Hello peeps. Heh heh, last chapter was a weirdy wasn't it? Anyway, it's time for another chapter. Things are revving up as the tournament approaches and pieces begin to move. However, before we get to the next chapter, I once again, would like to quickly address another thing that people are bringing up.
Note: So, people have brought up that the captains of the Zeus and Hera familia were level eight and nine respectively and that we now know of two, non-captain level sevens. I believe I have brought this up before, but I'll just say it one more time so it's perfectly clear. When I started this series that information hadn't been revealed yet, or at least hadn't been shared with me. So, I made it so that Achilles was the first level seven. This made sense to me as Ottar, "The King" was a level seven and the Loki familia members were constantly called monsters in the series. Having level eights and nines within living memory seems to negate the idea of the Loki familia being "monsters" as they are apparently nothing compared to the Zeus and Hera familia. That also brings into question how powerful the One-Eyed Black Dragon is and if I, say, made Achilles a level eight within this story from the get-go I feel like that would negate a lot of what we see. Why would Ottar be a real challenge to Achilles if he was a level eight? Wouldn't Aiz be easily batted away if they ever fought? How could Bell, even a rage enhanced Bell, severely hurt a level eight as a level four? Overall, within the context of the story it doesn't seem to work. However, if people would like me to go back and change him to a level eight so it fits better within the context of the Danmachi universe, I am open to the idea. So, if this is the case, tell me in the reviews or send me a message. If I get enough 'yay' comments, I will announce a poll next chapter to get an official tally. If the 'yays' outnumber the 'nays' in the poll by the time of the chapter after that, I will change it.
Alright, with all that said, let's get to our story, shall we?
I do not own Danmachi.
"There's the village," the younger of the two women said.
"Good," the older replied.
The two women made their way into the village. Those they passed along the road all felt the strength the two contained and gave them a wide berth.
Adventurers, an old man thought as he watched the two pass by.
"They're afraid of us," the younger one said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Of course they are. We are strangers here and people fear what they don't know. It's natural and foolish to take it personally," the elder said with a noticeable harshness that made the younger shrink back.
They arrived at an inn located near the center of town and entered.
There were a few people inside who turned when the doors opened, their eyes turning wary as the women made their way to the counter.
"Hello there," the woman at the counter greeted, smiling pleasantly as the two approached her. "What brings you lovely creatures to my establishment this fine day?"
The younger smiled, happy that someone didn't seem afraid of them. However, her companion was in no mood for pleasantries and simply got down to business.
"We are looking for someone named Ajax Brutus. Do you know where he is?"
The woman was surprised by the name dropped.
"Well I ought to, I am married to the big lug," she answered.
The younger woman's eyes lit up, as she optimistically thought the woman would be able to help them. The older woman, however, was not so optimistic.
"We'd like to speak to him," the elder adventurer said.
The inn-keeper's eyes narrowed. Whether this was because of the request or the tone that was used was hard to tell.
"What do you want with my big man?" she demanded.
The younger adventurer, noting the shift, quickly jumped in to try and calm the situation down.
"We're friends of his. From Orario."
The wife did not seem placated by this, but wasn't quite ready to throw them out.
"Alright. I'll go get him. But if he doesn't know you, or doesn't want to talk to you, I'm throwing you two out. I don't need some snarky adventurers causing me trouble in my own establishment."
The inn-keeper turned and disappeared into the back, while the older adventurer seemed completely unaffected.
"What if Ajax doesn't want to come?" the younger asked.
"He will," the elder replied immediately and without hesitation.
"But...what if he doesn't?"
The elder turned to her, eyes now holding a notable fire.
"This mission is too important to fail. We need Ajax in order to stop him," she growled. A shiver went up the younger woman's spine. "As such," the elder continued. "We get him to come using any means necessary. We can't let Aria's son get any more powerful."
The younger adventurer nodded, even if she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of what they would have to do.
The sound of movement caught their attention and they turned to see a large man, two heads taller than either of them and covered in muscle, walking in with a frown.
"Alright, whoever you are you got some-," he stopped when he saw who it was. "Imilce! Dido!" he cried out happily.
Before they could respond, they both found themselves being lifted off the ground in a massive bear hug, much to Dido's annoyance.
"It's good to see you, Ajax," Imilce said happily, relieved by the display of affection.
"Hello, Ajax," Dido greeted once they were put down.
"Still stern, even after all these years," Ajax said with a laugh, before he turned to Imilce. "And look at you! You must be beating the boys off with a stick with how beautiful you've become!" he announced, spinning her around as the younger woman laughed.
"Oh stop it!" Imilce cried, smiling brightly at the mountain of a man.
"So these are friends of yours?" Ajax's wife asked, stepping forward.
"Ah, Polyxo, let me introduce you. This lovely young lady is Imilce Iberia. She knows more about plants, potions, and poisons than anyone else."
"A pleasure," Imilce said, bowing.
"And the one with the frown is Dido Barca. One of the smartest people you'll ever meet. I swear she may have read every book in the world. The only one I ever saw beat her in book knowledge was my old captain, Achilles."
Dido's frown deepened.
"He's actually why we're here," she said.
Ajax gave her a curious look before she pulled out a letter.
"I'm guessing you received a letter as well."
He nodded.
"I did. Wasn't sure how I was going to answer though. As you can see," he pulled his wife to him and snuggled up to her as he gestured to the inn. "I've kind of set up camp here."
Imilce looked at Dido with worried eyes.
"I hope you'll reconsider," Dido said, her voice calm, but her eyes suggesting she wasn't about to take no for an answer.
"I'm not saying no, but I'm also not saying yes," Ajax replied with matching force. "Sure, it'd be nice to go back to Orario. I do miss it, even after living here for so many years. In a way it'll probably always be my home, but I'm not just going to uproot my family for nostalgia's sake."
"Achilles wouldn't have called on us if it wasn't important," Dido countered.
"You're probably right," Ajax conceded. "However, his message didn't seem to be some call for reinforcement either. Sounded only like he found some nice kids who needed a helping hand."
"That could have just been a cover."
Ajax laughed.
"You and I both know Achilles is an honest man. Brutally honest, sometimes. If he was having problems, he would have told us, not tried to be subtle."
Worried that the conversation would disintegrate if something wasn't done, Imilce stepped in.
"Orario is a wonderful place to bring your family. Food, fun, and no shortage of work. They'll love it, I'm sure of it. It is the center of the world after all."
"Is it?" Ajax asked. "Once you get some time outside its walls you begin to realize just how much the world runs without Orario, and how small and insignificant it is for many, if not most people."
Things fell silent for a moment. Neither of the women wanted to leave without Ajax, and he wasn't sure that going with them was a good idea.
A hand on his shoulder turned his attention.
"Your friends need your help ya big lug," Polyxo said gently. "We should join them."
All three adventurers were surprised.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "We'd have to pack up everything and travel for weeks to a place you've never been to and is very different from here, and you'd have to close the inn."
"Ah, you know my cousin has been bugging me to buy it for a long time. Won't stop yammering about the improvements she'd do. Besides, the kids would love to go to the place with all the adventurers and a few weeks on the road will be like our own little adventurer," she replied with a smile.
"You're...you're really okay with this?"
"I fell in love with you because you've got a big heart to match that big body of yours," she stated, patting his chest. "And that big heart wants to help out its friends. Besides, you think I'm not interested in seeing Orario, after all the stories you've told me about it?"
Ajax was still a bit stunned by his wife's words, but after a few moments of taking in her smile, he grew one himself and leaned down to kiss her.
"I love you," he said.
"I know," she returned. "I'll go tell the kids. They're going to flip once they hear."
Polyxo departed, allowing a smiling Ajax to turn back to his former colleagues.
"I guess it's settled then. I'm coming with you."
Imilce, beaming, quickly hugged him, causing him to laugh, while Dido nodded.
"Thank you" she said, a tad less sternly.
He nodded.
"Do problem, at least as long as the missus is okay with it. However, if you're looking to gather people, there is one person I think we should go see. That is if you're willing to make a bit of a detour."
Both Imilce and Dido gave him a questioning look.
"Who?" Dido asked.
The two familias walked through the halls of the Twilight Manor silently, no one daring to say a word or look at anyone else. The only semi-exception of this being Bell, who was carrying the unconscious Haruhime in his arms towards their destination.
They made it to their destination, Loki's office, and shuffled inside, with everyone naturally taking their places.
"That was…" Loki tried to begin.
"Yeah," Hestia agreed, knowing what she meant.
Bete growled.
"That was freaking nasty, that's what that was," he spat.
"Can't say I disagree. I know there's all kind of fetishes but..." Finn didn't finish, not that anyone blamed him. They weren't exactly comfortable either.
"Yeah. I mean, compared to her, Loki's a saint," Tiona stated.
"Hey!" Loki called, knowing a back-handed compliment when she heard one. "I just like pretty girls, I'm not promoting Daddy-daughter relationships!"
Achilles growled at that, but made no other replies.
"Lili never wants to be in the same room as that goddess ever again. And she certainly doesn't want her anywhere near Bell-sama!" she threw out, her and most everyone else turning to the rabbit-like captain.
"After all this, I am more than ready to agree," Bell said, sounding tired as he attempted to rouse Haruhime.
"Bell." The young man and the others turned to Achilles as he finally spoke. "You offered an olive branch to a woman who had wronged you in the past. True she may have also aided you, as this meeting revealed, but it wouldn't have been unthinkable for you to simply hate her. Many, if not most would not have blamed you for that. However, you once again showed the goodness of your heart by trying to understand a woman who's been playing with your life for quite some time. That's not something to be ashamed of and anyone who wants to give you grief for your decency and openness can speak to me."
Bell and a few others smiled.
"Thank you," Bell replied.
With the conversation now a bit more comfortable and seeing that Achilles wasn't about to fly into a disgust fueled rage, Riveria stepped forward.
"May I heal your hand now?" she requested gently.
Achilles looked at her for a moment, the memories of the recent conversation and the thoughts it had inspired flooding through both of their minds.
Now she knows I'm a green-as-grass inexperienced brat, Achilles thought.
Claim him! roared the new voice in the back of Riveria's mind.
Both shifted their gaze away as small blushes graced their cheeks.
"Thank you," Achilles managed as he held out his hand.
"Of course," Riveria replied, very happy to have the distraction.
Everyone else watched, most with amusement as the two played off each other, with a few barely managing to restrain a chuckle.
Goodness, you two are acting like school children mixed with horny teenagers, Finn thought, shaking his head, but smiling amusedly.
She wants him so bad. Hearing that he's unclaimed has awakened her instincts. She's found her man and now she wants to make him hers, body and soul, Tione recognized, proud of her elven superior.
They're so cute, Hestia thought.
Go get her, Achilles. You've got a few decades to make up for, Welf said, smiling.
He's almost there, Riveria. Just a little more and he'll give you his heart, Bell thought, happy for the two before him.
He was snapped back to reality by the feeling of movement in his arms. He looked down in time to see Haruhime's eyes flutter open.
"Thank goodness, I was beginning to worry," he said once she was fully awake.
The renard blinked a few times in confusion.
"Bell-sama? What's going on? Where are we?" she asked.
"We're in Loki-sama's office in the Twilight Manor. We had a meeting with Freya, remember?"
Things started to come back to the young woman, which, unfortunately included the reason she had fainted. Soon her eyes widened as she looked towards Achilles who caught her gaze. Immediately, Freya's words repeated in her mind, echoing worse than any of the noises she'd ever heard in the Pleasure District. That, plus her finally realizing that she was being held in Bell's arms was far too much for her and she promptly fainted again.
"Haruhime? Haruhime?!" Bell called as Achilles growled.
"Great, that's going to be a thing now."
The day after their meeting with Freya, Hestia was preparing to leave the Hearthfire Manor for a special meeting that Ouranos had called for all deities. Of course she and her familia already knew what it was about, courtesy of a certain goddess of beauty, but it was still important for her to go.
"Alright, I'm off!" she declared to her familia.
"Take care, Hestia-sama," Bell replied.
"With any luck it'll be over quickly. Given that it's a giant tournament the other gods may be less inclined to bicker," Achilles said.
"We can hope," Hestia wished with a smile. "Okay, I'll see you all soon. Try not to get in trouble while I'm gone."
Everyone knew the two that this particular comment was directed at and both captains simply laughed nervously and scratched their cheeks.
Hestia departed her home and made her way through the streets. The sun was out and warming her skin, with the occasional breeze passing through the streets to cool her skin, all of which brought a smile to her face.
This is one thing that I love about the Lower World. In Heaven it was always perfect. Never too hot or too cold, but here you can get blistering hot and biting cold. You can get rain that threatens to drown you and snow that turns things into an icy wasteland, and because of that, you appreciate these nice days so much more. The sun, warming you to your core and the wind cooling your skin. This is my Heaven, she thought, her smile shining as brightly as the sun that now warmed her skin.
She arrived at the meeting and began looking around for friendly faces amongst the many deities present. Luckily, it did not take her long to pinpoint her best friend, Hephaestus, whose red hair and tall stature made it easy to find her, even in a crowd.
"Hephaestus!" she called out.
The smith goddess turned and, seeing Hestia, greeted the loli goddess with a smile.
"Morning, Hestia. How are you?" she asked.
"I'm fine. And you?"
"Fine as well, though I am curious what this meeting is about. It has something to do with Freya, right, and that talk she had with Ouranos and Ganesha?"
Hestia's face immediately soured at the mention of the goddess of beauty, causing Hephaestus to quirk a brow.
"What's wrong?" the red-head asked.
"Agh. My and Loki's familia had a meeting with Freya yesterday and it was just...ugh," Hestia shivered.
That only increased Hephaestus's curiosity, even if she knew that she should probably keep her hands off whatever was causing that disgusted face from her friend.
"Well, you can tell me about it later, Takemikazuchi and Miach are coming. And is that Soma with them?"
At the mention of the gods, Hestia turned and regained her smile as the three approached.
"Morning Hestia. Hephaestus," Takemikazuchi greeted.
"Morning, Take, Miach, Soma," Hephaestus returned.
"Good morning," Hestia added. "How are you doing, Soma? I've heard your familia's doing a lot better these days."
Soma nodded.
"We are," he answered quietly. "It took some time, but they're beginning to act like a real familia. It's...nice."
Everyone smiled at that, none greater than Hestia.
"I'm glad. You should come visit some time. I'm sure Lili would like to see you again, especially now that things are going well."
Soma smiled.
"I'd like that."
The sounds of movement caught everyone's attention and all the gods turned to see Ganesha and Freya walking into the room, the latter with her usual smile, which now sent a very unpleasant chill up Hestia's spine.
"Good morning everyone," Ganesha greeted. "If you'll all take your seats we will begin today's meeting."
The gods were confused for a moment, not only by the appearance of Freya alongside Ganesha, but his lack of his usual playful flare. However, they were intrigued as well, so the deities quickly did as requested.
Hestia and her group joined with the rest of the gods and goddesses and went to take a seat. They soon found Loki waving at them to come join her.
The goddess of the hearth, seeing the trickster goddesses, smiled, having felt a great deal more appreciative of Loki since she'd agreed to help her with the meeting with Freya. This did not go unnoticed by Hephaestus who found herself curious again. Her curiosity only grew when Loki herself patted the seat beside her for Hestia and her best friend took it eagerly.
"I'll jump right into it so as not to waste time. The reason for the meeting is because, as I'm sure you've all noticed, Orario has been on edge as of late due to the numerous incidents that have occurred within and outside its walls," Ganesha said.
"Hey, don't go blaming us!" one god called.
"Yeah, it's not our fault! We're just innocent victims!" another cried.
"Why don't you punish the ones responsible like Hestia and her crazing kid!" a goddess blurted out.
The instant defensiveness was expected of the deities, petty creatures that they could be, but neither Hestia, nor any of her friends appreciated the attempt to shift the blame.
"Calm yourselves everyone. It's cruel to blame Hestia for a little incident," a calm voice cooed over the voices.
All eyes turned to a well dressed and handsome god, smiling pleasantly at his fellow deities.
Dionysus? Hestia thought, a tad confused that he had come to her defense.
Dionysus, feeling her eyes or perhaps simply knowing she was looking at him, turned and smiled at her. Despite her confusion, Hestia appreciated his defense and so smiled back and slightly bowed her head.
"Dionysus is right," Ganesha pressed on. "And neither of us," he gestured towards Freya. "Nor Ouranos are placing blame on anyone. We are simply here to offer a solution."
The god of the masses stepped back and allowed Freya to step forward.
"We need something that will distract everyone from their troubles and fill the city with excitement and optimism again. As such, we suggest that Orario have a grand tournament between all the familias."
Things were quiet for a moment, before the expected reaction occurred and the entire room was filled with cheers and noises of excitement.
"A tournament!"
"A tournament! That will be so much fun!"
"That will be great entertainment!"
It's like the War Game, only ten times worse, Hestia thought as she watched her fellow deities go nuts.
As the immortal beings lost their minds, Hephaestus, Takemikazuchi, Miach, and even Soma, all leaned in towards Hestia.
"A tournament?" the smith goddess asked.
Hestia nodded.
"It was Freya's idea to try and get the city to calm down and focus elsewhere."
"Where were they focusing before?" Hephaestus inquired.
Hestia fists tightened, which was not missed by any of the gods, including Loki, who put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"We won't let anything happen to the rabbit," she said firmly.
A bit surprised, Hestia nonetheless soon smiled at the red-head jokester.
"Rabbit? Bell-san?" Miach asked.
Hestia nodded.
"Apparently since the incident with Bell's magic over the city some people have become afraid of him to the point that…" she choked up for a moment. "That they were planning to attack and even kill him."
That shocked her fellow deities.
"You can't be serious," Takemikazuchi said.
"Unfortunately I am. Apparently Achilles and Bell noticed, but didn't say anything because they didn't want to worry me and the others. Goodness, when will those boys understand that keeping secrets is what worries me?" she questioned with a dry laugh, even as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. After a moment, and a few comforting words and touches from her friends, she was able to continue. "That's why Freya suggested the tournament. Because she 'loves' Bell, she wants to protect him. The tournament is meant as a big distraction to get everyone's minds off all the recent troubling events."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"Not a bad idea, if I may say so," Takemikazuchi admitted.
"No, it's not. But, given that this is Freya, we can bet that there's more to this than just protecting Bell. She's probably got something else she's working towards," Hephaestus pointed out.
Hestia nodded.
"That's why I'm hoping you'll all help me keep eyes on her and her familia."
Again, they all nodded.
"Of course," Take said.
"We'll help anyway we can," Miach added.
"Moocher you might be, but you're my moocher and no one's going to banish you or make you cry on my watch," Hephaestus stated.
Hestia smiled in thanks, only to be surprised when arms wrapped around her from behind.
"And where else am I going to find a chibi who's so much fun to tease?" Loki asked, smiling.
"Oh you," Hestia replied, but with a bright smile.
As Hestia and the others were talking, Ganesha pressed on.
"Of course, there are still details that we need to iron out and that's the other point of today's meeting. To come to agreement about how exactly we should run the tournament. We already have some ideas that should work for, but will be opening the floor to suggestions. If you can't think of anything right now, don't worry, the tournament isn't for a month and we'll be having at least one more meeting before then."
"A month?!" a few deities called out.
"Why not sooner?!"
"It was decided," Ganesha replied, holding up his hands. "That we wanted this to be as grand an affair as possible. That means, not only will it take time, but also that we hope that outsiders will come to Orario to see it. News takes time to travel so we are providing the outside world some time to learn of the tournament and come here themselves. As such, a month is, if anything, not enough time, which is why the Guild, and my familia have already taken the liberty of sending out notice of the tournament in every direction. With any luck, we'll soon have a wave of tourism and even new potential adventurers arriving at our gates over the next few weeks."
That placated the deities some, though not completely. They wanted their fun immediately, their immortality evidently not causing many, if any of them, to learn patience. However, the prospect of a wave of newcomers into the city did calm them some. New people meant potential new customers, new faces to smooze and seduce, and more adventurers to fill their ranks.
"So what are these rules?" Hermes called out, seeing that his fellow gods and goddesses had fallen silent.
"There are a few, so you should all pay attention," Ganesha announced. "Firstly, we need to make sure that everyone can and is encouraged to participate. So we must have both a kind of balance as well as proper incentives. As such, we were thinking…"
The meeting lasted for hours as the many different gods and goddesses threw out ideas and arguments in order to try and make the tournament as fun as possible, as well as get the most out of it for themselves and their familias. However, it finally came to an end and the deities began to file out, eager to tell their familias.
Hestia and her friends were preparing to exit themselves when she heard someone calling her name.
Turning, she and the others found Dionysus approaching them, a smile on his face.
"Hello, Dionysus," Hestia greeted. "Thank you for coming to my defense earlier. You didn't need to do that and I appreciate it."
"Of course," the handsome god replied. "It was unfair for them to turn on you since most of it was completely out of your control. Besides, I'd like to think we're friends."
Hestia smiled.
"Well, you're certainly better than some of the other deities I know," she joked.
Dionysus laughed, but he was the only one as all the other deities around Hestia eyed him with suspicion, especially Loki.
He wouldn't just approach her without reason. What does he want? the clever goddess wondered.
"Thank you," Dionysus said, once he'd stopped laughing. "I also wanted to congratulate you on all your familia's success. You've really risen up at record speed. You even gained the Olympian. Honestly, I'm a little jealous."
"Haha, thanks. But believe me, he's been quite the handful."
"I can only imagine. Someone of his fame and caliber is sure to have brought a lot of baggage with him, no?"
There was something about the way he said that that made Loki's eyes narrow.
"Oh he's not so bad. If he was, I wouldn't have allowed him to join my familia, let alone allowed him to send messages to his old friends to bring me even more trouble."
That caught everyone's attention.
"Old friends? You mean the Zeus and Hera familia?" Dionysus asked.
"Yep. He sent letters out to the remaining members, asking if they'd like to join us, but so far he's gotten no replies. Not too surprising all things considered, but it would be great if we got a few more members, especially ones with such great experience."
Once more, Loki did not fail to notice how the pretty boy god tensed, just the tiniest bit, at that.
"Well well. It would certainly be wonderful to have more members of those heroic familias return to us. Even the lowest member was an inspiration to adventurers the world over," he replied calmly, his smile unwavering.
"Well, fingers crossed," Hestia said, holding up her hands.
"Fingers crossed," he replied. "Now, I think I've taken up enough of your time and I'm sure we're all eager to inform our children about this news so that we can prepare for what is sure to be a very exciting next few weeks. Goodbye for now Hestia. Hephaestus. Miach. Take. Soma. Loki," he said, not failing to notice the barely opened eyes of the trickster goddess, but smiling nonetheless before he departed.
Loki watched the handsome god leave, her eyes narrow and never once leaving him until he finally disappeared from sight.
What's he hiding?
It had been two days since the meeting announcing the tournament and the Hestia familia, along with their allied familia, were all training together in the backyard of the Hearthfire Manor.
"Again," Achilles instructed, his eyes trained on a sweating Bell.
The Olympian had made good on his promise to double Bell's training regime following the revelation of his rivalry with Asterios. That, plus the tournament ensured that Achilles went into full captain mode as he began to train the Hestia familia in earnest with the last two days leaving the familia bruised, battered, and exhausted, but undoubtedly more powerful and prepared for the challenges to come.
At that moment, Achilles was focused on Bell's swordsmanship training. He gave Bell a little reward for his hard work by inviting Aiz to join them and allowing the Sword Princess to be his partner.
The two had been going at it for over an hour, a true testament to both their stamina, but it was clear that the exhaustion was getting to both of them, especially Bell. Mixed with the fact that swords were not his primary weapon, it did not take long for Aiz to batter the sword out of his hand and have her blade pointed at his neck.
"Alright," Achilles said, clapping. "Time for a break. Go get some water and catch your breath," he told the two of them.
Both nodded, though Bell barely managed his, given his exhaustion.
The two grabbed some refreshments from a table they had been set up for everyone, before Bell went over to a shady spot under a tree and promptly collapsed. Aiz, with her awakened feelings and desire to be close to him both physically and emotionally, naturally followed.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked.
Bell, in spite of his exhaustion, immediately sat up and shook his head.
"I wouldn't mind at all!" Bell quickly said.
She quickly sat down, making sure to sit in front of him so that she could look at him.
"You're doing very well," she said. "Your swordsmanship is improving at an extraordinary pace."
Stunned and blushing a bit, Bell managed to smile and rub the back of his head in pleased embarrassment.
"Am I? I feel like I'm not making much progress at all."
"It can feel like that sometimes. There have been many times I've felt like that. Like...no matter how hard I pushed myself I was stuck. Like when your feet are in the mud and no matter how hard you pull you can't get them out."
"I have a hard time imagining that, Aiz-san. I feel...I feel like you can overcome anything. That no challenge or obstacle is too great for you."
Aiz felt heat come to her cheeks. Though she didn't fully understand it, nor its real meaning, the adoration he was displaying instinctively filled her with warmth and joy.
"Y-You really think that?" she asked, her voice barely more than whisper.
He smiled and nodded.
"I don't think there's anything you can't do," he assured.
The feeling of adoration grew, mixing with her own. It was soon joined by an interesting partner, determination, as his faith in her made her take a silent vow.
Then I'll win your heart like you've won mine, she swore.
"Thank you, Bell. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to mean, but for what it's worth, I think the same thing about you."
Bell blushed, but gave her one of his very best smiles, before both of them fell into their own little world.
Not too far away, another blonde was watching the two of them, her eyes burning with her own fiery determination.
I want you to try, echoed the words of Achilles from not so long ago inside Ryuu Lion's head. Try.
"Try," she said to herself.
Taking as deep a breath as she could, she made her way over to the two before her.
Sensing her presence, both Bell and Aiz turned to the elf, with the former quickly smiling at her.
"Hi Ryuu," he greeted.
The smile and warm greeting caused the Gale's heart to jump, but she didn't let that, or the warmth in her cheeks stop her from enacting her plan.
"Hello Bell. Wallenstein-san." Aiz nodded. "I was wondering if you'd like to practice your swordsmanship with me, Bell," she said, pleased that her voice hadn't shaken during her offer.
Bell's head cocked to the side in a way that neither girl failed to think of as adorable.
"You'd be willing to train me?" he asked.
"Of course, and I think it would be beneficial. Aiz-san and Achilles-san are, of course, better swordsman than I, but my style is quite different from both of them and I thought it would be helpful to you to face an opponent with a different technique."
"I would love to!" he said excitedly, jumping to his feet. "That would be really helpful, Ryuu. Also, we've never really fought each other, which I'm really glad for," he quickly added, still smiling. "And I know how strong you are so I'm sure I can learn a lot from you."
Blushing at the unrestrained praise, something which was not unnoticed by Aiz, Ryuu, nonetheless, pushed forward, glad that she had accomplished her goal.
"Thank you, Bell. As the captain of my familia and as the man I respect most, your high praise means a great deal to me," she said, giving him a warm smile.
Bell's smile faded as he took in her smile. Something about it seemed...different. Not unpleasant, just...different.
She does have a nice smile though.
"Shall we?" Ryuu offered.
"O-Oh...yes! Of course!" he said, snapping back to reality. "I'll talk with you later, Aiz-san," he said, giving her a smile.
"Alright," Aiz replied, her eyes quickly shifting back to the departing elf as she instinctively realized what was going on.
She wants Bell too.
Had this been a few days earlier, before Riveria's comforting words and her own vow, Aiz would have fallen into a feeling of inadequacy. Ryuu, after all, was very pretty, and she was an elf, something she'd heard that many men liked. How could she compare? However, her vow taken and with the backing of an elf of her own, she silently stood firm.
I won't lose to you or anyone.
Bell and Ryuu took their places opposite each other, Bell holding Dragonsbane and Ryuu holding her stick.
The twos eyes met and a silent signal was given, starting the fight.
Ryuu launched herself at Bell, knowing that in terms of raw power, Bell had her beat, and so she would need her entire arsenal in order to provide him a proper challenge.
Bell, meanwhile, understood the disadvantages he had when facing Ryuu. She was more experienced, extremely determined, and he was using a weapon that he was still getting used to. As such, he gave it his all from the outset. A fight with the elf required nothing less and Ryuu deserved his very best.
The two clashed, air blasting away from them every time their blades collided.
Again and again they struck out at each other, neither giving nor gaining ground.
She's like a combination of Dad and Aiz. Powerful yet graceful, Bell thought, as he began to get comfortable with the opponent before him. However, unbeknownst to him, this was exactly what Ryuu was waiting for and, instantly recognizing the signs of comfort, she suddenly switched her tactics and threw a pair of knives at him.
Bell's eyes widened and he had to retreat to dodge the blades. This gave Ryuu time to get behind him and he barely managed to block a strike to his back, the force of which sent him flying back a few feet.
I was wrong, she's different from Dad and Aiz, Bell quickly recognized. Whereas Dad and Aiz would use power or speed to push through a challenge, she'll switch tactics to keep her opponent off balance. Ryuu's…, he thought for a moment, a smile soon forming once he found the right word. She's agile. Agile and strategic. Something completely different.
Perhaps it was his past experience with Asterios and knowing the feeling of having a proper challenger, but the prospect of a new, powerful opponent, made him really happy. The fact that they were someone he already respected and cared for only made it better and he got ready for the next stage of the fight.
Ryuu saw all this and smiled herself. The fact that the young man who had earned her heart was such a determined and courageous person on top of his kindness was just icing on top of an absolutely wonderful cake. A cake that she now fully intended to get a slice of.
Time for the next step, she thought.
Ryuu restarted her attack, this time mixing up her attacks with knives, kicks, and her entire arsenal to push Bell as far as she could, and both the young man and the elf loved every minute of it.
Finally, exhaustion caught up with them and the two stopped, breathing heavily as they smiled at each other.
"Well done, Bell. Your skill with the sword is nothing to disregard. You took all the punishment I threw at you. Makes me glad that I did not fight you with your primary weapons."
"Thank you, Ryuu," he said, smiling brightly. "I'm glad I got the chance to spar with you. You really are a great fighter and there were times that I was sure you had me."
"And yet you adapted and overcame. That's very commendable. I've known adventurers who've been diving into the Dungeon for over a decade that can't manage that. That said, I do have a bit of advice if you're willing to hear it," she said.
"Of course," he replied instantly.
"Alright. Hold up your sword."
Bell did as requested, taking the position Achilles had taught him and waited further instruction.
"Hm, your form is very good," Ryuu noted. "A proper guard, worthy of any proper swordsman. However, you're a bit stiff."
"Yeah, I've noticed that. The sword itself feels perfect. The only weapon that's felt as good or better in my hands is the Hestia knife. However, my body feels a little odd when getting into position. I've been working on it, but no matter how hard I try I can't seem to get rid of it."
"There's probably a few factors to that, including the fact that you're trying to force it," Ryuu stated as she got closer. "It needs to feel natural to you. That takes time, and it probably doesn't help that you're still thinking of the sword as Achilles-san's, correct?" He nodded. "If you don't take ownership of it, even temporarily, you won't be able to use it fully. Even so, there is a way to help with the stiffness that doesn't simply involve time and waiting."
"Really? What is it?" he asked.
His answer came in the form of soft, but firm hands landing on his shoulders.
The soft hands of the elven maiden now placed behind him began to massage his shoulders, causing an all new kind of tension to fill his body.
"R-Ryuu-san! What are you doing?!" he asked.
"One way I've discovered to ease the tension is by massaging the muscles," she said calmly, but secretly very glad that she was hidden behind Bell so that he wouldn't see her red face and ears. "If we can get your body to physically ease, it should help make using the sword easier and might even speed up the process of you taking ownership of it.
It made logical sense, he thought, but it was difficult to think clearly with her soft hands working his muscles, especially given it felt nice. Really nice.
"Please Bell. Try to relax."
Something about the way Ryuu said that, the softness he noted, caused Bell to turn. He finally caught sight of the elf who, feeling his eyes, turned her own up to meet his.
Those eyes, he thought. That softness. That warmth. Does she…?
"I won't run away anymore," Ryuu said softly, but with an iron determination.
Bell's eyes widened just a bit.
Oh.
He wasn't completely sure what to do after his discovery. What should he do? How did he respond?
Simple. The same way you decided to confront Hestia's and Haruhime's feelings. Don't run away from them.
And that was that. As simple as it seemed, the moment Bell vowed not to run away from the feelings of the women whose hearts he unknowingly won, he felt better and more confident. His heart still belonged to Aiz, but he wouldn't push the others away because of that. Besides, if recent feelings and thoughts were any indication, it wasn't entirely impossible for his heart to grow fond of another, even if that led to a whole host of potential new problems.
Now having his answer, Bell calmed down, the tension dropping from his body and he smiled at the elven maiden.
"Thank you," he said.
Now it was Ryuu's eyes that widened before a smile of her own grew on her lips.
"Of course," she replied, getting back to work.
She understood that the distance between her and Bell was still great, she wasn't a fool after all. He was willing to accept her feelings, but that did not mean he returned them. His heart still belonged to Aiz Wallenstein, but the distance was now one step less than it was before and she was determined to take all the steps that were required in order to fully close the distance.
I won't run away ever again. I will place myself by his side no matter what or who gets in the way. Besides, I already know he has a thing for blondes.
Naturally, the series of events did not transpire in a vacuum. Everyone had seen everything that the two had done, even if Bell and Ryuu had failed to recognize that fact.
Aiz had seen it, and had vowed again not to give up on her rabbit.
Lefiya had seen it and, though a bit mortified by the display of affection, had cheered on the elf who had lifted her spirits not long ago, vowing herself that she would redouble her efforts for her beloved Sword Princess.
Haruhime had seen it, and though she was a bit surprised by Ryuu's actions, she smiled, respecting her familia member for also seeing just how wonderful their fellow captain was.
Riveria had also seen it and, being next to Achilles, she turned to him.
"When you said there were other girls after him…"
"I meant there were a lot of girls, and they have gained the confidence to fight for him and," he turned to her. "Who spend quite a bit more time with Bell than your Sword Princess does."
"I am confident that the two will still find each other even so," she replied defiantly.
"But not as confident as you were," he countered, causing her to glare at him.
Lili had also seen the moment between Bell and Ryuu and instantly understood what it meant. A wave of jealousy hit her, demanding she intervene to stop the display before her. However, she managed to restrain the bitter emotion as her own promise played in her mind.
Her patience paid off as, not long after, Bell and Ryuu broke apart and Lili, seeing an opportunity, quickly jumped on it.
"Thank you, Ryuu," Bell said, his voice gentle and tender.
"You're very welcome, Bell. I am always here when you need me," she replied, her own voice just as tender, matching her tender smile.
"Bell-sama." The Hestia captain and his elven companion turned to find Lili standing a pace or two away and smiling.
"Oh, Lili. I'm sorry I didn't see you there," he said, both embarrassed and a bit worried she would be mad at him.
"It's no problem. Lili just had an idea that she thought up when she saw Ryuu-san helping you."
"An idea?" Bell asked.
"Mhmm. Lili realized that while she can't help you much with fighting and combat, she was very knowledgeable in other things. So, Lili was wondering, if you'd like her to teach you a little bit about items?"
Both were surprised, Bell especially, having expected her to be angry at him given the display that had just occurred.
Lili was well aware of this and felt a tinge of regret. She knew she tended to overreact when other girls got close to him. She just loved him so much that the idea of other girls being close to him was something she couldn't stand. But after her mental training with Achilles and her semi-confrontation with her beloved captain during the meeting with Freya, she both understood that her jealousy wouldn't get her any closer to her Bell-sama, and remembered that Bell really wasn't the kind of guy that went running after girls. He wasn't a philanderer or womanizer. He was too pure, too kind, and too good. Those two bits of information helped her calm down and reaffirmed her conviction in getting closer to the young man who'd saved her, given her a second chance at life, and claimed her heart.
"Really? Well...yes! That'd be great!" Bell replied happily.
"Wonderful. You can never know too much and Lili likes helping you," Lili said, giving him her best smile.
Bell turned back to Ryuu, smiling.
"Thank you again, Ryuu."
She smiled back.
"Anytime, Bell. Truly."
With that, Bell and Lili began walking away, but not before Lili's and Ryuu's eyes met, both saying the exact same thing.
The battle is on!
Off to the side, Achilles took a deep breath from his pipe.
This is going to be a bloodbath.
"Achilles-kun!"
He turned and found Hestia waving at him from the manor.
"Shakti is here for you!" the goddess called.
"Shakti?" Achilles questioned out loud.
He made his way towards the manor, Riveria's eyes following him the whole way as she hoped it wasn't anything serious.
Making his way inside alongside Hestia, Achilles soon found Shakti by the entrance and greeted her with a smile.
"Morning, Shakti-san. How are you?"
"I am well, Achilles-san. Thank you for asking. I wish I could say this was just a simple social visit, but I've come here on Guild business. Ouranos-sama has requested your presence," she stated.
"Did he say what for?"
"Unfortunately no, I was only told it was important and to ask that you come as quickly as possible."
Achilles nodded.
"I'll tell the others where you are," Hestia said.
"Thank you, Hestia-sama," he replied. "I guess then we can go now."
The two adventurers made their way through the streets of Orario quietly for the most part, sharing a bit of small talk along the way and a laugh or two about past misadventures.
As they walked, Achilles once again took notice of the looks. The fear was still there amongst some of the populace. The suspicion connected to his son, and in a few eyes he noted the jealousy-induced rage.
His fists clenched, but he kept quiet.
Grow a spine you cowards, he mentally growled. How can some face death with a smile on their face and others act like contemptible sheep?
He took a deep breath, not wanting to worry Shakti or get himself riled up to the point of erupting into fury.
It didn't used to be like this. Joy used to be so easy, he thought sadly.
Then I will help you, a voice rang in his mind. I know you can come back.
His smile returned.
Bless you, Riveria. I'll never be able to tell you how glad I am to know you and have you in my life. Then again…, a tinge of red came to his cheeks. Maybe I will in a different fashion.
He was saved from any embarrassing recognition of what he was suggesting by their arrival at the Guild.
The two made their way inside, receiving more stares, but ignoring them as they made their way through the Guild all the way to Ouranos's chamber.
The god was in the same place and position he always was, looming over them in his throne, his eyes stern and unwavering.
"It's time for you to pay your debt, Achilles Caesar."
"Of course, Ouranos-sama," Achilles replied respectively.
"A few adventurers have been killed on level nineteen and twenty and more are missing. Normally this would not require any special mission, but the adventurers were killed by a bladed weapon, not a monster."
"A battle between familias? Maybe to get an edge before the tournament?" Achilles questioned.
"Possibly, but unknown at this point. However Fels received a report from the Xenos saying they spotted a red-headed woman on the nineteenth floor."
Achilles's eyes narrowed.
"Revis."
"Possibly. I don't want to take any chances. If it is indeed the one who attacked Aiz Wallenstein she is formidable and I do not wish to risk the lives of those within the city because we did not take this seriously. As such you will head down into the Dungeon and find the one responsible for the killings. If it is Revis, you are to do everything you can to capture her for questioning. If it is not Revis and just some other adventurer or adventurers, you may handle it as you see fit as long as you report back on everything you find."
Achilles bowed.
"I will leave immediately."
Achilles returned home in record time, courtesy of Lightning Steps and landed in the backyard where everyone was still training, though they stopped upon his sudden arrival.
"What did Ouranos want?" Hestia asked.
"He gave me a mission. Someone is killing adventurers on level nineteen and twenty and he wants to find out who and why," Achilles answered.
"He needed you for that?" the goddess questioned. "I'm not saying it's not important or shouldn't be taken seriously, but why not ask Ganesha familia?"
"Because it might be that Revis woman we met before."
Everyone's attention was fully caught at that name.
"I'll go with you," Aiz immediately offered, desiring to confront her rival again.
"No," Achilles replied quickly. "For you this is personal. As experienced and powerful as you are, Aiz, I want this to be a purely professional affair. Besides, Ouranos-sama gave this mission to me, no need for anyone else to get involved."
Aiz looked a bit downcast, but seemed willing to accept his words. This was, in no small part due to her recent promise and not wishing to be separated from the young man whose heart she desired to claim.
"Even so, it would be wise to have someone go with you and my familia is the one that has the most experience with her," Finn said.
Achilles turned to him and met his eyes.
The Olympian wasn't a fool. He knew this wasn't simply a friendly offer. As close as their familias were, they were still technically rivals and Finn did not fully trust the ex-captain, especially not after his threat against Finn's familia.
He wants to keep an eye on me at the very least and I suspect he's completely willing to remove me if the circumstances are right, Achilles thought with no animosity or anger. Even so, that didn't mean he exactly had to go along with Finn's plans.
"I'm sure I'll manage," he said.
Finn frowned, but any potential argument was ended by a new voice.
"I'll go."
Everyone turned to Riveria.
"I have enough experience and knowledge about Revis to warrant my inclusion and you could do with having a mage with you if this is an attempt at an ambush."
"My magic is more than adequate," Achilles countered.
"True, but mine is stronger and would be useful if the need for crowd control arises."
The former captain of Zeus familia was silent for a moment. A part of him still wanted to deny the help, not because it was a bad idea to have someone come along with him, but because he understood that Riveria would inform Finn about everything that transpired and he knew that the more information the prum had, the more likely he was to be a major problem should their alliance disintegrate. However, seeing the soft, warm eyes of Riveria staring at him, the tiniest amount of hope and pleading hiding amongst her beautiful emeralds, he found himself unable to deny her.
"Alright. Gather whatever you need and meet me at the Dungeon," he relented.
The joy he saw in her eyes immediately made his capitulation worth it.
"I'll meet you there."
The elven beauty quickly departed as Achilles sighed. He knew what came next.
Spinning around to meet the stares currently burning into him from all sides along with the teasing and shit-eating grins he expected to find and quickly held up a finger.
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up," he ordered, trying and failing to keep the red from his cheeks.
This only served to make the smiles grow, which in turn caused him to growl and turn away to get ready himself.
"Enjoy your date!" Tiona called, causing Achilles to tense and laughter to erupt from behind him.
Achilles arrived first, having sped through packing in order to distance himself from the smirks and teasing eyes at home and used the time to calm himself.
Heaven above, what am I? A school boy with a crush?
He did not have to wait long as Riveria soon arrived, smiling pleasantly at him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said.
"No problem, I got to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet for once, which seems very rare these days," he replied.
She laughed.
"I know what you mean."
He smiled, glad to hear her laugh.
"Well. Let's be off," he said.
"Lead the way."
The two great adventurers made their way into the Dungeon, neither knowing what exactly they'd find there, but both feeling more confident with the other by their side.
Done. Geeze, that took a lot longer than I expected it to, my sincerest apologies. Sometimes things just don't seem to flow as well as I'd like
Anyway, enough excuses. Please, tell me what you guys thought. Also, if you have any questions, suggestions, or requests, feel free to either review it or send me a message, I do read both and I love hearing back from you guys, and that includes the criticisms. I've been able to make numerous corrections courtesy of some problems people have pointed out and, on at least one occasion, the criticism actually made me laugh, so shoot away.
On that note, InsantMakaioshin pointed out a mistake I had made with regards to the necklace and grimoire in the last chapter with regards to chapter 21. So, thank you for that, and it is now corrected.
With that said, I'll bid you all a fine farewell. So, until next time, bye for now.