Chapter 15: Forced Hands, Crossed Lovers
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"Death cannot be escaped; that which dies, is then reborn.
Death is inevitable; that which perishes, is cleansed.
Death is not evil; that which ends, faces justice."
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…
…
Why was this happening?
What did he do to deserve this?
Which deity had he offended so much that he was having this cruel joke being played to his heart?
Why did it always have to be him?
"I'm sorry Bell," Artemis smiled, no trace of joy to be found in her expression, "if I had told you the truth, you wouldn't have come."
No…
"Fate is really cruel to you isn't she?" Artemis ignored the ache that'd normally make her wince, for the look on his face was one she wished she'd never see, "But it is all a test. One you must pass Bell."
No…
"No one but you can do it, my Orion." Artemis lay her hand on his cheek. Her digits touched the skin.
And suddenly a lot of things became clearer.
Her gentle touch felt cold. Shivering, ice, cold.
Sapped of all its warmth, her hand could not reach him as it once used to be able to.
Things began to fall in place, with every piece of the puzzle that fit driving a stake into Bell's heart.
"Bell Cranel!" Kaguya shouted, seeing the attack that approached, which she and Shakti worked together to block.
'Heavy!'
"I'm sorry Bell, but I must ask you to do this."
"No…" Bell shook his head, his grip tightening on the arrow that felt heavier than any colossal mountain out there. "A-Artemis, I can't do this to you."
"I know it hurts Bell, but we must do it. The damage would be catastrophic for the wor-"
"Damn this world!" Bell snapped back, his eyes pooling with clear liquid that made Artemis's heart quiver. His outrage was beyond justified, "Why does it always have to be me? What evil act have I committed in my past life to be punished in this way? Y-You as well! You have fought for justice, and saved people, why does it have to be you?"
"My beloved." Artemis paused, her own tears flowing out, " You are young; but you are not immature. Do not cast away the world because it's hard on you. No matter how much you deny it, you are the last of this world. If you refuse to rise…then that monster will rob the lives and dreams of millions."
Lives of people that held others dear just as much as he did her.
It would be akin to abandoning them even though he knew their pain was most likely the same.
"It is from you that I too shall receive salvation." Artemis stared down, rubbing her thumb over Bell's hand, "This weapon is the final gift that I can leave you."
Bell pulled her into his embrace once more, wrapping around her tightly.
He desperately sought it.
Searched for it.
Yearned it.
Yet he could not feel her warmth. Of course, he couldn't. It made sense she was different.
She wasn't even Artemis fully.
"Bell I really don't want to say this, but this is not the time for sentimentals," Asfi said through gritted teeth. Their unit was small but skilled, despite that, Antares had begun a fearsome onslaught that was quickly becoming a strain on them.
Kaguya rushed with her sword, striking at the beast's claw for her blade to be deflected much to her surprise, "how hard is this shell?"
"Come now Bell, steel your heart. The women there came as a favour, we cannot let them be in harm's way. Antares's shell is incredibly fortified after trapping me, the only weapon able to penetrate it now is…"
It broke Artemis's heart to see the tears in Bell's eyes. His life which had already been strewn with pain and grief was something she was well aware of.
The love she and Bell shared may have been the duration of a blink in her divine lifetime, but it was one that she wished would continue forever. A time that was but a minute in her eternal life, but it was one that meant the world and more to her. One for which, she would readily extrude herself of her divinity, just to experience it one more time.
She never believed in love, nor in the brittle lifeform called men, seeing them as nothing but mere savages that lusted after women. How ironic it had been, for her frozen heart to have been melted by Bell's fire, only for him to have to do this now.
Bell cherished Artemis, far too much.
Loved her far too much.
Now, he was being ripped off his cherished ones once more.
She had hoped that when she went to Orario it would be anyone else but him to pull out the blade. The city was full of powerful warriors, some even more than him. Unfortunately, Lady Fate was not on his side, like a cruel vixen she seemed to be hell bent on breaking his spirit.
He shook, an exhibit of weakness he'd never dare to show to anyone. His chest ached so badly, it felt as though it was going to explode.
The world seemingly closed in on him, cornering him to make a choice he once more didn't want to.
He could not close his eyes, for his mind would draw images of the past. Visions he wished to forget but couldn't.
He could not run away, for it'd condemn Artemis to a fate of eternal suffering inside a beast that was quickly growing stronger, replenishing its lost power and gaining more. All to sate an unfiltered, maniacal hatred for everything that moved.
He could not hide, for the choices of today would surely haunt him regardless. No corner of this bleak world would be able to shelter him, the beast willing to chase him down.
Artemis watched, as Bell's eyes conveyed more than a thousand emotions; torrential fear and despair that wracked against his senses…she could do nothing but merely give his hand a reassuring squeeze. An unuttered promise of security that she herself wasn't sure about.
'I wish to comfort you- to hold you in my arms and console you…yet I'm afraid that I may not be enough.'
"What about Rethusa?"
Artemis simply shook her head, too afraid to pronounce the syllables that'd destroy her familia.
Her heart was in denial of what fate must have befallen her first child.
Right…she is still suffering.
This world has become too difficult to live in, the moment she felt her children die. A pain that came and passed at the speed of a lashing yet left the stinging reminder of death for the rest of their existence.
She is in her own right, suffering.
What kind of lover was Bell to allow that?
When a deity broke the rules they had set upon themselves, they had agreed to be sent back to Tenkai.
To their old, boring jobs of processing souls into the circle of reincarnation. An agreement they made to not throw the world into disarray.
But Artemis could not leave. The vile beast, Antares, used her powers, activating her arcanum against her will. The mere act of which, should've sent Artemis back to heaven.
Her body was trapped in the crystal prison that shackled her to reality, as the monster syphoned off her divine powers and entrapped her in a cycle of pain for resisting a divine contract.
Bell had the key that could relieve her of that pain. But if he were to do so… he'd be destroying her divine essence.
Antares' gradual attack was working. The number of spawns had steadily increased, becoming too much to handle for even the first-class adventurers as time went on.
Away from combat, Bell had to make a choice he'd hate.
Away from the carnage, Artemis fixed her eyes onto Bell's, bearing witness to the droplets of tears that pelted the Earth below them.
Away from the abomination…Artemis laid a chaste act of love upon Bell's lips. An act they'd done many times prior, but never as precious as it had felt this time.
"Did you know? The souls of deities also reincarnate. We will meet again for sure." She smiled.
"How long?"
"...I don't know. 10 years…100 years, maybe even 10,000 years. Maybe I'll find you when you are all old and wrinkly and smell like Zeus."
Bell couldn't help but chuckle at her silly joke, despite how severe their situation was, the two behaved as though they were in a completely separate world. He held her hand, feeling the rough skin of her palm, as though it was the key for all of his precious memories. Fingers entangling unbeknownst to anyone else, "then I swear my oath upon my soul. May we forever find each other no matter when that time is. I swear my eternal love to you and when you come, I will find you."
Tears flooded Artemis's eyes, dropping in streams down her cheeks as she flashed him her brightest smile.
"Yes. It's your destiny as it is mine!" Artemis replied.
And so, the bond of destiny was made.
…
And so, fate played one last joke.
"ARTEMIS SAMA!"
Bell stared in silence, as one of Artemi- no, Antares' arrows pierced through Artemis, blasting a hole through her.
The smile still fixed on her face, as blood seeped from the edges of her lips. A strained look that didn't do anything to disguise the immense pain she felt.
Time slowed, unwilling to let the moment simply pass for him. Maniacally, it forced upon his eyes a sight- which no human being ever deserved to see- as his first love got pincered by the same arrows of light that were of her divinity.
Gory blows, he could see the innards of light as her figure crumbled, the splattering blood pooling onto the ground.
Tears filled her eyes that opened the slightest of bits to glance at one more time, just one more time before she faded away.
The world that had been brought to a still was disturbed by the roar of the beast, it shouted with vigour as though it had completely recovered its primal force, the achievement enough to bring pleasure to the damned thing.
The world resumed as if nothing had happened but the sight remained in Bell's eyes.
The figure of his love, his partner- the first woman he would've ever proposed to, slowly disintegrated into dust.
Her enchanted feet took no more than a single step towards him before they vanished.
Her shining hand rose and wiped the first of his tears, before it disappeared.
Her glowing mouth uttered but a single phrase, before they too were removed from the world of the living.
"I love you."
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…
…
That wasn't the real Artemis. The real Artemis is inside Antares.
"B-Bell…"
This was just a clone. An imitation, Artemis is not dead. There was still hope.
"Find me, Bell."
This wasn't-
"Save me, Bell."
She's not-
"My Beloved."
Artemis is NOT dead.
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…
…
Yet denying it didn't do anything.
He had failed to protect her.
He had been too weak to save her.
This accursed world…
"Do not cast aside this world, my love."
These rotten monsters…
Memories of his past flashed by his eyes, as thunder crackled in the sky; descending onto the Earth and lashing its whips against the dirt.
"It is from you, I too shall receive salvation."
Salvation?
"What is going on?" Kaguya looked up to the sky, the hair on her skin standing up to the static electricity.
Shakti dodged a stray bolt, jumping to the side to observe the crater that had just formed, "This isn't any normal lightning bolt I've ever seen."
Abnormally frequent.
Bolts of lightning clashed as if raining down like a hailstorm of madness; Antares' maw closed shut, its earlier pleasure disappearing as it looked down at the sole warrior that stood up in front of it.
A mere bu- no, a colossal figure.
Its crimson eyes blinked, not believing the scene it saw. The flicker of reality faded away as Bell disappeared where he once stood.
"Where is he?!"
"Up there!" Asfi pointed up, Kaguya and Shakti looking up in disbelief.
'I couldn't even follow his movement?!'
"To commit such an act in front of my eyes…did you think you would get off easy?"
The devil's whispers blew against the armour of Antares' head, the impenetrable abyssal shelling cracking into dust, as thunder flew into its face. Shards fell to the ground, as Bell zapped past to the other side, delivering yet another blow.
The skies progressively worsened with every passing second.
"Oi Antianeira!" Shakti called out, jumping to the side of the dark skinned woman, looking straight into her amethyst coloured eyes, "you're the closest to him…is this like what happened during the war game?"
The infamous scene of the flames that Bell had cast was a core memory in the eyes of many from recent events.
Aisha looked up, seeing Bell silently dish out relentless attacks, easily breaking the shell that even a level 6 hadn't been able to.
"I don't know." She shook her head, realising the difference in the scale of things between what he used during the war game and now, "...If I can say anything, it's that he's pissed off…"
"You guys can't grasp the gravity of the situation can you?" Asfi asked, her eyes quivering in a mixture of tumultuous emotions, dominated by one alone…
"Look beyond the horizon." She pointed, as all three turned to respond with varying levels of shock.
"But the clouds…"
"It doesn't stop?!"
…
From afar Hermes watched the scene, pitying the fallen ally. The Goddess deserved not the fate she was served.
To him, it was a heavy price to pay…but one that had to be done. So that he could grow.
Her death was unintentional but needed so that he overcame this monster in front of them.
For him to take the next step.
Tempestuous winds flew, taking his feathered hat in their harsh currents.
Raging roars, and thunder crackled in the skies; as if they were crying out in unresolved fury.
The very Earth split apart in a cataclysmic tantrum, the dark canvas of the night disturbed by the burdensome grief of one single man.
'Ah…how marvellous is the gift you have bestowed upon him!' Hermes watched in silence, a maddened grin on his face as he switched from mourning for his comrade to rejoicing at the carnage.
Destruction that was far above his level.
His mission was not even complete, but the damage practically levelled the sanctuary to the ground.
"Oh gates of Tenkai, I beseech you to bear witness!" Hermes threw his arms out, his blond locks flying in turbulent tides, "Observe this power, I ask of you! Is he not worthy?! Judge his strength and bring in fruition tests for him to grow! The prophecy has come true!"
"Divine essence…awaken."
"!"
A whisper meant to be drowned out by the howling wind…but still being heard by every person in the vicinity.
As if his words had cut straight through.
As if he uttered them right next to them.
Every syllable registered crisply in their ears, yet only a couple reacted.
"Bell stop!" Asfi immediately shouted, her panicked voice surprising the people next to her. Seeing her words had fallen on deaf ears, Asfi immediately turned to the three women beside her, "Quick, we must stop him from finishing that spell!"
"Why? What's happening?"
"Just hurry up and do it! He's not thinking clearly, even if we have to cause an Ignus Fatuus we need to stop him before it's too late."
"You're not making any sense, what is going to even happen?" Kaguya grabbed the woman's shoulders, only for her hand to be shrugged off.
"Look I can't say much but if he finishes casting that…" Asfi gulped before switching her gaze to Bell, "We will all die."
'!'
Without any more explanation, Asfi flew forward, red wings growing on her heels as she did so.
She approached the disturbing figure of the monster, watching as bits of it exploded into shards before it healed itself the next second.
"Bell stop! Don't do this!"
"Imperial blood, rejoice, your slumber ends now." He carried on his chant, dancing across the monster's body and carving out its innards only for them to be replaced.
The monster let loose a roar of defiance, carelessly hitting where he was last and damaging itself.
The surprising vulnerability of its shell rekindled a sense of fear inside it, enough to the point that it risked hurting itself to get rid of Bell.
"Bell, we will all die! Stop chanting!"
Kaguya followed after Bell, barely keeping him in her periphery. His erratic movement mirrored teleportation itself, as, with every cut and every strike, thunder fell onto the beast as well.
'How is it possible that I can't even catch up to him?'
"Cranel san, please stop!"
Seeing that he gave no response to her, she opted for the ignuus fatuus as the solution as she tried to predict where he would go next, readying her blade to strike at a moment's notice.
'I'll try not to kill you but if you make it difficult for me then…'
Bell's visage appeared in front of her, proving her guess to be correct.
"Let us test our techniques…shall we?" She proposed, grabbing onto her katana ready to draw.
Confident in her sword draw techniques, she readied for his movement, straining her eyes to focus on the falcata in his hand.
"Iai no tachi: Issen!"
Her blade technique, which she had used to defeat the evilus member one level higher than her, had been further polished and strengthened. As she drew her blade preparing to clash with his…
"Move." He commanded, his eyes meeting hers for a brief second.
Pain.
Grief.
Denial.
Rage.
Sadness.
Fury.
Many emotions were conveyed, as his weighted sword tore through her technique with nothing but brutal strength empowered by the lightning, cleaving her katana…and her silver arm into pieces.
'Unbelievable…'
Her attack hadn't stood a chance, despite him being at a lower level than her. The mere difference in status should have been enough to bring him to a halt by now, but for him to win the duel…
It was preposterous.
She hadn't managed more than a single exchange, a single second.
However, that second had been enough.
Aisha climbed up the limbs of the gigantic monster, and in that second of him slowing down, she tackled him down.
"Sorry, but I gotta do what I need to. I'm not in a rush to die, you see." She muttered, hugging Bell until they fell, a dull thud into the ground.
"Help Kaguya up and stall as long as you can please!" Asfi pleaded to her friend before darting to where Bell had fallen.
Bell easily pried himself off of Aisha's grasp, though using the last etches of his self-control to not hurt her too badly.
Sensing that he was hesitant to hurt her however, Aisha capitalised on it, pushing down on him and tightening her hold against him.
"Can't find it in yourself to hurt me can you? Even though you blew that eastern woman's arm away…ah well, guess having sex really does make a man attached." Aisha grinned, as she watched Bell struggle between getting out of her grasp and not hurting her too much.
Her eyes softened as she finally focused on the cascade of tears that never stopped falling.
She could see the scene of Artemis getting piked to death replay in his eyes.
Again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
As if his brain did not see anything else but his entire world crumbling.
Dull thuds beside them proved to be Asfi, who looked down at Bell with nothing but pity in her eyes.
She knew that this wasn't the way Hermes had planned things.
She knew that this was too much to bear for a teen like him.
Alas, there wasn't anyone but him that could do this. For he was the last of his kind.
"Bell, I know you're hurt! I can't even begin to imagine the depth of it, but this is not the way to go forward, Bell!"
He didn't even glance towards her.
His mind, too occupied by his own inability to protect his lover.
"Bell, we need you to use the arrow! The whole world is at stake!"
"Do not cast aside this world, my love."
Artemis…
"Bell, she is still suffering. Look at what that monster is doing to her!" Asfi hated it but she had no choice but to use the deity as leverage.
Although what had really died was a mere fragment of her soul, the fate of the Goddess remained unchanged. The insignia of the archer may have been hidden behind the clouds, but it was no doubt syphoning her energy.
"This monster will rob the lives and dreams of millions!"
Bell looked towards the woman…his innocent tears of anguish, pooling behind his head. His grief for the inevitable shook him from the core.
"Stop crying!" Aisha spoke up, taking on a harsher tone than Asfi. "Can you still call yourself a man?!"
"Steel your heart."
"Get up and fight." Aisha grit her teeth, annoyed that she is effectively powerless in the current situation. "Set her free…"
I'm the only one that can do it…
Begrudgingly, he forced himself to get up. Casting a shell over his breaking heart, he forced himself to dry the tears staining his cheeks.
I've stained my hands before…
Chosen by maniacal fate or by twisted design, Bell stood up, driving the stake into his heart.
The tears could wait; Artemis could not.
He sheathed his blades, taking firm steps forward. The two women beside him glanced at him with deep concern, before moving into their positions.
They were aware of the overwhelming burden atop his shoulders, a sizable boulder that threatened to crush him should he falter even a bit more.
He knew what he was trying to do before was illogical, it would likely sentence everyone present to their deaths. Desperation had taken hold of him, his lack of power and ability was smashed into his face, forcing him to face the facts for himself.
There wasn't a thing he could do for Artemis.
Not with who he was right now.
Regret grew larger, but his steps continued with their silent echoes.
The azure princess exhausted the last of her explosive supplies, swiftly moving about to narrowly dodge the titanic attacks of Antares.
Unbothered, he stepped closer to the arrow still lodged into the ground.
His shadow grew, the gravity of his task bearing down on him. Thoughts rampaged in the confines of his mind.
Begging him to stop.
Urging him to rethink.
But there was nothing else to be done.
He was powerless.
He was impotent.
To be so freely manipulated by the cruelties of the world.
Laying a hand on the arrow felt like a sin.
Each digit that twisted around the staff, felt like they were wrapping around his own neck.
The captain of Ganesha familia dived to the forefront, driving her blade into the appendage of the reckless monster.
Barely destroying one as another grew to take its place.
Bell looked at the blades that would undoubtedly pierce Artemis.
"Steel your heart."
Her voice, which was once a source of warmth and comfort, turned into a source of pain, fueling the flames of his inner turmoil.
A symphony that wreaked destruction in him.
Kaguya held her single sword, twisting it at the hilt to pierce her blade into the beast.
Laced with a paralytic agent, she grinned as she saw the monster come to a halt; only for it to disregard it completely and whack her away.
Lightning flowed through his body, assuring him that he would not be alone in this act.
Bell made his way towards the mons-no, towards his lover.
His heart was like a stone fortress, he walked with an impenetrable barrier.
His face was like a preset mask, he tightened his grip with unconquerable emotions.
His eyes were like shattered marbles, he fuelled his bleeding heart with his despair.
Aisha drew her swords, ready to pounce-
"Don't."
She froze at his words, turning to see the arrow in his hands glowing golden.
He looked up to the monster that held Artemis captive. Its eye honed right onto him as if it knew of the impending danger.
With a shriek marking the beginning, Antares threw forth several of its appendages.
All of which were dodged, as Bell moved between attacks with blinding speed.
His feet burned the very ground he stepped on.
"Flow freely, my body is the clouds, ZAP!"
Thunder descended once more, striking him as he made his way to the monster.
Antares let out another scream of frustration, as it drew upon Artemis' powers. The arrow of light shooting out of its eye, fast approaching Bell.
Surely its enemy could not dodge at this range.
Bell threw his leg down, digging into the ground.
Twisting his torso, he spun, screwing his arm with every fibre of muscle in his body and he lunged the arrow straight towards the crystal that caged her.
The two arrows clashed, combatting tip to tip.
Robbed divine essence fought hard against the fraction of her soul.
However the myriad of emotions and thoughts won over, the Arrow of Orion shattering the one Antares had used, as it flew straight towards Artemis.
Bell watched in muted horror as the arrow disintegrated the crystal, a bright light glowing as Antares let out a final shriek before its death…
And the arrow crossed flesh, ending its journey into Artemis' heart. A beacon of white shooting up into the sky, clearing the clouds that had gathered at his command.
The spear bathed in the rising tower of Godhood, being the only remnant of the deity that had been destroyed.
He closed his eyes, not wishing to see anymore.
…
Bell opened his eyes, finding Artemis standing in front of him.
She was smiling at him once more.
Please…don't smile at me like that.
"Don't cry." She approached him, holding his bloodstained hands.
"I'm not crying."
"Bell," she cooed, laying a chaste kiss upon his lips, "One can lie, trick their hearts and harden their face…but their eyes never lie."
He drew her in, her figure melding with his.
He took in her scent, the feel of her flesh in his arms and the weight of her embrace.
He took it all in.
"Your journey does not end yet, Bell."
He knew.
"Your path is still ridden with countless battles."
He knew.
"Your heart still burns with justice."
He…knew.
"This wasn't your fault, Bell."
…
"I'm glad you saved me."
…
"You set me free."
…
"Thank you."
…
…
…
He opened his eyes, greeted with the husk of Antares breaking with the passing wind.
The monster had definitely died once and for all. No possible resurrection or seal breakage was possible.
In every sense of the word it was, annihilated.
A breath of air seeped into his lungs.
…He knew.
He had to do this.
To extinguish the only light that illuminated his darkest of days.
To silence the melody of hope that sang louder than the cacophony of doubt.
To protect the world, he had to sacrifice the one thing he held most dear: his humanity.
He knew it all.
The entire way back was spent silently.
Arriving at where Bell had instructed the tamed wyvern to hide, they were less than surprised to see it gone.
With how much was going on, none of them blamed the beasts for being frightened away. They had been trained to not harm humans so the risk of them doing anything drastic was unlikely.
Instead, they relied on carriages on their way back.
For good measures, Asfi had ensured Hermes and Bell were seated as far as they could be.
Leaving an entire carriage all for Bell to ensure his comfort and needs- no doubt that he needed them.
Aisha had also stayed with him on the off chance that he would try to do something…drastic. Though that was unlikely, given the type of person he was.
They had done a check on him and it was clear that he had no physical injuries to speak of. Though it was extremely easy to see how…broken he was.
To Aisha his eyes seemed like an abyssal pit, running on embers. eternally deep with the chaos and pain no doubt hidden far behind anywhere she could see.
That was to be a given, and everyone likely felt a level of guilt from the events of the day. The fact that they had at the very least contributed to the death of a deity of justice…was a hard pill to swallow.
Aisha questioned the idea of giving him space, pondering internally whether it was just giving him time to gestate like a ticking time bomb.
However, she could not think of any alternatives herself.
All he had done was simply stare into the other side of the carriage, sleeping and eating only however much was needed. As though he was simply keeping himself alive as he needed to be and no more than that.
She felt the itch to go and shake him out of his daze but knew there was no sense in doing that.
Emotions weren't the kind of thing that was her speciality. Hell, she knew barely anything about them given how for the most part given that she was charmed by Ishtar, controlled to feel in a certain way.
Alas, the gruelling days of travelling were over, as they entered Orario with no problem.
Unexpectedly, as they were about to separate Bell stopped Kaguya, much to her own surprise.
"...Sorry about your arm."
Not having the urge to reply with a snarky remark, Kaguya only smiled, "It's okay Cranel san, it was a small cost."
She left 'Try not to do it again' unsaid.
"We will send the valis for repairs." He added, with a tone of finality that showed no room for rejection.
With a silent nod, Bell left for his home, Aisha silently tagging along.
He'd get the occasional glance or two, but much of the city had long since become used to seeing high level adventurers everyday.
Aisha prayed to every other deity in existence, since Ishtar would never answer her wishes anyways, that they did not come into contact with anyone they knew. The hassle of having to tell someone to 'piss off' was something beyond her right now. Her own fatigue working wonders on her.
Thankfully, they seemed to be accepted as the two made their way back to the Olympian Manor uninterrupted and with nothing but the orange glow of the setting sun keeping them company.
"I'm home." He muttered, making his way inside to find Zeus sitting down in his chair.
The wisened old man looked at Bell, almost analysing him for a bit before acknowledging his greeting, "Welcome back."
Bell made his way to his grandfather and knelt down to one knee, "The mission has been…completed."
"I'm sorry, Bell." Zeus apologised, though it likely never reached Bell's ears, as he stood up and went to his room, leaving Aisha in the room. "Haaa…why must fate do this?"
Aisha held that question too.
…
Returning back to Ganesha's familia home, Shakti let out a weary sigh.
She felt a bit frustrated. Her injuries had been healed up, but it wasn't hard for her to realise that she hadn't done much.
Damaging the monster was a difficult trial in itself. Despite being a level 5, her blades had only been able to deal with a few appendages at best.
Only after Bell had destroyed its outer layer as well.
'I have let myself relax too much after levelling up.'
She wondered how Bell managed to obtain such an extreme level of strength himself.
Thinking of the boy made her sigh in regret. She liked to think she knew what it felt like to lose a loved one given that her own sister had died, but having to bear the burden of killing them as well?
That felt incomprehensible to her. Though it wasn't as if he had any choice. She had seen him the entire time.
If her hands were forced…could she have killed her own sister?
She shuddered at that thought, knowing the answer rather well herself.
"Nee san." Ilta Farna, her vice captain, approached, "are you okay?"
The redhead has always been a bundle of joy, an addition to the familia that fit right in with her ecstatic personality and passion for justice. She respected Shakti quite a lot, and despite all the negativity one may face in this kind of job, Ilta always bore a smile.
Shakti held back a deep sigh, not wanting to show her worries to the woman who admired her, "Yes, I'm doing quite alright."
"No, you aren't."
Shakti raised an eyebrow at Ilta's immediate denial of her response, seeing the redhead looking at her with concern in her eyes, "You always say that exact same sentence whenever you're not okay."
Shakti let out a quiet chuckle, "I suppose I can't hide anything from you. No matter, I'm just…processing things. Did you need something?"
"Ganesha sama has asked for your presence in his room."
"Very well, I'll head over after I have freshened up a bit."
With that the woman took her leave, not wanting to bother Shakti anymore.
Though she hadn't moved with haste, Shakti made an effort to get cleaned up and changed before going to her God's chambers. After all, travelling for so many days made the idea of a bath seem far too tempting.
Reaching the door to Ganesha's room, she knocked twice on the door.
"Come in."
Opening the door led to a sight of surprise, enough to make her cringe a little.
Alcohol.
Lots of it.
Bottles lay about, haphazardly placed throughout the room as though he had been walking around the room while drinking.
The man himself stood on the balcony, staring out into the clear night sky. Another mug of the wretched concoction in his hands.
"Welcome back, Shakti."
"I have completed my mission of assisting Bell Cranel in his journey," Shakti reported, getting the formalities out of the way.
Though that seemed to elicit roars of laughter from Ganesha for reasons beyond her.
"His journey huh…" He quietly muttered, taking another sip from the mug of red liquid. "Were there any casualties?"
"None…besides her."
"It seems you were able to stop him before things got out of hand."
"Yes, Antares was defeated through our combined efforts. Though, Cranel san did most of the work."
Ganesha chuckled once more, "That's not who I was referring to." He replied, somewhat pleased to see that his captain did not try to take the credit for another's acts.
She always was practising justice…just like her.
"Forgive me if I'm being presumptuous but… I did not think you were so close to Artemis sama to be doing this."
Though her message was somewhat cryptic, Ganesha understood what she meant as he turned to look at his captain.
"I am not." He simply replied, "but mourning for one of my kind, especially one who was so righteous…doesn't seem like such a bad thing. It doesn't exactly happen everyday you see."
"..."
"Do you think he should be punished?"
"Pardon?"
"Do you think he should be punished for killing a God?" Ganesha repeated, "Bell I mean."
"I-" Shakti paused, mulling over her words even if she knew that Ganesha was not testing her.
Killing a God no matter what reason was certainly one of the most heinous of crimes.
That wasn't a rule decided by her but by the logic of the world.
Even when entire cities waged wars, none but the truly evil have ever slain a deity, or by accident. It worked against anyone's morals, regardless of them being a rival familia's patron.
Especially when killing that deity involved destroying their root…
Even though a certain God may be the incarnation of evil itself…killing the divine was a sin said to stain one's soul, marking you for eternity even through the cycle of reincarnation.
By Shakti's belief in justice, Bell Cranel by all means should be arrested and thrown into jail for his actions. An objective truth that no one would argue about against her.
…Could she do that to him?
When she knew that there was no other choice?
Sentence a person to their death because they did something they were absolutely forbidden to do, even if it was to save the world?
"I pity him." Shakti replied, "I sympathise with him even…but I cannot say I stand in a position to blame him."
"Oh? Even though Artemis certainly died by his hands?" Ganesha asked, his interest piqued.
"...Yes, even then." She replied, more confident in her own answer, "I saw his strife or rather a fraction of it. I bore witness to his attempt to do everything he could to save her, until…it became evident that it was impossible."
Ganesha smiled, placing his mug on the table as he entered his room. "That's the right response, Shakti."
"However, there was one part of your answer that was incorrect."
"Which part?"
"Bell's journey is not yet over." Ganesha coughed in an attempt to clear his throat. "In fact, things may be just getting started."
"You see Shakti, there are things beyond the reach of us Gods as well. Aspects of existence which we cannot control." Ganesha crossed his arms, "Destiny is one of them."
"..."
"It is the one thing that we cannot defy. Regardless of our immortal lives, we Gods have our own destinies, as do mortals. It is the chain that shackles us to reality. Without it well…chaos would ensue."
"What are you trying to say, Ganesha sama?"
"Although we cannot go against it, there are a select few that can… Mortals, who can challenge it when even the Gods can't. Do you know who I'm talking about?" He pivoted himself on his heels, leaning against the table, "Heroes."
Shakti's eyes widened, as things began to click into place.
"You don't mean…"
"That is yet to be known." Ganesha shook his head, "However, his path is certainly going to be far more difficult and tumultuous than any other mortal being. This is just the beginning of his journey."
Shakti sucked in a breath, clenching her fist in apprehension.
"He will be beaten down time and time again, but I have faith that he will rise once more. After all, he is that man's grandson."
"Is there…something you wish for me to do?" She asked and predicted that Ganesha likely had a task for her.
"Help him out will you?" Ganesha smiled, "I ask this as a request rather than a command."
From what the deity had said, the boy certainly seemed to be destined for trouble. Though that seemed obvious, given that he was in The Zeus Familia.
Kaguya entered her home, letting go of her outward presentation and allowing her shoulders to sag.
It always was a pain to keep up appearances in public. As much as she was sure the people wouldn't genuinely care if she acted prim and proper or not, Astraea had urged to be just a bit more mindful of how she acts.
Since she was a vice-captain, the status of the familia's name weighed on her shoulders almost as much as her clan's name did…
"Ah, Kaguya's back."
Except she had a better family here.
Smiling wearily, Kaguya acknowledged Lyra's comment and greeted them all.
Their main hall was their typical gathering place. Being large enough to accommodate all of them, especially with how many they were…
That was years ago at least.
Though a few new recruits had joined, establishing the bonds they had with their deceased allies was a task easier said than done. Especially given their collective opinion of pushing to their extremes when they could.
The newbies in Kaguya's opinion were a bit too soft, unable to handle the pressure they were able to at their level. Though it was understandable.
They were training at the most critical time in Orario's history, the dark period, where everything had gone wrong, and evil was on the verge of winning. Cutting slack wasn't an option, and ever since their comrades died…to that monster.
It wasn't an option for them either. Thankfully, the new adventurers hadn't experienced that yet.
'It's better that way.'
"Welcome home, Kaguya." Alise greeted, jumping up and giving the woman a quick hug. A bear-like grip as she sniffed her like an animal, "Phew, you don't smell good."
"Ugh, I know." Kaguya cringed, "Is the ofuro still warm?"
"Yup. Astraea sama sa-" Alise paused, looking down and trying to grab Kaguya's prosthetic arm…only to find it missing. "Huh…strange. I could've sworn you had an arm here."
"Heh, one of her swords is gone as well."
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Kaguya's brow twitched, seeing Lyra in the corner chuckle.
"Hehe, just a little." She cutely giggled, "Did the big bad monster take it?"
Kaguya snorted at the childish description, walking past her captain towards her room, "No."
"Oh?"
She looked back, her raven black hair shifting over her shoulder, "I lost in a duel with Bell Cranel."
"What?!"
"How?"
It was not odd for them to be surprised by this, though Kaguya would admit that she still felt quite annoyed about it herself.
However, knowing how much her family would want an explanation, she told them the barest of details before walking off to take a nice, long relaxing bath.
Letting them gestate in anticipation as a punishment.
…
The evening sun had fully, allowing the moon to shine in its replacement.
The glow lit up the main hall just enough for them all to be visible to each other. Though, with their status improved vision, the lighting wasn't exactly needed.
"Did you finally finish your bath?" Lyra asked polishing the blades on her weapon.
"Yes, it felt quite nice to get the grime off my body after so long," Kaguya replied, tying the knot of her robe around her hips.
"K-Kaguya! Put on some clothes!"
Turning her head, she spotted the familias only elf sitting by the bookshelf. Her blush was so strong, it could act as a light bulb, "Oh hey Ryuu. How was the Hostess today?"
"Q-Quite alright. But you should cover up!"
"Calm your panties, you can only see my boobs a little bit." Kaguya replied, leaning towards the elf, "If you want to see more, come by my room later~"
Her teasing carried out, and the elf flushed even more, this time radiating heat from her cheeks.
"Hey! Lion only gets to see my boobs!" Alise butt in, failing to catch the point.
"I don't want to see either of your breasts!"
"Well if it helps," Lyra spoke up from her seat, "You've seen them before."
"THAT-"
"Ok girls, calm down."
Hearing the melodic voice, all four immediately turned towards the entrance to see Astraea walk in.
Kaguya was about to speak up, but seeing the slight puffiness in the woman's eyes, she stopped herself.
Astraea and Artemis were quite good friends, as were their respective familias.
Having the core sense of justice and the 'only girls allowed' rules between them helped build common ground rather quickly.
Though, Alise and Rethusa would often fight with each other about which goddess was the best. Last they had spoken, they had agreed to definitely settle the discussion the next time they met…
Not that it would happen anymore.
"Kaguya." Astraea addressed, her amethyst eyes looking at her with parental adoration, "I'm glad that you have come back home safe and sound."
"Safe and sound?" Alise raised an eyebrow, "She had her arm blown off!"
"She had what?!" Ryuu gasped, turning to Kaguya who shifted the robe to show the remnant of her prosthetic.
"Even worse, it wasn't the monster but rather Bell Cranel to do that."
Ryuu looked shocked once more, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Isn't he a low level 5?"
Astraea chuckled quietly, making her way down towards the group. She spread her arms open and wrapped them around Kaguya, giving her a hug that she herself quite needed.
"Did you cut some slack on him?" Alise asked, curious about the disparity.
"No, I doubt she did." Astraea replied instead, before turning her attention to Kaguya, "did you try to stand in his way?"
"Perseus asked us to make him stop chanting his spell at any cost."
"Ah, you got lucky then."
"How is that lucky? I don't understand how he even did that."
"Unless he was under some sort of mind manipulation from the monster, it is inexcusable for him to attack Kaguya like this!"
"I doubt he saw it as hurting his own ally." Astraea shook her head, "Believe me, he is not one to hurt others like that."
"Not to discredit you but…" Lyra spoke up, "he did cripple a man and severely injured a hundred at least in the war game."
Even if it was justified in every sense of the word.
"Kaguya, how do you feel about this?" Astraea directly addressed the victim here, "do you wish to formally ask Zeus Familia for repayment?"
"No, he said he'll pay for the repair." Kaguya shrugged, "Besides, the fact that I lost is due to my lack of skill, not due to his lack of leniency. Amid a battle, I selfishly challenged him to a duel, had he held back, I would have killed him instead."
"Besides," Kaguya said once more, "he was just trying to save his lover right?"
"What?"
Astraea let out a sigh, "you have a good intuition as always."
"Not so much good intuition as me watching them flirt on top of a wyvern for like 3 days."
"Hold on, Kaguya. Artemis sama is one of the three chaste deities, it isn't possible for her to be intimately involved with a man."
"Oh my, I never said anything about sex. I only said they were lovers," Kaguya grinned, looking at the blond elf, "What are you thinking of, Lion?"
"Wha-"
"Dirty elf."
"Perverted elf."
"Cute elf."
"A-Alise!"
Astraea giggled seeing her children get along…or rather ganging up on their most easily ashamed sister, "they were indeed lovers, and it is likely that he saw you as an obstacle to saving her rather than an ally trying to get him to stop."
That explanation seemed to sit better with the rest of the girls as they visibly seemed to reason with his actions.
Astraea was always so proud of their maturity. Even with their youngest taking the time to consider what he must have been going through before he did anything.
For her, there was nothing but empathy for Bell. She knew very well of the things he had gone through and had slight guesses as to what was coming for him. She could only hope that this incident would not break him and that he'd be allowed to move on.
Alas, that wasn't something she could affect herself.
'Ah, to be destined lovers.' Astraea shed a tear in woe, 'such a cruel yet beautiful fate.'
…
"I'm surprised, you haven't gone to bed yet."
"I have a habit of sleeping with a man, and well, he's not going to be opening his doors." Aisha leaned against the wall. "Relax old man, I wouldn't agree to go to bed with you even if you asked. Not that I think you can."
Aisha threw to him a wrapped staff. One that Zeus would recognise.
Zeus laughed at her impudence, though he was not one to ever care for that, "oh believe me, I'm still quite the stallion even as I reach my eight hundred thousand seven hundred and thirty second birthday."
"...Did you…"
"Yes, that number was made up." Zeus chuckled, "but no, I may be a pervert; but I'm a cultured pervert. Sleeping with my grandson's future wife is not my thing."
"Bold assumptions to think I'd get married to him. I'm an Amazoness, I don't believe in that soppy crap."
"Ah yes, I forgot that. Quite unfortunate really, you are missing out on some great fun."
"A white gown never suited me anyway. Besides, after what I saw a few days ago? Love isn't for me."
"If only you could choose that for yourself." He muttered, giving a sombre look at the moon outside.
"I don't like to talk about things as if I know them." Aisha began, drawing his attention, "but that doesn't mean I don't ask about it."
"Are you perhaps curious about him?"
"You could say that."
"Oh, I am pleasantly surprised." Zeus grinned, before putting a hand up to appease her response, "I was just joking…for now."
He paused to look at Aisha for a second, deciding on what to say.
"I won't be telling you much." Zeus decided, "I know you're curious but it is something you should talk to him about directly."
"What? Are you saying this in some hope that we grow an imaginary bond and I become some damsel in distress for him to fawn over?" Aisha rolled her eyes.
"Ohoho, that is certainly a possible outcome. One that I'd welcome in fact," he hummed, "but no. Things like this are best heard from the person themselves. I could recite you an eloquent poem that highlights his life in sunshines and rainbows, or sing you a tragedy to make you weep…but only he can show you how he has felt throughout."
"Stop trying to be cryptic and tell me what you mean."
Zeus took a breath in, looking the girl in the eyes before speaking, "Bell has had…a difficult past. Not to put down anyone else's history, as I'm sure you are aware many adventurers have…but he has bore witness to all the wrong sides of mortals."
"..."
"He has drastically changed in ways I cannot even describe with words. As such I don't have the answers to your question. That's why I am telling you to ask him instead."
Zeus had watched over Bell his entire life.
Every step of his trek, Zeus has been there with him, observing his grandson.
But he could never describe what Bell has felt, because everything Bell explored, Zeus has seen a thousand times over before.
He had become numb to the evil of the Gekai and it was not his place to sway Bell one way or another.
Bell wouldn't ever turn to the wrong side, that much he knew. However, with how his life has gone…Zeus would not force him to become a hero for a world he does not wish to save.
Even if that meant sentencing the Gekai to certain doom. For he valued his promise to always love and protect Bell more than what happens to the world.
"Even the strongest of people, need a person to rely on." Zeus whispered, loud enough that Aisha could hear, "Argonaut had his sister Feena and his allies. Albert had his wife and friends…but Bell? He has no one."
"He has you, doesn't he?"
Zeus laughed at her words, not caring for the fact that it was late at night, "I may be his grandfather, but I am a deity and he is…a human. I hold him dear, believe me, I do. More than anything else. But I cannot provide him the comfort and solace that a lover can. Especially with what has happened so far…that's why, I wished for you to become that source of comfort for him."
"Even though I'm a prostitute? Aren't they meant to be the bane of heroes?"
"A foolish thought." Zeus immediately responded, "besides, Bell doesn't want to be a hero, and after what he's been forced to do? He certainly doesn't see himself as one."
He continued seeing Aisha's brows furrow, "either way, that is just what I hope for. At the end of the day, you are a person with choices and decisions to make. Do not let my words hinder any of them, but if you truly wish to know him…perhaps, you should become someone he would tell his story to."
'After all, he has been robbed of everything by this world. Perhaps, you can become one of his precious few.'
A/N: Plot.
Bless.