Hello everyone, and welcome back!

Apologies for the long wait for this chapter! Been busy with a lot of real-life stuff, as I just started med school, but hopefully things will finally start to calm down.

I'm so thankful for the positive response to the last chapter and the rewrite as a whole! It was my biggest worry that the rewrite wouldn't go well, especially since the first chapter of the original story was so well-loved by you all, but I'm glad to see it was still very much enjoyable!

Hope you all get to enjoy this story moving forward! Starting next chapter, everything will be new so definitely keep an eye out! And please, let me know your thoughts on the chapters and rewrite as a whole!

Chapter 2: A Son's Earnest Vow

3 years later…

After 3 long, arduous months of eternal nights and blistering cold, spring had finally arrived.

As the Sun started to rise above the mountains, life slowly began to emerge from the thick layer of snow that blanketed the landscape. Birds chirped and took to the skies, bears and other mammals rose from hibernation, and in a sleepy village nestled deep within the mountains, the inhabitants woke up to welcome the new year.

Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones to awaken from the long winter.

While the mountains and harsh climate made for a powerful natural barrier against most Monsters, a few always manage to slip through, especially once the weather starts to improve. In years past, the most the villagers had to worry about were Goblins coming in to steal their crops and harass the young and elderly. Back then, they were so weak that even a good shovel to the skull was enough to take them out, but ever since the disastrous expedition to kill the Black Dragon 7 years ago, more dangerous monsters began to roam the land, and at one point, an Infant Dragon had wandered into the village and nearly forced everyone to evacuate.

Luckily, they had a new, powerful protector amongst their ranks.

"Sigh, these guys never learn, do they?"

With a lazy flick of his wrist, Zald instantly decapitated a Goblin foolish enough to try and attack him, its ashes littering the ground and leaving behind only a small Magic stone, joining the remains of several other Monsters who tried to make their way towards the settlement.

Becoming a village guardsman wasn't exactly what he had in mind for his 'retirement' plan when he first arrived here three years ago, but ever since he saved the settlement from an Infant Dragon by casually chucking it over the mountains, the villagers had fallen to their knees and begged for him to be their local protector. He wanted to decline at first, but after a whole lot of crying, begging, and an admittedly adorable pout from a particular little troublemaker, he was left with no other choice but to accept.

Zald complained about it at first, but over time he grew into the role. The job paid decently well, kept everyone safe, and it gave him the chance to stretch his limbs and get some light exercise in. The Monsters were a far cry from those found in the Dungeon or the Valley of Dragons, but it allowed him to maintain his skills, and everyone in the village appreciated his hard work.

Well, except for Zeus. He was still seething with jealousy from all the female admirers he gained after taking on the job.

And speaking of that adorable little troublemaker…

"I know you're there, Bell. Come on out."

A small 'eep!' came from behind some of the trees, and soon a tiny boy with snow-white hair and ruby eyes shyly stepped into the clearing.

Zald rolled his eyes. "You snuck out of the house again, didn't you?"

"S-sorry, Uncle Zald!"

"Sigh, what did your aunt and I say about sneaking out of the house to follow me?"

"T-that it's dangerous and, cough, it's bad for me to stay out for long?"

Zald nodded. "Exactly. And yet why do you still keep doing it?"

Bell's eyes were filled with stars as he stared up at him. "B-but you're so cool, Uncle Zald! You took out all those Goblins with your hands! You're just like the heroes in my books!"

'Damn it, Zeus…'

Of course it was his shitty god's fault. Zeus had practically raised the kid on stories of Heroes and Adventurers, some of them sneakily featuring him or Alfia, and naturally Bell took to them like fish to water. It was no wonder that the boy ended up idolizing those heroes of legend, and both himself and Alfia, even though they kept their pasts secret from him.

While they didn't exactly disapprove of his reading material, neither Alfia nor Zald felt comfortable having his passion for heroes and Adventurers continue to grow, knowing that he might want to pursue that passion by becoming one himself. Even if the blood of Zeus and Hera Familia ran through his veins, taking up such a lifestyle would inevitably be a death sentence for him thanks to his illness.

Of course, that wasn't to say that he wasn't showing some signs of improvement. Far from it, the boy had improved dramatically from the husk of a toddler they found him as three years ago. Though he was still sickly pale and skinny for his age, gone was the emaciated and pained look on his face, and where he once coughed and puked blood multiple times a day, now he only had minor episodes here and there which could quickly be treated with the right kind of potion.

To his credit, Zeus had made the right decision to bring Meteria's baby here in this snowy, northern tundra. According to that god, this place was once the abode of several powerful Spirits, including the Great Spirit Aria of Dungeon Oratoria fame. Their power seeped into the very air and soil, and it was thanks to that power that a unique herb, one with immense medicinal properties, could grow here.

Neither Zald nor Alfia were under any illusion that even a powerful medicinal plant like the Spirit Herb could cure theirs, or Bell's, sickness, but they at least took solace in the fact that the herbs had done wonders in helping him cope with his condition. As long as he kept taking them, and continued to live around these parts, then he would be able to live as close to a normal life as possible. Something that his aunt and mother would have wanted for him.

And speaking of his aunt…

"You do realize Alfia's not going to be happy when she hears you ran off to follow me again?"

"Eep! P-please don't tell Auntie!"

"And she's gonna be mad you called her that behind her back…"

Bell quickly covered his mouth in panic, though the motion quickly set off a series of painful coughs. Even with his hands covering his mouth, small droplets of blood still managed to seep through his fingers.

Letting out a worried sigh, Zald knelt down and gently wiped Bell's hands and mouth with a spare cloth, before reaching for a small waterskin strapped to his waist.

"Here, drink. And make sure you finish every last drop," Zald warned. "Remember, this stuff's what makes sure you don't cough like that all the time. Don't let Alfia get even more worried for you than she already is."

Bell nodded, scrunching up his face in slight disgust as he drank the potion Zald offered.

"Well, looks like I cleared out all of the Monsters around here. Let's head back before your aunt realizes where you've gone. Wouldn't want to make her mad on her special day, right?"

Thankfully, that managed to cheer the young lad up, and he quickly gathered the Magic stones littering the ground before he shyly glanced at Zald's shoulders.

"Um, Uncle Zald? Can I…"

Zald couldn't help but chuckle. "Fine, get on."

Bell visibly beamed as he climbed up Zald's back and straddled his shoulders.

Together, the two of them made their way out of the surrounding woods and back into the village just as everyone started to make their way outside. Passerbys would wave at Zald, recognizing him by his gigantic stature, and much to his chagrin, several women also gave flirty winks in his direction.

"Uncle Zald? Why are all the girls looking at you like that?"

"...You'll learn when you're older."

"Oh! Is this the 'flirting' thing that Grandpa told me about?"

Zald felt a chill run down his spine at that. "Do me a favor, and never let Alfia know you learned about that, got it?"

"? Okay?"

Making their way down the snow-laden street, the two of them finally arrived at their shared house, rebuilt for the 12th time in a row, and standing at the doorway, with a very unamused face and arms crossed, was none other than Alfia herself.

"You went out again."

Bell visibly shivered the moment his aunt's gaze landed on him. "Eep! S-sorry, Aunt–"

"HAH!?"

"I-I mean, Stepmother Alfia!"

"Better."

She soon took Bell off of Zald's shoulders and carried him on her hip back inside. "Make sure you freshen yourself up and brush your teeth, mister. Your Grandpa is making breakfast, and for some reason he's giving me these weird looks again. Tell him to knock it off, or I'll bury him in the garden again."

"Yep!"

When Alfia wasn't looking, both Bell and Zald shared a grin and wink.

As the two went upstairs, Zald made his way to the kitchen, where Zeus was putting the finishing touches on their little surprise for the day.

"Old fart."

"Bah! Children these days have no respect for us deities! Who calls their God an 'old fart'!?" Zeus retorted with a pout, knowing that Bell couldn't hear his slip of the tongue from upstairs.

"The day I stop calling you that is the day you stop chasing skirts and start acting like a decent God for once." Zald bit back, long used to Zeus's antics. "Is everything ready? Does she know?"

"Hmph! Of course it's all hush-hush! Certainly helped that little Bell managed to distract her by slipping outside to follow you again. Never thought Meteria's kid could be such a troublemaker, haha!"

"Heh, he certainly gets it from his father alright. Let's just hope he doesn't put that talent to use by peeping on women like his dad, or else Alfia would send the both of us to our graves…"

Shuddering at the same time, both quickly turned to their tasks once they heard Alfia lightly scolding Bell upstairs.

As Zald got to work cooking up breakfast, his thoughts drifted towards his fellow Level 7. For all her blubber and denials, Alfia had surprisingly mellowed out in the years since she stayed in this village. He fully expected her to just take a quick peek at Bell and be on her merry way, content to remain forgotten by her nephew, but instead, she latched onto his tiny body with all her body and soul and refused to let him go ever since.

Perhaps it was due to how much Bell resembled his dead mother, both in body, mind, and in sickness.

The boy was a mess when Zald laid eyes on him for the first time. Incredibly frail and tiny for his age, fighting for breath at every moment of the day, and constantly having blood drip down his nostrils and mouth, it was a miracle that he managed to survive for so long, especially in a place as remote as this village, where the nearest decent Healer was hundreds of kilometers away.

Much to his chagrin at the time, Zald fully expected Bell to die not long after they arrived, but miraculously, he held on. Despite experiencing pain and agony the likes of which no child should ever have to endure, he continued to cling to life, and against all odds, as the years passed his sickness became less and less worrisome. No longer in danger of falling dead at any moment, Bell managed to survive and experience a somewhat normal childhood.

Alfia would say that it was because of the Spirit Herbs that Bell was able to improve, but Zald and Zeus knew the truth.

It was all thanks to her.

The dreaded Silence, the most talented Adventurer in the history of the Age of the Gods, and a woman infamously known for being as welcoming as a pissed off venomous snake, had taken it upon herself to be the boy's mother in all but blood. Perhaps feeling a kinship with Bell due to their similar afflictions, Alfia was always at his side, taking care of him and helping him endure the most painful moments of his life.

She attended to him hand and foot, stayed by his side from sunrise to sunset, and held him in her arms whenever he felt lonely, scared, or at the verge of vomiting blood. The two were practically attached at the hip, and for all her complaints about Zeus, the amount of noise in the house, or the mischief Bell committed like with today, she never once raised her hand against him.

Alfia may deny it all she wants, but Zeus was absolutely right about her.

That prickly brat of a woman was now corrupted by what the old fart would call 'Mommy hormones'.

And it made Zald smile. Even he couldn't find it in himself to leave this village and Bell behind.

Perhaps this place was the kind of 'retirement' home he had been looking for ever since he defeated the Behemoth.

With the preparations all set, both he and Zeus waited patiently for Bell to bring his aunt down for breakfast, and soon enough, Alfia was dragged by her hand towards the kitchen, where they finally revealed their grand surprise.

"Happy Birthday, cutie!"

"Happy Birthday, Alfia."

"Happy Birthday, Mo—, Stepmother Alfia!"

Bell squealed with joy, jumping towards Alfia and giving her a heartfelt hug and a kiss on the cheek while Zald and Zeus placed today's breakfast and a large cake on the table, sharing a secret smirk at her failed attempt to play off her sudden embarrassment.

"Hmph! D-don't think this will get you out of trouble, Mister." Alfia replied, trying and failing to hide her blushing cheeks. "But… I appreciate the gesture."

"Aw, come on, lighten up Alfia!" Zeus chortled. "You 'forgot' your last 3 birthdays, and little Bell here wanted you to actually celebrate it properly this time! Besides, it isn't every day you turn 24!"

"Please don't remind me of how I'm getting on in years, old man." Alfia bit back.

"But you aren't old, Stepmom Alfia!" Bell innocently replied. "You're still so tall and pretty!"

"Way to go, Bell! Keep practicing those lines and you'll be a lady-killer in no time!"

"CARE TO REPEAT THAT? Should I drown you in the lake outside again?"

A collective shudder swept through Bell and Zeus once Alfia turned her murderous glare towards the god, but thankfully Zald conveniently placed a heaping pile of food onto the table, preventing the house from exploding for the 13th time in a row.

"Alright, alright, let's not get so excited this early in the morning." Zald interrupted. "Today's Alfia's birthday, after all, and we can't celebrate on an empty stomach now, can we?"

Letting out a sigh, Alfia sat at the table and the four of them dug into Zald's excellent cooking, which he took some secret pride in. It was a nice change of pace for him, not having to eat Monster parts or human flesh for once in all his life as an Adventurer, and he used his silver tongue to the fullest, cooking up delicacies that even a certain dwarf of Freya Familia would seethe with jealousy at.

Bell had also taken interest in his cooking skills, and had started to watch him every time it was his turn to cook. Zeus had been all for it, telling him that women loved a man who could cook, and much to Alfia's anger, Bell had taken it to heart, completely ignorant of the romantic hints and instead thinking that he could make delicious meals for his aunt once he was older.

That kid was seriously in danger of becoming a total momma's boy when he grew up, and neither Zeus nor Alfia did anything to stop it.

Eventually, once their breakfast was cleared away, Zeus placed several candles on the cake, making sure to avoid putting the full 24 on to avoid Alfia's wrath, and lit them while Bell squirmed with excitement in his seat.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road! Bell, make sure to use the manliest voice you can, and go!" Zeus cheered.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Stepmom Alfia! Happy birthday to you!" Bell sang, jumping up and down and hugging Alfia's arm. "Now blow the candles and make a wish!"

"Hmph. I'm not that innocent and naive to do something like this at my age," Alfia started, but one look at Bell's crestfallen face was enough for her to quickly course-correct. "But I suppose that it wouldn't hurt…"

Letting out a sigh, Alfia closed her eyes, leaned forward towards the cake, pursed her lips…

And spat out blood all over the cake and table.

"A-auntie!?"

"Bell, go grab the Spirit potion from the cupboard. Hurry." Zeus said, his voice completely serious for once. As Bell scrambled to grab the medicine, Zald cleared away the table and passed a small cloth to Alfia, who covered her mouth and loudly coughed into it.

Zald winced once he saw how quickly the handkerchief turned red as her cough continued.

Bell soon returned with the Spirit Potion, tears in his eyes as he handed it to Alfia, who quickly chugged the contents down. Mercifully, her symptoms started to lessen, but it was clear that she was in no condition to continue her birthday celebrations.

"Relax, I'm fine." Alfia stated in response to Bell's teary face. Wiping away the last of the blood from her mouth, she quickly returned to acting like her usual self. "It's nothing to worry about. I'll just head upstairs and get some rest. Old man, you better not try to sneak into my bed like last time, or I'll send you flying over the mountain again with Gospel."

Her attempt to add levity to the situation didn't work.

Bell quickly followed after her, tightly clutching her hand as he started crying, and both Zald and Zeus shared a grim face as they cleaned up the kitchen and threw away the ruined cake.

"She's getting worse." Zeus finally muttered once the two were out of earshot.

Zald nodded morosely. "Yeah, the Spirit Herbs alone won't be enough, though I'm sure Alfia knew this already."

"And you? How's your situation?"

"…You already know the answer to that."

Zeus let out a sad sigh. "I was afraid of that. Poor Bell won't take the news lightly."

But it was a reality that Bell would inevitably have to contend with.

Zald and Alfia may have been content to stay in this village with the boy, but they knew that their time here was destined to run out soon.

Crippled by the battle with the Behemoth and Leviathan, the two of them were slowly but surely inching towards their inevitable deaths. Zald's Status may have bought him some time, but eventually the Behemoth's poison would corrode the rest of his body until he was nothing more than a sack of decaying flesh. Alfia's sickness would eventually reunite her with her sister, all thanks to her Skill and battle with the Leviathan which sapped her of all her strength.

They knew that they'd die sooner or later. It was just a matter of time until the reaper eventually took them, and there was nothing they could do about it. Sure, they could try and risk a trip to Orario for a cure, but everyone in the City of Adventurers believed them to be dead, and their Familias were officially designated persona non grata.

No, it was their destiny to die in obscurity. Forgotten by the world, and leaving behind nothing but regrets. Regret at the loss of their comrades and a beloved sister, and shame at their powerlessness against the One-Eyed Black Dragon, the Apocalypse made flesh.

The world was on a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, the Black Dragon will break through the Spirit's Seal and the Great Wall the School District set up across the continent, return to Orario, and unleash the end of the Age of the Gods.

Both Zald and Alfia knew that this doomsday clock was ticking ever closer to the end, to Maquia, and yet there was nothing they could do about it. They were way past their prime, and the new generation of heroes were simply not ready to face the Black Dragon. It still irked him, knowing that Orario was in the midst of Civil War, Adventurers fighting against each other rather than preparing for the Black Dragon, but what could he do?

He and Alfia were just a bunch of dying relics from an era of heroes long gone. He was pretty sure that Orario had long forgotten about them, and even if the city didn't, he doubted that Orario wanted their help.

Alfia too was filled with regrets, and her loss to the Black Dragon still rattled her on the inside. It was the first time she ever experienced such an overwhelming, one-sided defeat, and the first time she ever experienced such an overwhelming amount of fear.

Her nephew's life was on the line, and though she had decided to stay here with him, who was going to do the dirty work to ensure her nephew wouldn't become another casualty to the Black Dragon's wrath?

Zald shook his head. He needn't drown himself in what-ifs. Whatever actions Orario took to surpass the heights left by Zeus and Hera, they would have to be done without him and Alfia. All he needed to do now was just continue his job here, and live long enough to see Bell grow up to take care of himself and live comfortably.

That was, until…

A knock came from their front door.

"Like I said, I'm fine." Alfia firmly stated, but Bell was inconsolable. The moment she sat on their shared bed, he immediately sobbed and wrapped his arms around her midriff in a powerful hug despite his diminutive size. It took her a while to calm him down, and by that time he already started seizing up and coughing blood, forcing her to fuss over him this time.

Once she was sure that Bell was sleeping peacefully, she made her way downstairs to greet their new guest, having heard the knock on their door from upstairs.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she took in the sight of their visitor.

The man was a god, no doubt about it, and worse, he immediately gave off what the gods would call 'bad-boy' vibes. Spiky black hair streaked with white, wearing an unbuttoned white shirt and a dark trench coat, he looked every bit what Zeus would refer to as an 'edge lord', and it seems the two knew each other quite well if the silent amused conversation between them was any indication.

"You better not have brought another pervert into this house, old man." Alfia warned. "I already have my hands full dealing with one of them."

"Haha! So it's really true that Silence was living in the same house as you two! I was sure she'd have sent you back to Heaven by now." The god chuckled, his gentle smile sharply contrasting from the vibes he gave off earlier.

"Zeus, care to introduce us to this god?" Zald said with a frown.

"Ah, of course. Where are my manners? I'm Erebus, God of the Underworld, and a menace to innocent women everywhere." Erebus answered with a cheeky grin, one that failed to garner any amusement from the two ex-Adventurers.

"I remember hearing about you," Alfia said coldly. "You're one of the Gods allied with Evilus."

"Guilty as charged." Erebus replied without a hint of remorse. "Though I assure you I'm not here to cause any trouble. I came alone, looking for you two specifically."

"How did you even know we were here?" Zald asked, but a quick glance at Zeus told him enough. "You brought him here?"

Zeus raised his hand placatingly. "Oh relax. He sent me a letter asking if you two were with me, cause well… no one wants to go near Hera, and all he asked was to speak to you two and nothing more. If he's causing problems, then I'll kick him out."

"And I promise I won't take too much of your time." Erebus added. "I'm sure you're aware of what's happening in Orario currently?"

Zald nodded. "Yeah, your group of idiots are going around killing civilians and Adventurers alike for some stupid goal of unleashing chaos in the Lower World, since you Gods enjoy the murder and mayhem, don't you?"

"Well, you're not entirely wrong," Erebus answered with a sheepish smile. "But that is the gist of it. Currently, Orario is locked in a stalemate, one that could drag on for years to come unless something shakes the chess board."

"And let me guess, you want us to be the catalyst that plummets Orario into chaos?" Alfia retorted. "In that case, save it. I always found your group repulsive, and I want no part of it. Let that city of Heroes and weaklings sort out this mess themselves. I'm in no hurry to return to the city where my sister died alone and bedridden."

"Not even to save the world?"

At that moment, both Zald and Alfia raised an eyebrow.

"Come again?" Zald asked.

Erebus now wore a serious face. "While I do enjoy chaos and destruction as the God of the Underworld and Darkness, even I know that the chaos and mayhem my contemporaries desire is fleeting, wasteful, and meaningless. Especially with the Black Dragon poking at the Spirit Seal."

When neither of them responded, he continued. "The truth is, I love Children. I love their struggles, their constant struggle against evil and justice, and the stories they weave right in front of our eyes. There is nothing more precious in this world, and in order for them to survive, something must be done. Orario needs to overcome this obstacle, and the newest generation of heroes needs to step up and fill the shoes your Familias left behind."

"And how do you expect us to do that?" Alfia asked.

"By giving your lives to be the stepping stone for Orario's newest heroes."

That made both Zald and Alfia pause.

"I know the both of you are dying," Erebus continued, now with a saddened expression. "The Behemoth and Leviathan had left deep scars. Scars that can't easily fade away, and wounds that continue to fester and rot. From what I can tell, you both have about… maybe a year left at most?"

"Tch." Alfia hissed, annoyed by his godly intuition.

"Tell me, are you really satisfied with this? Rotting away alone and forgotten in a tiny village like this, while knowing that the end is near? Do you truly believe that the new Heroes, as they are now, are ready to surpass you and your Familias? Are you ready to go into your graves, confident that they will defeat the Black Dragon?"

Neither of them answered, which alone was answer enough.

"Exactly." Erebus pressed. "At this rate, the two sides will just wear each other down with no major changes. There'll be no major change, no growth, and all they'll leave behind is an Orario in ruins, and completely unprepared to face the Black Apocalypse."

The pair turned towards Zeus, expecting him to give his two cents on the situation, but he remained uncharacteristically silent, only maintaining a pensive expression as he let the conversation continue.

"I know I'm asking a lot from you both," Erebus continued. "You have already defeated the Behemoth and Leviathan, and remain the last living members of your Familias. Should you follow this path, you will be remembered as tyrants and villains who chose evil over herodom. And yet, I ask as not just a God, but someone who wants to see this world continue to exist, and who wants our Children to live and thrive. Maquia is right around the corner, and the Seal keeping the Black Dragon inside won't last forever. Time is of the essence, and a luxury Orario and the world doesn't have. For the sake of this world, and for the generations to come, I ask that you perform this final task: be the stepping stone for the next generation. Give them the strength needed to overcome whatever obstacles stand in their way."

The room remained deathly quiet, no one making a noise as they all digested what Erebus said.

"…We need some time to think about this," Zald finally responded, much to Alfia's shock.

"Are you seriously entertaining this nonsense, Zald? And here I thought the Behemoth's poison failed to strip you of your wits." Alfia hissed.

Zald, unperturbed by her taunt, merely shook his head. "It's not that simple Alfia, and you know it. What Erebus said is right, Orario simply doesn't have the time to keep playing this game with Evilus."

"And have the years spent living here meant so little to you? You would so willingly throw your life away for a scheme that might not even work?"

"And what choice do we really have?" Zald countered. "You and I know that our days are numbered. Regardless if we accept the offer or not, the both of us will die and leave this world, this village, and Bell behind. Do you really want to go gentle into that good night, without at least making sure that the world will be protected when we eventually pass?"

"…"

"Please, take your time." Erebus added once the kitchen returned to an uncomfortable silence. "I'll stay around for a few more days and eventually head back to Orario. Whatever you decide, I'll honor your choice, but remember this: the clock is ticking. The Black Dragon won't be kept imprisoned forever."

With a parting nod to Zeus, Erebus left the house, and no sooner than he stepped out the door did Alfia swiftly turn around and make her way upstairs with a furious expression, leaving only Zald who let out a sigh as he sagged into his chair.

"Oi, old fart. Why haven't you said a single thing this entire time? Shouldn't you be more concerned about something like this?" Zald finally responded with a slight glare at his god.

Zeus's only response was to shrug. "When have I ever told you or ordered you to do anything, Zald? When have I ever ordered anyone in our Familia to follow the whims of some god, even if that god was me?"

"I don't know, how about all the times we had to bail you out and rescue your perverted ass whenever you tried peeping on Hera Familia?"

"T-that doesn't count!" Zeus coughed in embarrassment. "I'm serious, though. What was it I always said to each one of my Children, time and time again?"

"That no matter what, this was our story, and that whatever path we follow should be one we decide for ourselves," Zald answered, understanding his God's thoughts. "Would you really be fine with my decision if I chose to follow through with Erebus's plan?"

"I didn't lift a finger when Maxim argued that we should try our might against the Black Dragon. I didn't try to stop him when he challenged all of Orario's heroes in a final fight to the death to make them strong. And I didn't turn down Meteria's request to watch over Bell and look after him like a grandfather." Zeus replied with a fond face. "I always believed that the souls of Children always shined the best when they chose their own paths. I always respected those who stuck to their beliefs, even if it turned them into hypocrites, and I always trusted my Familia, no matter what we went through. I'd be a fool to steer you towards or away from a path that you feel strongly about."

Grabbing a flask of mead and staring at the beautiful outskirts outside, Zeus let a warm, proud smile grace his elderly features. "These past 1,000 years have been truly wonderful, Zald. I knew from the moment I landed in the Lower World that I would see so many wonderful stories come to life. I had a great time building up our Familia, watching your Adventures, your highs, and lows with my own eyes. And I couldn't have been more proud of all of you. Maxim, you, everyone who went on this silly quest to save the world from the Black Dragon. Even that brat."

"But… our time has passed." Zeus added, and it was as if he had aged a thousand more years as he finally aired the thoughts he harbored to himself these past few years. "The era of peace Hera and I have upheld is gone, and we left some massive shoes to fill. The last of the Three Quests remains unfinished, and the Promised Time is soon approaching. So long as that Black Dragon is still alive, the world will never know true peace. As much as I dislike that no-boobed Goddess and Freya, they really are the only ones I know of who can even come close to surpassing us. Only question is, how long will it take for them to achieve that goal?"

"A long time. Far longer than I had hoped for." Zald admitted. "We pushed them to their limits time and again, and even then, only that Boar brat and Leon have been the closest to reaching the heights we once resided over. The way things are now, those two alone won't be enough."

Zald stared wistfully outside. "I never really was fond of Loki's or Freya's brats. That Prum was too ambitious and cocky for his own good, the High Elf still has a lot of room to grow as a person even with her age, and while Gareth may be the most sane of the lot, he's held back by his obligations as an Executive of his Familia. Ottar only ever fights for his Goddess, and Leon's found his own path as a teacher ever since he killed Maxim. Even now, I'm still unsatisfied with Orario's newest generation of heroes, but… they're all we can rely on."

The two remained sitting in silence, staring at the scenery outside for quite some time, until Zald finally made up his mind.

"Dammit, that God does have a point. Well, if I'm gonna die anyways, might as well go out on my own terms."

"Sure you aren't having second thoughts?" Zeus replied. "You made a new life for yourself here, and as much as it pisses me off how you got nearly all the women going goo-goo eyed over you, you still have a chance to continue living that peaceful life, for how brief it may be. I can tell, the time you spent here has been the happiest you've been since you defeated Behemoth. And what about Bell? He'll miss you greatly."

"…You're right, I do love this village, and all the good I've done here," Zald admitted. "But I know that this village might be amongst the first to be destroyed should the Dragons from the Valley breach through. I have to do what I can to make sure that Orario's ready for when that time comes. And as for Bell, heh, he'll miss me for sure, but I know there's one other person whom he'll miss more than any other."

In unison, both God and Adventurer turned their gaze to the upper floor, where an ashen-haired witch mulled over the incredulous request as she snuggled with her nephew.

A Few Days Later…

There had been an uneasy tension in the house ever since Alfia's birthday.

Ever since that day both his grandfather, uncle, and aunt/stepmom have been acting all strange. Uncle Zald seemed resigned to something, and his Grandfather would often sport a saddened expression on his face whenever he looked at him. Stepmom Alfia had become much more cranky than usual, and at times refused to speak to, let alone maintain eye contact with, either of them.

Bell didn't know what was going on, but he had his suspicions that it might have had to do with the god that showed up at their doorstep. He hadn't been as asleep as Alfia thought, and he hesitantly got out of bed to try and eavesdrop on them, but he couldn't really make heads or tails of what they were talking about.

He had been too afraid to ask any of his family about what they talked about. Not only because Alfia might scold him for eavesdropping, but also because he was worried that doing so would unleash chaos far worse than any Gospel spell.

All he knew was that whatever they spoke about, it irrevocably changed something between his family, and whatever it was, he was deathly afraid of it.

That incident in the kitchen served to remind him of just how closely Death hovered over all their heads. Having been horribly ill for nearly all his life, he had a much greater grasp of the concepts of life and death far more than the other kids his age, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that Uncle Zald and Auntie Alfia were much the same.

Though he never openly brought it up, Bell always smelled the stench of rotting flesh coming from Zald, and he knew why his uncle preferred to be away from everyone else lest the poison from his body spread to others. This wasn't the first time he had seen Alfia coughing and vomiting blood, and unlike with himself, not even the Spirit herbs and potions were enough to lessen their pain the way it did for him.

It made him feel helpless, watching two of the people he loved more than anything else waste away like that, and it scared him, knowing that he might end up just like them, no matter how much they tried to reassure him otherwise.

Bit by bit they were slipping away from him, and Bell naively wanted to grasp onto them and never let them go.

But the world paid little heed for his childish desires, and sooner or later, he'd inevitably lose them forever.

Bell held his aunt's hand as they passed through the newly grown wheat fields to take in the cool spring air. Both he and Alfia had recovered enough from their own bouts of bloody coughing that they felt that some fresh air would do their sore lungs some good.

A serene silence lingered between them. Uncle Zald and Grandfather were busy in the fields as usual, and this was one of the few times that Alfia would venture out of their house.

All he needed to do was gather up his courage and ask some… difficult questions.

"Hey, Aunt—"

A powerful punch, traveling at speeds surpassing even the wind itself, barreled towards him, stopping only a few inches from his face.

"Care to try that again?"

"S-stepmom Alfia."

"Good." Alfia finally responded. "Now, what's been going on with you? You've been staring at me several times already. Have something you want to say?"

"P-promise you won't hit me?"

"That depends now, doesn't it?" Alfia replied, a slight twinge of irritation in her voice. "If you start prattling off the nonsense that old man's been spouting out, then I'll definitely hit you."

Although Bell knew that Alfia had never raised her hand against him in all the years they knew each other, the threat in her voice still caused him to stand ramrod straight. "Y-yes ma'am! Understood!"

Even with her eyes closed, Alfia gave him a dumbfounded face. "What on earth was that? Who taught you to speak like that?"

"Eh? Um, Grandfather said that—"

"Tch, that damn old man is a hindrance to your education." Alfia hissed. "Perhaps I really should bury him alive in the gardens permanently this time."

"Wait, no! Don't do that, Grandfather will die!"

After a good chunk of pleading on Bell's part, Alfia finally managed to calm down. Letting out a sigh, she turned towards him. "I won't raise my hand against you, so just tell me what's on your mind."

"W-what was my mother like?"

Alfia stopped, her hand clasping his as she stared off into the sunset, lost in her own thoughts.

"She was kind."

"Kind?"

"Yes. She was just as sick as you, and even worse than I. She was so ill that she spent nearly all her time in bed, and had to be waited on hand and foot by myself and several others. And yet, despite her sickness, and all the pain it brought, she still remained unfathomably kind and loving."

"Meteria understood the value of life more than anyone else, and chose to live life to the fullest. She appreciated everything I and many others had done for her, and she was the sapphire star that I and so many others idolized."

Turning to Bell, Alfia gave him an affectionate poke on the nose. "You inherited so much from her, you know? Her hair, her nose, her chin, even her kindness, all of it came from her. The only thing different is your eyes, which came from your father. How I wanted to pluck those out when I first saw them…"

Bell shivered at the sentence. Though he didn't know much about his father, it was clearly a taboo subject, especially whenever Alfia was within earshot. His Uncle and Grandfather did reassure him that he was a decent person who loved his mother, but it was pretty evident that he was a sore topic for Alfia.

Still, hearing about his birth mother for the first time filled him with a gentle warmth that he had only experienced once when he met Alfia for the first time. To think that his birth mom was much the same as him, and yet even without the Spirit Herbs she still managed to keep her head held high through all the suffering.

She was the kind of person Bell always aspired to be.

But while he was happy to hear more about the woman who had given birth to him, there was one last question that weighed so heavily in his mind.

Bell swallowed heavily. "Um, that God that came… What were you guys talking about?"

"So you were eavesdropping on us."

"Eep!"

"Hmph. I figured something was up when I noticed you sleeping on the wrong side of the bed." Alfia remarked, but mercifully she simply shrugged in response. "It's nothing important, just someone spouting nonsense."

"T-then why are Uncle Zald and Grandpa acting all—"

"They… made up their minds."

"W-will Uncle Zald be leaving?" Bell asked fearfully.

"…He might."

"A-and what about you?"

"…I don't know."

Alfia couldn't find it in herself to lie, not even to give a simple half-truth.

Naturally, Bell didn't take it well. "W-why?" He asked tearfully.

"That God asked us for a favor. One that was hard for us to refuse." Alfia finally answered after a pregnant pause. "He asked us to do something that would forever change the course of history, for better or worse."

"H-how?"

"By becoming villains."

Bell immediately hugged his aunt. "No! W-why would you want to be villains!? You and Uncle Zald are so amazing a-and cool! You're just like the Heroes in my books! W-why would you want to do something like that!?"

Alfia knelt down and gently brushed away Bell's tears. "Sometimes one must be a villain to save the world. Not everything is as black and white as in your story books. What that God asked us to do would have saved the world, even if it meant that we would be remembered as villains in history."

"No! I-I don't want you to go!" Bell yelled. "I-I want you and Uncle Zald and Grandfather to stay with me forever!"

"You know as well as I do that that's impossible, no matter how much I want it to be otherwise."

Gently grabbing Bell's hand once more, Alfia led him further down the wheat fields just as the sun started to set over the horizon.

Bell still wasn't satisfied with Alfia's answer, but what else could he say? What could he do to make sure that she stayed for as long as possible?

"W-why would you and Uncle Zald want this?"

"The world needs a Hero."

At this, Alfia stopped walking and stared up at the now-starry sky. "A long time ago, a group of Heroes ventured out to defeat the strongest and most dangerous Monster that ever existed. They were incredibly strong, and yet they found themselves utterly annihilated. Their strongest members were torn to shreds, missing body parts, and in the end, they ran away like cowards, fearful of the Monster that had so utterly bested them."

"The world needs a Hero. The Last Hero. One who could slay that calamity and save the world once and for all. Back then, that band of heroes once viewed themselves as that very Hero the world yearned for, but it was clear they weren't enough. A new hero must arise, and in order for that to happen, a villain must emerge to test them and help them grow."

Turning towards him, Alfia gently stroked his cheek. "I wasn't lying when I said I don't know whether to embark on this foolish request or not. On one hand, I know better than anyone else how dangerous that Monster is, and how much the world needs the Last Hero. Without that person, the world is doomed."

"But on the other hand, I chose to stay here with you three years ago, back when I was only interested in watching you from afar and content to let that be the last time we would ever meet. I was fully prepared to leave and never come back, but I was drawn to you immediately, and when I held you in my arms I couldn't bring myself to let go. You are my nephew, my sister's beloved child. You are someone important to me. So, so important to me. I cannot imagine a life without you in it."

With that, Alfia brought Bell into a hug so full of warmth and love that it made him silently weep as he fiercely hugged her back.

He may have only been a 7-year-old child, but he felt the weight of Alfia's words all the same. Even he could tell just how much regret his aunt harbored inside her all these years. Perhaps that was also why Uncle Zald was so willing to leave. Maybe even he was waiting for that Last Hero to arrive.

For him, the entire world may have just been his home village in his childlike mind, but what clearly stood out to him was the desperation in his aunt's deepest wish.

A Hero must be born to save the world.

A Hero must emerge to end the terror of the most dangerous Monster to have ever lived.

A Hero must come forth to fulfill the hopes and dreams of his aunt and uncle.

And in his mind, Bell understood what he needed to do.

He may have been foolishly over his head, may not understand the full weight of his words, and may come to regret his choice, but in his heart and soul, he knew what he must do.

"Then… I'll be a Hero."

Alfia visibly trembled, her arms freezing around him.

"I'll… be the Last Hero, the Hero you and Uncle Zald wanted to see."

"So please, Mom. Please stay just a little longer."

Pulling back, Bell stared at his aunt, his mother, dead in the eyes, and spoke his vow for the entire world and the Heavens above to hear.

He would be the Last Hero. He would be the one to fulfill her dearest wish.

No matter how painful this journey would be, no matter how harsh the world would be to him, Bell would swear to never break this vow for as long as he was alive.

And even if he would come to regret this path, it was all worth it to see the awestruck and tearful smile on his mom's face.

"You damn brat…" Alfia gently whispered, her words filled with overwhelming love. "You better not take those words lightly."

Bell nodded earnestly. "I promise I won't let you down!"

He then barreled into her stomach and tightly wrapped his arms around her as happy tears trickled down his face. "I love you, Mom."

The two held each other tightly as the stars above twinkled in delight, the sole witnesses to the heartfelt vow that would stir even the very Gods above in Heaven.

It would be the last time Bell would ever hug his Mom again.

Alfia sat next to her nephew on the bed, double and triple-checking to make sure he was sound asleep.

Against her will, a smile broke across her face as she stared at his blissful, sleeping face. She had been touched, unimaginably so, when Bell had made that solemn vow to her under the cover of the stars. There had been no hesitation, no ounce of remorse. Only an earnest promise to someone he loved more than any other.

And then there was the cherry on top.

Bell had called her Mom.

There were two primary reasons why Alfia made Bell refer to her as 'Stepmom Alfia'. Sure, she didn't want to be reminded of her age (no matter how much Zeus and Zald would groan at her and remind her that 24 is still very young), but it was also because she didn't want to take away the last thing that belonged to Meteria.

She knew ever since she was young that she had stolen a great many things from her younger twin sister. All her power, all her strength, all her monstrous talent, it had all been taken away from Meteria when they were in the womb, and though Meteria would vehemently disagree with the idea that any of it was real or intentional, Alfia was dead set on making sure that she would never rob her sister of anything ever again.

Being a mother was the one thing Meteria could truly call her own, and Alfia hated the idea of stealing even that from her from beyond the grave. For all intents and purposes, Bell should have grown up with his birth mother by his side for all his life, not with some dying shell of a woman who had been prepared to never meet him again.

Alfia thought she would hate the boy, knowing that he was the son of that guy, and the ruby-red eyes they shared should have been what sealed the deal for her, and yet…

She couldn't bring herself to dislike Bell. Her heart and soul pined for him just like it did for Meteria, and when he had finally called her Mom after all these years…

It was the most wonderful thing Alfia had ever heard in her life, and by the Gods did she want Bell to keep calling her that for years to come.

But… it was not meant to be.

Alfia knew just how dangerous the path of a Hero would be. Had Bell been born healthy and whole, she might have been convinced to stay and train him as much as she can. Even if she only had less than a year left in this world, it would have been enough to see him grow strong and capable enough to handle himself.

But… Bell wasn't born healthy and whole.

From the moment he came into his world he had been cursed with the same sickness that afflicted his aunt and killed his mother. It was only thanks to the Spirit Herbs and Potions that he was able to survive this long, but should he venture out of the village to Orario and become an Adventurer? It would be a death sentence.

Alfia just wanted her beloved nephew to grow up with as normal a life as possible. To pass from this world knowing that he could enjoy the life both she and his mother wanted for him. To be able to grow old, marry, have kids of his own, and live the rest of his days in peace.

That life… would be impossible for him once he decides to become an Adventurer. If the Monsters didn't kill him, then his sickness would.

She couldn't let that happen. If it meant giving up her life so that the new Heroes of the world would protect her precious nephew, her son, from the impending calamity, then it was a sacrifice worth pursuing.

Unclasping her emerald pendant from her neck, she gently placed it in Bell's palm and joined him in bed, hugging him tightly to herself, before uttering the words he so desperately wanted to hear from her.

"I love you, Bell."

Fighting to restrain her tears, Alfia quietly left his room and walked past the stunned forms of Zeus, Zald, and Erebus as she finally broke down and wept.

"I'm sorry. If I had known how attached she was, then I would have—" Erebus started, but Zald waved him down.

"I'll talk to her, try to convince her to stay. I alone should be enough to give those damn brats the kick they need to grow stronger than ever. But if not…"

Letting out a sigh, Zald then turned to his God for the last time. "Well, for all the headaches you gave me these past few decades, it's… been an honor to be a part of your Familia. So long, old man."

"Sure you don't want one last Level Up? For old times sake?" Zeus asked.

Zald seemed hesitant at first, but ultimately relented and disrobed his upper armor. "Alright, don't see the harm in it."

Pricking his finger, Zeus let a drop of his blood fall on Zald's back, revealing the lightning stakes that formed his Familia emblem. After several seconds of tinkering with Zald's Status, Zeus looked up with an amused face.

"Well, would you look at that? You can Level Up to Level 8."

Zald visibly trembled in his seat.

"Heh, can't believe history is about to repeat itself once more," Zeus commented with a sad smile. "Maxim gave his life so that the new Heroes would grow, and now here you are, doing the same thing he did even though you chewed him out for it last time. You want to proceed with the Level Up?"

"…I'll pass. Rather not give those brats too much of a hard time." Zald commented after a period of heavy silence. Donning his armor once more, he gave his God a firm handshake and hug, and soon joined Erebus and Alfia on their trip to Orario, where they will be forever remembered as villains and cruel Monsters in the annals of history.

But Zeus would remember. He chronicled the life of every Hero that had caught his eye ever since the Ancient Times, back when he saw Argonaut's Adventure for the first time, and while the rest of the world will remember them as heathens, Zeus would ensure that their legacy would live on.

"Godspeed, Zald. Alfia."

Pouring himself a large cup of strong ale, he sat at the front porch and watched them depart as a lone tear fell down his face.

And that's a wrap!

Sorry again that this chapter took so long to update. Been busy with so much nonsense in my life, and I haven't had nearly as much free time as I would've liked to write. Still, I hope this chapter was decent, and enough to tide you over until the next chapter.

Speaking of which, the next chapter will be where things start to deviate from my previous draft (if anyone even remembers it at this point, lol). Also, I did allude to some stuff in this chapter that pertains to story spoilers in Volume 20, but they're so small that you might not even notice them anyways.

Anyways, I'm so glad to finally be working on this fic again, especially with Season 5 in full swing showing off Freya Familia. Now's the perfect time to keep this fic going, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy it even with all the sporadic updates.

Feel free to let me know what you liked and disliked about this chapter! Did it seem good? Did it make you cry? Or was it dogshit and inferior to the previous draft? Please leave your thoughts!

Thanks again for sticking with me and this fic after such a long hiatus, and by the time this chapter comes out:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!