Twilight Manor

Chapter 9

Trouble at the Twilight Manor

(I do not own Danmachi)

Bell was preparing for the day, gathering his gear and weapons for his morning training with Aiz but, when he left his room, he was surprised by what he saw.

"Hello Aiz...Loki?"

"Imma stealing Aizu for a bit. She said we hadda come tell ya first. Somtin bout ya training."

"I have to escort Loki so, we will have to put off the training until later. She said it wouldn't take too long so, don't go running off to the dungeon or something, okay?"

"Okay, I will probably just hang out here until you get back.

She gives him a quick peck "Good, see you in a bit."

He was just as happy and excited about getting an Aiz kiss as the first time it happened despite them being together for a while and being kissed alot of times, everytime felt special to him. He was just taking the moment in but that is when he felt a swift smack to the back of his head, pulling him back to the present.

"Since your little girlfriend is gone, how about you train with me today?"

When he turns to see who it is, he is shocked by who it is.

"Bete? Uhhh sure." Bete never showed any interest in helping him before so, Bell was unsure but, it couldn't hurt to give it a try he figured.

They went down to the training area to the side of the Manor. Bell was just grabbing his knives to get ready to spar when, he feels a fist in the side of his face and Bell is knocked to the ground.

"Ouch. What was that about?" Bell ask rubbing his cheek. Bell had trained with alot of different members of the familia, other adventurers and his former familia so, he was pretty sure sucker punching your sparring partner was bad form.

"I won't coddle you like Aiz."

Bell hops to his feet and charges in, but Bete just dodges and sticks his foot out tripping Bell to the ground. He wasn't used to his newfound power in his level 5 body and it had made him a bit clumsy. Bete would have no mercy though so as Bell was getting up he gave him a swift kick to the ribs. That left Bell on the ground heaving.

"Is this all you got? You been training with Aiz this long and are still this pathetic?"

Bell was pulling himself back to his feet when Bete attacked with another punch. Bell was able to roll under dodging and getting back to his feet. Unfortunately as, soon as he got to his feet he was greeted by a stiff spinning back kick that bloodied his nose and knocked him to the ground again.

"I will never understand what she sees in a weakling like you. You are still the same weakling we saved from that minotaur."

Bell felt a rush of an emotion he rarely felt, anger. He had grown so much since then and not just in status. He had refined his knivesmenship, he had dealt with unimaginable loss, he had found his love, nearly lost her fighting over the Xenos and reconnected all over again. He had grown emotionally, physically and in skill and he wanted to show this stupid dog that he wasn't that weakling anymore but, Bell was a speed fighter and he was fighting someone unquestionably faster, more skilled, and more experienced. This was the one downside to leveling up so fast everyone else his level and above had been training for years honing their skill. He had only been training for months, he would struggle to match anybody in his level in pure skill with a weapon. That combined with being an entire level weaker made this basically impossible but, Bell wasn't the type to give up.

He was getting up when he saw the wolf take another charging attack

"Firebolt!"

He misses and is rewarded with another swift kick to the gut that knocks all the air out of him.

"What would you have done if Aiz wasn't there in Delos to bail you out? You would have let a pathetic level 3 kill you. Your an embarrassment to this familia." Bete would never admit it but, this was his way of showing he cared. To an outside observer it would look like he was just bullying a much weaker member but, he saw it as giving them motivation to get strong so, they wouldn't die. They needed reminding of just how weak they were. If giving them the motivation required they hate him for it then, he was more then happy to deal with that.

Bete sees Bell start to crawl back up to his feet once again, heaving all the air in and out as fast as, he could. He knew Bell wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer.

"God, your an idiot. Just stay down like the weakling you are."

Bete goes charging in for another kick when he hears.

Cling! The Hestia knife blocks the iron boots from another kick to the gut.

"You blocked it. I guess you aren't totally useless."

Bell goes to sweep the legs but, the wolf quickly hops over the attempt and kicks Bell in the head in the process knocking him out.

"I guess you expect a lap pillow now? She is much too nice to you."

Bete gives him one more swift kick to the unconscious body sending it rolling into the bushes before walking off and leaving him there. He wanted to make sure, he would remember this lesson. It would be a long while before anyone found him but, after a couple hours before a couple of Amazons walked by and noticed some white hair hanging out the bushes.

"Whatcha doing in the bushes?" Tiona asked from the other side of the training grounds.

Nothing

"Bell!"

Nothing

"Bell!?" Tione gives it a try

"I think he is asleep" Tiona suggest

bonk* Tione knocks her in the top of the head.

"Ow"

"Do you ever think before you talk? Why would he be sleeping in the bushes? Let's go check on him."

They walk over and pull him out of the bushes. They take one look at him, glance at each other and then at the exact same time say

"Bete!"

"Aiz is gonna kill him if she finds Bell like this."

"Let's go take him to Riveria, she can heal him" Tiona picks him up in a princess carry.

Meanwhile with Aiz and Loki they are walking back towards the Manor.

"Did you enjoy our date?"

"It's not a date...*munch*... I only go on dates with Bell.*munch* I am just here to keep you safe."

"Ya weren't saying dat when I was buying ya Jagamarukun."

"Jagamarukun.*munch* *munch* *munch* good." Aiz says in between bites happily carrying her bag full of Jagamarukun.

They were just getting to the gate of the Twilight Manor when she saw a sight she could barely believe. The Amazons were carrying her Bell to the house and him looking all beat up. She had heard Amazons would beat up their man and then go take them for their own and at this sight Aiz jumped to the worst conclusion. All Loki saw was a blur and heard "Tempest". She heard something hit the ground and decided to take a look.

"She dropped her Jagamarukun...This is serious." Loki went running as, fast as her little legs would take her.

The Amazon twins see Aiz running their way.

"Hey Ai..." *swish*

Tiona barely ducks in time to avoid a decapitation but, till gets a slight involuntary hair cut. Tiona drops Bell and rolls back. Aiz quickly makes up the space and swings again.

Tione goes to tackle Aiz from the side to help her sister but Aiz sees her at the last second and rewards her with a swift knee to the gut, sending her tumbling. The amazon's were tough and combined would easily beat Aiz in a fair fight but, they were unarmed and Aiz was swinging desperate like a mad woman. Luckily, they were an equal level and would be able to dodge anything lethal atleast for a bit but, even just the glancing blows tore open nasty cuts.

"Aiz calm down!" *Dodge*

"It's not what" *Dodge* "You think"

Tione gets back to her feet and goes in for another charge but, again Aiz dodges and punishes with and cuts the back of her thigh cutting the hamstring in half making her fall straight on her face.

"Aiz stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" Loki screams as she finally gets close enough to see what is happening. Well, the best she can with her eyes which just looks like a couple of blurs and Tione cut up on the ground. The pleading didn't work.

"FINN! GARETH! RIVERIA! Get out here!" She demands in a scream. Any normal person would have never heard it but, with their enhanced senses they could hear Loki from anywhere in the manor and given the situation in Orario they were extra on guard. They came weapons drawn in no time. Riveria had already chanted a spell on the way using concurrent chanting just in case it would be needed. They also had heard the fighting outside and wanted to be ready. When she saw what was going on she fired it inbetween Aiz and Tiona to separate them. Aiz decided it would probably be best to stop at this point. Bell was safe and further escalation would not do her much good.

"What's going on here?!" Finn asked as Riveria makes her way over to Tione and begins to heal her

"Aiz tried to cut off my head!"

"Aiz!" Riveria yells like a mother in disbelief at what their child has just done.

"Is that true, Aiz?" Finn asked much more calmly. He was fair and going to get both sides of the story before making a decision

Aiz didn't say anything and just went to check on Bell and sits his head in her lap and pets his head. Finn assumes that means it is true.

Finn sighs "Did you guys beat up Bell or something?" He wanted to know why Aiz would do something so incredibly stupid and Bell was beat up so, that was a logical conclusion.

"Tiona and I found Bell hurt outside and passed out and we wanted to take him inside for help and Aiz got the wrong idea."

"You have anything to say Aiz?"

"I saw Bell was hurt and reacted." Her head was a bit hung ashamed of her actions now understanding the actual context if the situation.

"That is no excuse. Did you think of asking before escalating the situation to this point?"

"I made a wrong assumption and acted on emotion. I apologize to everybody but, especially Tione and Tiona" she turns to look at them " I don't expect you to forgive me but, I do truly regret my actions and am very sorry."

The twins saw the look of genuine regret on her face and knew these were her honest feelings. She could lie with her mouth but, wouldn't be able to pull off such a convincing act with her face but, she just tried to kill them, a simple apology would not cure their anger and so they still sent her death glares.

"Aiz, you need to leave until we figure out what we want to do with you, considering the offense it may take a while but, until then you are banned from the Manor and all familia activities."

She just sadly nods gets to her feet then starts to leave towards the gate.

"You can leave Bell with us "

"I won't. He still was attacked and injured here. It isn't safe." And with that she leaves carrying Bell. Finn decided it would be best not to escalate it and let her have her way. She wouldn't hurt Bell.

When Riveria finished healing the twins, she goes to Finn and says "I thought he would bring some emotion out of her but, now I am not so sure that is a good thing."

"Her outbursts are only getting worse and my thumb is aching something terrible. I think this is only the beginning"

Aiz didn't get very far before she saw Bell's eyelids start to move. He tries to move but it hurts pretty bad He tried to think but, he had a massive headache so, he couldn't think clearly. He just knew he felt safe so, he just relaxed. He laid his head to the side and that is when he felt something really soft like a pillow. He decided to snuggle against it. That's when he heard worthat made his heart pump out of his chest.

"Hi Bell, how are you doing?"

That is when Bell realizes that he has just been shoving his face into Aiz's breast and started flailing, kicking like his life depended on it. It hurt to do it but, he needed to get free and quickly. He leaps out of Aiz's arms and he immediately goes into a deep apologetic bow.

"I am so sorry Aiz!" Bell said his face living up to the moniker of tomato brat.

"For what?"

"Well um, I was... and then...and umm..but I didn't.." Bell rambled trying to explain without dying of embarrassment

"Ooooooh it's okay" she says suppressing a giggle at his awkwardness while patting his head. Aiz really didn't understand why he was freaking out and apologizing but, after what she just did, she would forgive him for about anything. She hoped he would do the same.

Then they started walking again while Bell tried to regain his composure and clear his mind

It took a while but, when he finally did that was when confusion hit.

"Aiz, where are we going?"

"to a motel" If she was alone she would probably just go to the Yandere chamber but taking Bell to the red light district and torture room obviously seemed like a poor choice.

Bell started to blush "Why can't we just go home?"

"I can't"

"What?"

"When I got home I saw you hurt and Tiona holding you. I made some bad assumptions and kinda freaked out"

"What exactly do you mean by "freaked out"?"

Aiz didn't want to answer but she knew he would find out eventually and it was best to hear it from her.

"I attacked Tione and Tiona ."

"You did what?! How are you even still standing?" He was pretty sure, it would be impossible to fight one of them without some serious damage being done but, both of them? He couldn't be getting the entire story he concluded.

"I had a sword and they were unarmed."

"How could you do something like that to our own familia" The look of disappointment and anger on his face was something Aiz had never seen before and never wanted to again.

"I wanted to protect you."

"I don't need protected like a child. What did you think they were going to do rape and murder me or something!?"

"...Yeah, something like that..." she says barely loud enough to be heard, head hung low.

Both of his hands go to his face, he takes a deep breath. "I can't deal with you right now. " He turns to leave but, feels a hand on his shoulder.

"Bell." He looks over his shoulder back at Aiz who has a desperate look on her face.

"..Please don't leave me alone, you are all I have right now..."

"Bye, Aiz." He turns and walks away.