gonna lie."

Fels snorted, "Don't jinx it, it doesn't take much to trigger your E ranked luck."

The boy grimaced, "Yeah… don't need to remind me."

Asfi spoke up, "So, if we're done chatting, the enemy may notice us."

Bell nodded, "Of course, but once I open the gate, they'll probably know we're here by then."

Lili stepped forward, "Then we should hurry, there are more of the Xenos with them, aren't there?"

Rei nodded, "Most likely."

Gros growled, "Then we should hurry."

Fels cut in, "Patience, Gros. We will rescue them, I promise."

Bell nodded, "But he's not wrong, let's head in."

He looked at Asfi and Ryuu, "Once we go in, Asfi-san, Ryuu-san, your group will split up to handle any of the Evilus remnants, yeah?"

Asfi nodded, "That's right."

Bell looked at Fels, "Fels-san, can you give them one of your communication orbs? That will help us a lot."

The sage nodded, "Of course."

He brought out a couple of them and gave them to Asfi and Ryuu, before handing the corresponding pair to Bell, "Hopefully everything goes well."

They all nodded, and Bell continued, "The rest of us will storm in for Dix Perdix's chamber. But we'll need to be quick."

Everyone nodded, and the Heir to the Throne of Heroes turned to face the entrance, "Let's go. Dix will regret the day he chose to hunt the Xenos."

They approached the entrance, and Bell held up the key, emitting a red glow.

As expected, the doors opened, revealing a path into Knossos.

Bell tightened his fists, "Let's go."

Everyone entered the man-made dungeon, and the group walked along the corridors made of orichalchum.

Welf looked around, "By the gods, you're telling me all this is built by men?"

Asfi studied the walls, "Orichalcum, it must have taken a lot of effort to build this."

Bell nodded, "It took generations upon generations just to reach what we see here. I doubt we'll see it complete in our lifetime."

Gros growled, "Who cares about this place! We need to find our brethren!"

Lyd nodded, "We will."

The gargoyle frowned, but before he could speak more, the walls and floors glowed.

Gros growled, "What the hell is happening?"

Bell's eyes widened, recognising the glow, "Shit!"

He tried to use his key to override the command, but he was too late, as the floors and walls suddenly shifted.

Before anyone could react, the walls got between them as the floors moved.

Soon, Bell was left with Wiene and Rei.

The siren looked around them worriedly, noting that the walls were much closer to them than before, "W-what just happened?"

The boy growled, "We were had. I didn't think they'd respond that quickly."

Wiene looked at Bell, "Is everyone else okay?"

Bell took a breath, "They should be. Dix didn't collapse any of the walls or floors, so we should be okay."

Rei nodded, before she asked, "What do we do now?"

The boy looked forward, "We keep going. If we can figure out where we are, we can find our way to their chamber."

The two Xenos nodded, and the three continued forward.

Meanwhile, in the Ikelos Familia's chamber in Knossos, Dix smirked as he watched the whole group become separated through a crystal sphere.

Ikelos whistled as he watched from behind the man, "I'll say it again, you Daedalus kids are insane."

Dix spared the god a glare for the comment, before he turned his focus on the sphere again, "Yeah well, glad I took the effort to copy this from that shitty piece of shit I call my brother."

Ikelos glanced down at another crystal sphere next to Dix, this one fully blue in color, "And to think you can use that to alter the labyrinth."

The captain of the Ikelos Familia snorted, "Not as good as the big one, of course. But good enough."

He glared at Ikelos, "Now get your shitty ass out of here! We only have so much time before they find us, you said you have a plan to get the Loki Familia on our side, didn't you?"

The god laughed, "Alright alright, don't get your panties in a twist. I'll be back."

With that said, Ikelos turned and left the chamber, leaving Dix with his two spheres.

The captain of the Ikelos Familia barked, "And the rest of you! Get your asses moving!"

Dix growled, "I swear to all the fucking gods, that brat will regret getting himself involved in this."

Shortly after, Finn was walking around Orario with Riveria and Gareth, only just having finished his preparations for his Familia.

Now, the prum was headed back to their Familia home, ready to enter the dungeon.

Until Ikelos' voice reached his ears, "Oh there you are, I've been looking for you, Braver."

Finn turned to see the god of nightmares approaching them, and he stared at the god warily, "Ikelos. What do you want?"

Ikelos grinned creepily, "I see all of you heroic kids really don't like me, eh? Well, not that I care, really."

Riveria stared the god in the eye, "We never had any business with your Familia, Ikelos, so forgive us for being cautious."

The god chuckled, "Oh don't worry, I understand. I just found a bit of tea about our little hero friend, I thought you'd like to know."

Finn narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

Ikelos cackled, "Let's talk somewhere more… private, yeah?"

Gareth blew through his nose, "Finn, you think we can trust him?"

The prum thinned his lips, "As far as we can throw him… But let's hear him out first."

The god's grin widened, "Now we're talking."

The group soon found themselves in a run down storeroom near Daedalus Street.

Finn folded his arms as his long-time comrades stood behind him, "So, what did you wanna tell us?"

Ikelos sat down on a chair, "See, my Familia has a bit of involvement with Knossos."

The prum narrowed his eyes, "Knossos?"

The god nodded, "That's right. Now, as we speak, Bell Cranel is leading his monster friends to take over Knossos."

Finn's eyes widened, "What?!"

Ikelos sighed, "Yep, and he's out for blood, apparently. Not sure how long my kids will last."

The prum took a moment to compose himself, "... So you want us to help you?"

The god nodded, "I'd be lying if I said no."

Finn closed his eyes, before he asked, "Then you know a way to get into Knossos?"

Ikelos cackled, "Oh, that's easy. Here."

The god tossed one of the keys to Finn, who caught it easily, "There's an entrance to Knossos just a few doors down. You'll find Daedalus' markings on the walls, that orb will open the way to Knossos."

The prum looked at the orb, studying the eerie looking eye, before he looked at Ikelos, "Very well, show me where the entrance is."

A short while later, Finn stood in front of the entrance to Knossos on Daedalus Street with all of his executive members, Lefiya, Raul and Annakitty.

Riveria asked, "Finn, are you sure this is all the people we'll need?"

The prum nodded, "I don't trust that god. But in the unlikely chance what he's saying is true… Bell-kun will have a large number of monsters with him."

Bete scoffed, "It'll just be monsters, what's the big deal?"

Finn glanced at the werewolf, "If they were just monsters, then nothing. But this time, Bell-kun will be leading them. I hope you remember our time training him."

The werewolf fell silent, but the prum knew Bete understood the implications now.

Finn nodded, "And this is uncharted territory, even for us. We may have gone into Knossos before, but this won't be the same."

"It won't matter."

A familiar voice reached their ears, and Finn and his group turned to see Ottar approaching them.

Finn narrowed his eyes, "Ottar… What are you doing here?"

The boaz grabbed his sword, "None of you are going in."

The prum almost scowled, "What is the meaning of this?"

Ottar's face stayed blank, expressionless, "If you want to go in, then you'll have to go through me."

Finn took a breath, "I see…"

The prum turned to fully face the giant man, "Riveria, bring the others and go in. Gareth, you and I will stay here."

The high elf blinked, "Finn?"

Finn drew his spears, "It won't matter how many of us try to fight him. So Gareth and I will hold him back while the rest of you go in."

Ottar made no move to stop them, and the prum chuckled, "So I guess that's fine?"

The boaz closed his eyes, before opening them again, "Very well."

Gareth sighed, "Bloody hell. Whatever, alright!"

Riveria thinned her lips, "I hope you know what you're doing, Finn."

The prum just waved, and the high elf led the others into Knossos.

As soon as they went in, Finn brandished his spears, "I suppose I should've seen this coming. The Freya Familia is siding with the Hestia Familia… no, I guess it'd be more accurate to say that you're siding with Bell-kun."

Ottar hummed, "You can put it that way. But make no mistake, no one in my Familia likes him at all. All this is because of our goddess."

The prum snorted, "I can imagine."

Finn's lips thinned, "I'm not complaining, but why did you let Riveria bring the others in?"

The boaz simply walked towards the two, but to their surprise, sheathed his swords and simply stood in front of the entrance of Knossos, "Because Bell Cranel can defeat them without issue."

His answer baffled them, and Gareth couldn't help but ask, "You believe the lad is strong enough to take them all on?"

Ottar nodded, "Perhaps not in a direct fight, but he can win."

Finn sighed, "So you just want to keep Gareth and myself away then."

The boaz nodded again, "And the rest of your Familia, including your goddess. They are under watch by the rest of my Familia."

Gareth shook his head, "Well, this just got annoying."

The prum nodded, "I suppose so…"

Finn couldn't help but be disappointed, but he shook his head and instead focused on Ottar in case the boaz decided to attack.

(Linebreak)

Back with Bell and the two Xenos, the three had been using the Daedalus Orb to open the trap doors.

They couldn't find any of their friends, but through their communication orbs, had confirmed that everyone was safe.

Soon, through the memories from the Daedalus Orb, the three found their way to the Ikelos Familia's chamber.

Bell narrowed his eyes when he saw the man at the far end of the chamber, surrounded by at least a dozen adventurers.

Dix smirked, "Welcome, Bell Cranel. I see you found a stray key to our home. It's rude to come in uninvited, you know?"

The boy met his gaze, "So, you must be Dix Perdix."

The captain of the Ikelos Familia chuckled, "Indeed I am."

Bell quickly noticed the monsters caged up at the side, and more importantly, how badly wounded they all were.

In total, there were at least 30 of them, and counting.

Rei gasped, "W-what happened to them?"

Wiene hid behind Bell, and the white haired rabbit glared at Dix, "Did you do this?"

Dix smirked, "We did. See, these talking monsters are too intelligent for their own good. We needed to beat some sense into them before we handed them over to our clients."

The older man snorted, "Of course, we healed them up before we sold them. Can't sell damaged goods now, can we?"

Everyone around him laughed, before Dix snapped his fingers, "I'm a generous host. As a gift, Bell Cranel, I'll give you all of these monsters here."

As if on cue, every of those cages opened, freeing every Xenos from the cages.

Bell narrowed his eyes, "What are you playing at?"

The man chuckled, "Oh it's quite simple. You're a big hero, aren't you? We'll play a game."

Dix drew his spear, and as on cue, every other adventurer drew their weapons, "This is a hunting game! We'll kill every one of those monsters on your side, and you'll have to do everything you can to protect them!"

Bell scowled, "You won't get away with this."

The man smirked, "I already have."

A few adventurers holding crossbows and bows fired, killing a few hellhounds and goblins.

Wiene yelled, "NO!"

Dix laughed, "YES! NOW LET US BEGIN!"

Bell dashed forward, "OVERLOAD: HESSIAN LOBO!"

The twin scythes appeared in his hands, and without a moment of hesitation, the boy sliced down four of Dix's men.

In no time, Bell had placed himself in the middle of the Ikelos Familia members.

Dix scowled as he watched the caged Xenos all run towards Wiene and Rei, "Get the Little Hero first!"

He made a dash, thrusting his spear straight at Bell, only for the boy to block it with his swords.

Dix smirked, "You know, I'm a Level 5. What are you, 3, 4?"

Bell snarled, his eyes glowing with power as Lobo's figure flickered around him, "Doesn't matter."

The Level 5 adventurer laughed, "No, it doesn't! I outnumber you 20 to 1! Do you think you can get out of this alive?"

The boy growled, and before anyone could react, a dozen scythes shot out of his back, impaling a dozen of Dix's Familia members.

Dix scowled as Bell retracted his scythes, "Make that 10 to 1 I guess."

He brandished his spear, "I'm gonna butcher you, Little Hero. And I'm gonna enjoy every bloody second of it!"

Bell brandished his swords again, "You can try."

The pair charged each other, as the remainder of the Ikelos Familia members in the chamber faced off against Wiene, Rei and the rest of the caged Xenos.

XXX

Done!

So that's the newest chapter. Bell and his group and the Xenos are officially now fighting against the Ikelos Familia, and the Hermes Familia will be fending off the Evilus remnants.

We see Ottar holding Finn and Gareth back, and Freya's Familia are all watching Loki's Familia home, leaving Raul, Annakitty, Bete, Ais, Tiona and Tione, Lefiya and Riveria entering Knossos.

I'm not sure when I can get back to writing the next chapter. Honestly, life and work has just been tiring for me.

But we'll just have to see.

Until next time!