Continue for 5 Valis - Danmachi Peggy Sue – Chapter 1

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He was dead.

There was no arguing with that.

His heart had been utterly destroyed.

He had beaten the monster but I had cost him his life.

Whatever the monstrosity the dungeon had spawned after those Evilus guys, their names weren't even worth remembering. Had destroyed a large portion of the Dungeon, had managed to use those scythe like legs to pierce his chest and again destroyed his heart.

It had been a desperate act from the creature that much Bell had been able to tell, as it had seemingly been undeceive in what to do in response to his ultimate attack, but it's last moment of life it had made up its mind.

And they had both died.

Bell guessed that he had a few seconds of consciousness remaining as he had once read in a medical book that the brain continued to function for a little bit after the heart had stopped beating. Which was what had led to the miraculous technique known as CPR. But Bell didn't think that would work on him in this instance.

As body fell through the air, his mind seemed to stretch the few seconds he had left into minutes.

He had managed to beat the beast, and saved his friend he had managed to save Miss Lion.

And Bell was happy with that, he truly was.

But… but… he… did… not… want… to… die…

He didn't want to die, he had still so much to do, so many things to accomplish.

He didn't wanna die.

But was going to die, he was already dead. Nothing was going to fix his utterly broken heart. Not even Marie's healing abilities would work as he could see his vision going darker.

He was running out of time.

"I'm sorry Welf, Lili, Mikoto, Syr, Eina, Aiz, Ashia, Haruhime, Ryuu, Wiene." Bell apologized to everyone for his idiocy, he apologized to Asterius his rival. He especially apologized to Miss Lion, to Ryuu as he heard her shouting his name.

"I'm sorry Goddess." He apologized to the one he had broken his promise to, his most sacred wow. "I see you in the next life either as another person to join your Familia or even as a monster that will do everything to serve you. Next time I accept your love from the beginning."

At least he would get to feel the sensation of water on his skin before he died.

Though before he hit the water. "I just wish to try once again."

Those were Bells' last wishes and thoughts.

Splat.

Came not the sound not of water hitting his body, and him sinking into the depths of the twenty-fifth floor and becoming monster dinner.

But that of blood splattering against his face and clothes.

Bell was not falling through the air, but sitting on the hard ground.

And before Bell was not also the falling corpse of the monster that had caused Miss Lion so much pain and anguish.

But half the corpse of a Minotaur that had just been cut in half by Aiz Wallenstein who stood in front of him, her stoic face looking down at him. "Are you okay?" She asked.

This seen was nostalgic to Bell it was a memory that Bell held dear it was the memory that continued to push him forward to get stronger, to stand beside his golden haired idol.

He had experienced this before, and now Bell was experiencing it all over again.

"How?"

That was all Bell could think of at the moment, how, how was he back here? Was he dead or not. He could not feel the injuries that the monster, that the Juggernaut had dealt to him. There was not a giant hole here his hole and not broken heart currently was.

Bell did know how, he didn't know why. But for some reason, somehow. He had ended back up in this moment back to when it all truly began.

Bell felt like his brain was going to give out any moment that sweet oblivion would take his mind to the land of Morpheus.

But it persisted, his body currently filled with power refused to let him go unconscious not until he was back home, not until he was back in the arms of his goddess.

"Are you okay?" Aiz asked once again, concern starting to seep into her mind over the fact that the rabbit looking boy was not responding to her inquiry.

But this time Bell responded. "I'm fine thanks for the save." He simply stated still to much in state of shock not over the Minotaur, but the fact he had somehow traveled through time and into the past.

"I'll be going now." Bell said without emotion as he stood up and walked away from his idol and toward the stairs which led toward the fourth floor and the exit. Though this time Bell did not run towards the Guild Hall to ask Eina about the beauty that had just saved him. Instead he began to wipe the blood himself as best as he could as he headed home towards his goddess.

And as he walked away Aiz just watched the boy as he did so. She had been taken a little a back by his lack of emotions. "Did the Minotaur frighten him that much… or did I?" Aiz thougth to herself for the boys expression had only changed when his eyes landed on her. It had scared her little just to see the life just vanish from those red eyes of his. It reminded Aiz to much of her younger years, when she had thrown herself into combat to escape her emotions her pain.

"Ah, there you Aiz. Did you manage to get the last one?" Bete asked as he approached her.

"Yes, I did I managed to kill it before it did a beginner adventure in." She told him, and it was easy to see that he was one with that Guild issued light armor and knife. Though she was slightly impressed he had managed to make his way down here to Level 5 on his own. And speaking of knife it looked like he had dropped his as he had walked away from the scene.

"Well, the weakling should count his lucky stars that you saved him. Weak trash like doesn't belong down here." Aiz ignored the werewolf's words as she picked up the discarded knife and put it in her pouch.

"Apologize."

"Huhhh?"

"We should apologize to him. It was our fault that the Minotaur almost killed him." Aiz stated, as she also took the Minotaur's Magic Stone and horn.

"Like hell we should, from what I could see if zombie boy couldn't handle being chased by Minotaur it's not our fault." Bete stated as he turned around. "Let's get back to the Captain and tell him that we took care of the cows."

"Yes," Aiz simply responded.

Xxx

Hestia hummed as she brushed hair waiting for bell to return him, it had been an hour since her shift at the Food Stall had ended. And so she had some Jagamara-kun's waiting to be heated and eaten for dinner the moment Bell returned from prowling the dungeon.

Oh how Hestia loved Bell, the one and only member of her Familia, risking his life every day in the dungeon to provide for the both of them. Oh how Hestia hated that as she only provided a meeker income compared to what Bell made even if most of that went to taxes.

So she was going to support him every step of the way, by updating his Falna every single night to increase his Stats, and increase his chances of success.

That was really the only thing she could provide.

That was when Hestia heard the door to the hidden room beneath the church they lived in opened up, their little love nest.

Though not a lot of loving had taken place just yet.

"Welcome home Be-." Hestia's words froze in her mouth as she saw the state of Bell the moment he reached the bottom of the stairs.

He was absolutely covered in blood, looking like he had just been through hell itself. And his eyes, his beautiful eyes where they had been full of life, now looked like death itself as light just seemed to be gone.

"I'm home goddess." Bell spoke with a tone that sounded so full of relief like he could not believe he was looking at her.

That was when Bell collapsed onto the floor.

"Bell!" The Goddess of hearth shouted as she ran over to her precious child.

Xxx

"Bell what happened to you?" Asked the sleeping Bell who laying with his stomach on the bed, his underwear with his Falna on full display.

Hestia had managed to calm herself down after Bell had collapsed and checking that he was still breathing.

Afterward she had moved his heavy body over to the bed, and removed his clothing to check for injuries, but only had a few scratches. So the blood that had been covering him was thankfully not his own. But tomorrow was going to be a cleaning day.

But Hestia was still beyond worried wondering what the hell had happened in the Dungeon today that had lead to this situation. But he was still alive and that was all that mattered to Hestia, she loved her child and she would never know what to do if she lost him. They had only been a Familia for two weeks but Hestia loved Bell with all her heart.

She just wished that Bell would return the love one day like a lover. But Hestia could easily wait for that day.

In the mean time she might as well update Bell's Status while his back was up in the air and have bit of good news for when he woke up.

Hestia made her way up onto his back and let a drop of blood fall onto the Falna that she had inscribed upon his back to see how much Excellia he had gained.

"What in the world?" Hestia thought as she saw numbers rising, rising higher and even higher. It was like she was losing control of the Falna as numbers reset as he reached level two without her input and then did it again with level three and then four until it finally stopped.

"Bell what happened to you." Hestia spoke softly her voice filled with worry for her child. She took out the paper and inscribed onto it his status in the common language of Koine.

Bell Cranel

Level Four

Strength: C676

Endurance: B701

Dexterity: B724

Agility: C655

Luck: F

Abnormal Resistance: G

Escape: I

(Skills)

Liaris Freese: Fast Growth in response to desire, the greater the desire the greater the effect of the growth is.

Argonaut: Allows for an action to be charged.

Ox-Slayer: Allows one to fight with greater strength against the Minotaur species.

Chronos:

(Magic)

Firebolt: Instant action spell.

Hestia just looked at the paper and felt like her head was about to explode as she looked at it. How had Bell gotten all those skills, stats, Development Abilities, and that spell. Two of those skills especially worried her Liaris Freese with just how broken it was. And then there was Chronos, which worried her even more. Cause she could not tell what it did, even as she tried to decipher the Hieroglyphs she could not get a description of its abilities like the others.

But the name Chronos, for some reason it just sent a shiver up her spine like a bad suppressed memory was making its way up to the surface.

But Hestia ignored that feeling and her own hunger as she went laid down besides Bell to comfort him as he seemingly began to have a nightmare.

"Don't worry Bell I won't leave you."

Xxx

Bell groaned as he opened his eyes, before breathing out heavily as his memories rushed back in.

It had no dream, he had died and somehow ended back up in the past, back when it had only been him and his goddess.

Bell was actually surprised he had walked to the right location going to the old church instead of Hearthstone Manor.

But as Bell tried to move he felt his body slightly hampered by something. He moved his head downwards and attached to his chest was his goddess. Bell felt his face heat up at the 'contact' that she was making with her body. He wanted to run away like usually did for he truly did not deserve his goddess's compassion. But he did not do that, he couldn't make himself do that, not right now.

If he did that, Bell thought that he would shatter into a thousand pieces, he probably already would if not for the arms his goddess had wrapped around him. They were the only things that kept him from bursting, from breaking.

So for now he just let her do what she pleased. Despite how much his stomach felt oh so empty.

Though thankfully it did not take long for Hestia to stir and wake up herself. "Good morning Bell, I hope you managed to sleep well." She spoke to him in a soft tone, but one reeked with concern.

And now Bell was starting to feel bad, had probably made his goddess oh so worried then he returned home.

"Are you hungry Bell, I still have yesterday's uneaten Jagamara-kuns they just need to be heated up first?" She asked him and he just silently nodded in response as he tried to think over what had happened.

But he didn't get anywhere it was like his mind refused to work.

He didn't even notice when his goddess had taken a seat besides him, a hand containing the heated potato snack.

"Here Bell you need to eat."

"Thank you goddess." Bell responded as he took the food and ate it, the substance flowing down his throat and giving him a modicum of energy that he could use.

"Bell I updated your Falna last night when you were asleep and… it said that you were Level Four. So Bell you don't have to tell me what happened you can keep your secret if you wish. But as your goddess, no as your friend. I would like to have this worry this fear within my heart settled." His Goddess's words were somber as she asked him to tell her what happened, giving him the option not to.

But Bell wanted to tell her the stuff he had been through, no he needed to tell cause if he didn't he would shatter like glass. He needed to let his emotions out to tell someone before they destroyed him from within.

And so Bell told his goddess of the future over what happened to him in the span of four months.

From yesterday to the Juggernaut and his death. He told he of the Minotaur, being saved by Aiz, Monsterphillia and the Hestia and knife (And the debt she took upon herself.), the Grimoire, meeting Lili the Prum. How he had saved, his training with Aiz, the second Minotaur fight and becoming Level 2, meeting Welf, the Black Goliath, the War Game with Apollo, becoming Level 3 and the expansion of the Familia. The invasion of Rakia and saving Haruhime from Ishtar. Meeting Wiene and the other Xenos. Ikkelos, Evilus and the second Dungeon Knossos, rescueing the Xenos, the fight with Asterius and losing. Becoming Level 4 and the their first expedition and the Irregulrar Moss Deep, and then the fight with Juggernaut.

And all the while Hestia continued to listen as her child unleashed upon her all of his emotions, all of his sorrows and regrets and she bore them all. She did not speak up, she did not interrupt she just listened until he was finished.

And at no point had he lied to her.

"My sweet Bell you've been through so much." And he had Hestia could not fathom how so much could happen to one person in just four months. Most adventures didn't go through so much trouble in their entire life. "Now what do you wish to now that you're back?" She asked him.

That caused Bell to freeze up, he had put no thought into that all he had been to cought up in his own head. but then his goddess asked that question, the answer became very obvious. "I want to do it right this time." He wanted to help everyone once again to save them and be proper hero.

"If that is what you wish I will support you every step of the way as your goddess." And with how honest he had been towards, Hestia knew that Bell to deserved honesty in kind. For it sounded like the her in that other timeline had not told Bell about Liaris Freese. And Hestia knew that they would not be able to keep Bell's now Level Four status secret for a very long time.

"Here Bell this is your updated status," Hestia said as she handed over the paper she had created last night.

"Liaris Freese?" He asked as he read it over.

"The me in that other timeline kept it hidden from you as to not draw attention to that ludicrous growth of yours." She explained with a sigh.

"So, why tell me goddess if you kept it secret."

"Cause that along with your other Skill are going to be needed to explain why you're suddenly Level Four after only having been an adventurer for 'two weeks.'" Hestia said the last part using her fingers to make air quotes.

"I see so do you know what Chronos Skill is?" Bell asked, but his goddess you shook her head in response.

"No idea, but from what I can guess that is what allowed you to send yourself back in time." She gave that as an explanation.

"That makes sense."

"Sorry Bell, I need to get going now. I wanted to stay with you, but my work shift soon." Hestia apologized.

"It's fine goddess, you go work and I'm feeling much better now. Thank you for listening to me."

"You're welcome Bell, now what do you want to do today head into the dungeon?" Hestia asked.

"Maybe but first I need to talk to Miss Eina and tell her about my 'level up.'" Bell had kept to many secrets from her before he didn't want to do that again. He wanted to be honest with the person that cared so much for him, the one that still believed even when the city had been against him.

He didn't want to lie anymore.

"You go do that Bell." At that Hestia left the bed, and headed out the door. "See you later Bell."

"You too goddess." Bell responded with his own goodbye and as he heard her steps disappear, he breathed out a heavy sigh.

Bell's heart and mind now felt a lot lighter now, compared to before. He knew what he needed to do, he just needed to take it one step at a time.

Xxx

A/N: If you like this or any other of my stories you can donate to my P A Treon. com (Slash) StreamingViking and read commissioned stories