Hello my good people! Firstly, thank you to everyone who supported me and my official work in the last chapter, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Having that support and positive feedback really warmed my heart, so again, thank you very much.
A note before we begin. Just to make it perfectly clear, this story does NOT have a set schedule. For a while I managed to do a chapter a week and then it dropped to about once every two weeks. However, given the importance of this chapter I REALLY wanted to make sure I got it right. Also, my writing here is heavily dependent upon my motivation. If I'm mentally drained from work or just feeling a bit low, that will affect when I write and how much. This also means though, that if I'm super motivated then I might pump out a chapter even quicker. However, that is how it works. I do not have a schedule and won't give myself one since I'd hate to break it. If that upsets you, I'm sorry, but that will be how I do things.
Now! It's time for what you guys are really here for. It's finally time for the big, Bell vs. Aiz fight! I hope you're all excited, because I'm going all in on this and will make it the absolute best chapter I can. Because that's what you've all been waiting for and what you all deserve. So let's jump in and find out who shall be victorious! Bell Cranel or Aiz Wallenstein.
I do not own Danmachi
"Haaaa!"
Bell cried out as he threw another flurry of strikes at the invisible Aiz he was currently fighting.
Still doesn't feel right though, he thought as he stopped. She flows so much better than I can recreate up here.
'Up here' was the part of the wall he and his dear Sword Princess had trained on so many times. He thought it was only fitting to do his last round of training there, though he was briefly worried that she might show up there as well. Luckily though, she had not, allowing him to train in comfort before their big fight.
It probably doesn't help that she's always gone easy on me, so I know, no matter what I imagine, she'll be faster and stronger.
He chuckled, thinking on how he was walking into the biggest butt-kicking he'd ever been a part of, before his smile evaporated and a deep, worried frown grew in its place.
"What if I really am walking into a defeat?" he asked out loud. No answer came, of course, it was far too early in the morning and the sun's light hadn't even peeked over the horizon yet. "How much longer will I have to wait if I lose? I…" he stopped as his shoulders sagged. "I don't want to sound impatient, but I just don't want to wait any longer. I love her. Have loved her from the moment she saved me, and I don't want to hold back any longer. I want to be by her side, right now."
He felt terrible after saying that. Like a petulant child or the kind of impatient jerk that he knew girls hated and that he wasn't exactly a fan of himself.
He leaned on the crenellation of the battlement, looking out towards the dark horizon.
"I know I'm being whiny. I guess I'm just sick of waiting and want to be selfish right now."
He fell silent as the cold winds rushed past his ears, chilly him and making his doubts grow.
"I wish you were here, Mom. You always knew how to calm me down. To make me feel safe and warm and ease away all the troubles," he said, growing a sad smile. He turned around and sat on the cold stone. "I miss you. I miss you so much. I don't know where you went or what you're doing, but I hope you're happy wherever you are," he said, continuing to smile that smile that seemed to get sadder by the moment. "I really do wish you could be here. To see me. To encourage me. To tell me things are going to be alright, just like you used to," a bit of warmth finally appeared in the smile. "I also really want to introduce you to everyone. I've met some really wonderful people. Hestia, Lili, Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Ryuu are members of my familia, and I'd do just about anything for them. I think you'd really like them, though a few of them do have tempers," he laughed. "We're friends with a lot of other familias too. Hephaestus, Miach, Takemikazuchi, even the Loki familia. I think you'd like all of them too. The girl I love is in that familia. Her name is Aiz. Isn't that a beautiful name? I think it is." His smile grew even warmer. "I really want to win today so I'll know I've caught up to her and am worthy of her. I don't…" his smile fell. "I don't want her to think she's settled or degraded herself by being with me. That's why I'm really worried about today," he fell silent for a moment, his anxiety growing with each passing moment.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" he said, a painfully forced smiling on his lips. "I kind of have a dad now. I know that must sound really weird. I mean, I had a dad, obviously, but I really don't remember him," he fell silent for a moment as the sadness forced its way back to the surface before Bell managed to push it down, if only somewhat. "His name is Achilles. Achilles Caesar. He was the captain of the Zeus familia! Can you believe it? The captain of the Zeus familia adopted me. Or, I guess I kind of adopted him. It's a bit of a long story," he chuckled and for a moment he was genuinely happy again, but again, the fear, worry, and anxiety burned it away. "I'm scared. I'm scared I'm going to fail today. I'm scared that I'll never be able to close the rift between me and Aiz. That I'll never be good enough for her. And...and I don't know what to do."
Again, silence fell over him, only now, the cold winds sank deeper and deeper into him, feeding on his negative emotions like monsters in a frenzy.
Then, those monsters were suddenly gone.
Bell looked up as a sudden warmth covered his back.
Turning around, he discovered that, somehow, without him noticing, the sun had peeked over the horizon, its light radiating across the sky to reach out to him and bestow him its warmth.
Bell stared at the sunrise with wide eyes. Stunned as the warmth burned away all his fears and anxieties and filled him with such boundless optimism that he couldn't even try to stop the warm tears coming to his eyes nor the relieved chuckle that burst from his lips.
"Ha...ha," he laughed as he wiped away the happy tears. He smiled at the dawn so brightly that the sun may have found that it was the one that was blinded. "Thanks, Mom."
Aiz swung her sword, then made a quick jab towards the eye of her imaginary opponent, before jumping back into a defensive position.
"Getting ready for today?"
She turned and found Riveria a few paces away, smiling.
Aiz nodded.
"Yes. I need to make sure I'm ready," she said.
"I'm glad to see you're taking this fight so seriously," the elf commented.
"I have to," Aiz responded immediately.
Riveria blinked and cocked her head in confusion.
"Something about the way you said that makes me think there's more to those words that I'm not understanding."
Aiz was quiet for a moment, her sword falling to her side as she worked to find the right words.
"He needs me to go all out," she finally said. Her eyes turned back to Riveria who was surprised by the intensity she found in the orbs. "I could tell when I saw him yesterday, after the challenge, I could see in his eyes that he needs me to go all out. To make this a true fight. So I will. I will give this everything I have."
"I see. I hope Bell is ready for you then," the Nine Hells joked.
"He is," Aiz said confidently.
Riveria laughed.
"I think you're right," things went quiet for another moment before Riveria asked. "And how are you?"
"Weird," Aiz responded.
"How so?"
"I'm worried, which I understand. Not only because I'm taking this fight seriously, but because of…," she blushed. "Because of my feelings."
Riveria's smile grew.
"Understandable."
"But there's something else to the worry. Something that doesn't make sense to me. It feels like...excitement."
"I see," Riveria said. "That's not actually that odd, given the situation."
"It's not?"
The elven princess shook her head.
"No. You know this fight could end with you finding out the truth of Bell's feelings for you. Of course you're excited. What you want is just a fight away."
"But only if I lose," Aiz added, not sounding nearly as excited as a moment ago.
"Well, in the event that you do win this upcoming fight, then I give you full permission to force him to tell you how he feels," Riveria stated firmly.
"Really?" Aiz asked, a sparkle coming to her eyes.
"Yes. In fact, I will drag him to a closet myself and lock him inside with you until he confesses, and if anyone tries to get in the way, they'll have to deal with me," the motherly adventurer stated, smiling at the beaming girl.
Aiz threw her arms around Riveria and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you," she said as she snuggled her face into Riveria's hair.
Riveria laughed and began stroking her hair.
"You're quite welcome, though I'm not sure you really need to thank me given that I'm really just sick of you two dancing around each other."
"Look who's talking," Aiz replied, her voice muffled in the elf's hair.
Riveria laughed again.
"Touché."
The room was quiet, uncomfortably so. No one really knew how to break it, only that they must so that the issue at hand could be addressed.
"He's finally ready," Hestia said, breaking the silence, though with clear reluctance. "Bell-kun is finally challenging her."
Many of the young ladies in the room bowed their heads. As much as they had tried to reassure themselves, and despite somewhat succeeding even, they could not help but feel their spirits waver under those words.
"That doesn't mean much. Not really," Hephaestus said, trying to comfort her.
"Because he might lose?" Hestia asked.
"Because you're his goddess and he cares for you, deeply. There's not a single person here who would say otherwise," the smith goddess pressed, the other deities in the room nodding, even Astraea.
"I've only been here a few days and I can see that. Every time I see you two together it warms my heart," the goddess of justice said with a gentle smile. "There is no doubt he cares about you."
"But he loves her," Hestia countered.
The room fell silent again. There was no counter to that. She was right. It was Aiz Wallenstein who held his heart, and they all knew it.
"In a way I'm happy for him," Hestia suddenly continued, smiling, to everyone's surprise. "Very happy. Even proud. He's come so far to get here and to know that he thinks he's ready is a sight to behold. Even if he loses, I know he'll just get back up and try again," her smile lasted a moment longer before it fell. "I'm just a terribly selfish goddess."
"No, you're a woman in love," Miach said. "All of you are," he added, eying the many women who had fallen for the young captain. "There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I don't think there's a single person here who doesn't understand precisely why you fell for Bell."
Again, a series of nods met this statement.
"I fully agree with Miach," Take stated, stepping forward. "And I'd like to remind you all of an old saying. All's fair in love and war. Speaking as a god of war myself, I can say that, while I don't agree with the second sentiment, the first, I most certainly do."
A few people managed to smile at that, amongst them was Mikoto, who gave her god an adoring look.
"I don't want to hurt Bell or force him to do something he doesn't want to," Hestia stated.
"And I'm not suggesting you do. I'm saying that you shouldn't give up on him. Any of you," Take explained looking at the ladies. "You love Bell, so don't give up on him. Continue fighting for him in your own way, and you may be surprised what happens in the future. Today, he loves the Sword Princess, tomorrow...who knows? The future is uncertain, even to us deities," he gestured to his fellow immortals who smiled and nodded. "The only thing I think we can be certain of is that if you give up now, there's little to no chance of winning his heart. That, and you will regret doing so for many years to come."
The weight on the young women's hearts began to ease. It was not completely gone of course, they still wished it was they who Bell was fighting for today, but the speech had done its job. The fires within their hearts were reawakened and they all silently reaffirmed their feelings and vows not to give up on their dear rabbit.
Hestia smiled.
"I guess you're right. Thank you, Take."
"Of course," he said with a bow.
"And thank you all as well," the loli goddess continued, turning to the other deities.
"Happy to be of assistance," Miach said, smiling.
"I'm pleased I could do at least a little bit to brighten the mood. If there's anything else you need, feel free to ask," Astraea replied.
"I just didn't want you moping about. You'd scare away customers if you were all teary-eyed and downcast," Hephaestus stated, not even looking at her friend.
A few people rolled their eyes, none with more vigor than the smith's goddess's most beloved human.
Unfortunately for Hephaestus, her little act ended the moment Hestia wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you, Hephaestus, for always taking care of me," the raven-haired goddess said as she looked up at her scarlet-haired best friend.
Hephaestus stared down at her for a moment, before sighing and returning the hug.
"Yeah yeah. You may be a terrible mooch, but you're my terrible mooch."
A chorus of laughter burned away the last of the sadness in the room.
"By the way," Hephaestus suddenly said, pulling away. "Where's the big thunder cloud?"
He sat on the tower, quietly smoking his pipe and looking out on the still dark city.
"Something told me I'd find you here."
He turned just enough to see the captain of the Loki familia approaching him.
"This always has been one of my favorite spots in the city," Achilles said.
Finn approached until he was next to the former captain.
"Mind if I sit here?" he asked.
"Go ahead," Achilles replied, taking another drag from his pipe.
"So," Finn continued. "Why are you up here instead of at home?"
Achilles breathed in deeply, before letting out a stream of smoke.
"They needed to figure this one out of their own. I have my own opinions, of course, about Bell, Aiz, and the whole situation, but it didn't feel right to share at the moment. Not when," he took another deep breath. "Not when I'm dealing with my own complicated feelings. Just seemed to me I'd probably make things even messier."
Finn smiled.
"You are in love with Riveria? Aren't you?"
Achilles finally pulled out his pipe, but said nothing. He simply stared out at the dark city for a time. Finally, he sighed and allowed himself a smile.
"Yes. I am in love with Riveria. Completely and hopelessly."
Finn chuckled.
"At least you're honest. I was afraid I was going to have to beat it out of you."
"Like you could," Achilles threw back, still smiling.
"Why haven't you confessed?"
"I could ask you the same question with regards to you and your overzealous amazon."
"I am working on it," Finn stated.
"Look who else is being honest," Achilles said, turning to Finn.
"I guess I've just finally had the sense knocked into me. However, you still haven't answered why you haven't told our favorite high elf how you feel."
Achilles put the pipe back in his mouth and took another drag.
"The situation is complicated with us."
"Not really. You two love each other, all the other stuff is a distraction," Finn replied.
"Is it?" Achilles asked, giving Finn a look.
Finn immediately knew what the look meant and his heart squeezed painfully as the guilt he had managed to forget for the conversation, rushed to the surface.
"I am sorry, Achilles. For everything. For turning on you so quickly. For being ready to assassinate you. For Alfia and Zald. For being an ass. For everything," he said with utmost genuineness.
"I know. You wouldn't be here if you weren't," Achilles said. "And I'm sorry too. I mistreated and distrusted you and all the others unjustly. You are my friend, Finn, at least, if you still want to be."
Finn, the guilt finally lifted from his heart, smiled.
"Yeah. I still want to be."
Achilles smiled.
"Then there's nothing more to say."
Finn nodded and a comfortable silence fell over the two just as the sun's light began to fill the sky.
"You should still confess," Finn said.
"I will," Achilles vowed. "And so should you, unless you've advanced further than I thought."
Finn laughed.
"I will," he also vowed.
"Well then," Achilles declared, holding up his pipe. "A toast. To all of us men who will soon be joining with some of the most beautiful, powerful, and scary women the world has ever seen."
Finn laughed again, even more boisterously than before and held up his hand as if holding a glass.
"Cheers."
Freya stood with a glass of wine in her hand, looking down on the city below while her eyes flicked back and forth between her beloved rabbit and the unworthy girl who had stolen his affection.
Her frown deepened as she watched the Sword Princess's smiling face, her displeasure made all the worse by the inclusion of a certain elven princess within her view as well.
They are not yours to claim, she thought, her hand tightening around her glass.
She took a long sip from said glass before turning towards the shining soul of her dearest rabbit.
Oh Bell, what must I do to help you realize where your love should truly lie? she asked as she watched him. He had been training for a while, but had stopped and she could see that something was wrong.
He's distressed. Worried, she recognized. Perhaps I should go to him. Surely no one would begrudge me comforting him?
She smiled, even as she recognized that she could not go to him. If not because of his overprotective familia, then because he himself would not truly want to see her at the moment.
A hand came to her heart as that thought dug a knife into her.
Oh Bell, she thought, genuine sadness eating at her.
That sadness ended when the light of the sun peeked over the horizon. She briefly turned her gaze towards it, the warmth of its rays easing away some of her pain, but it was what she saw when she turned back to her object of affection that burned it all away.
The brilliant smile that met her was both surprising and dazzling. Whatever doubts or fears he had been feeling were clearly gone, evaporated by some means unknown to her; not that she was complaining. Just seeing his smile made her feel better.
That's better, she thought as she stared down at Bell.
She had one more surprise though as Bell suddenly looked up, his eyes meeting hers.
He felt my gaze, she recognized.
However, there was none of the previous curiosity, confusion, or anxiousness she had seen before when he had turned her way. Now, to her shock and delight, there was a bit of warmth. Not love or real affection, she wouldn't delude herself, but it was clear that he did not mind feeling her gaze.
He smiled at her, then bowed, before finally breaking away.
Bell, she placed her hand against the glass, all her previous worry and sadness replaced by relief and joy. It's not over.
Turning around she faced her familia who were all bowing to her.
"What would you have of us, my lady?" Ottar asked.
She smiled at him.
"I would absolutely love a cup of coffee. I need to be fully awake for today."
Everyone, even Ottar looked up at her, surprised.
"But my lady, what about..." Hedin began, before falling silent.
"It's alright. I know what you're all thinking," she replied gently. "And you're all correct. It's possible that, should Bell win today, he will confess to Aiz Wallenstein. However, that's if he wins."
"You don't think he will, my lady?" Ottar asked.
"I have absolute faith in my Bell-kun, but one of the things I love about him is his heart. He may find it difficult to truly fight her all-out, even with the potential reward. That said, should he win and even confess, it may be that the Sword Princess rejects him. She is, after all, not known for being much a romantic and is quite childish."
"Forgive me, my lady, but that did not appear to be the case after the attack on Bell Cranel," Ottar pointed out.
Freya continued to smile.
"True. She does appear to have grown quite a soft spot for him, but even so there are still things we can do."
"We are at your command," they all said.
"Good. Then Allen," she turned to the catman. "Would you mind bringing Royman and Ganesha here? It's time for me to request my 'special challenge'."
"Of course, my lady," he responded immediately.
"As for the rest of you, I simply want you to keep an eye on Aiz Wallenstein and Riveria Ljos Alf for me. I want to know where they go, who they talk to, and how they spend their time."
"Yes, Freya-sama," they all called.
"Excellent, then you are all dismissed."
All the executives, except for Ottar, departed to complete their orders, leaving the boaz and the goddess alone.
"Are you sure about this, Freya-sama? I do not mean to doubt you, but…" he said.
"I completely understand why you're asking, Ottar," she replied, still smiling as she placed a hand against his chest. "And it makes me so happy to know that you're so worried about me. Truth be told, I am concerned. Bell is so close to his goal and that does scare me a bit. Aiz may return his feelings, which will put an obstacle between myself and him."
"She's only a minor inconvenience," Ottar quickly said.
Her smile grew and her hand moved to his cheek, which she stroked affectionately.
"Such faith in me. Thank you, my dearest captain."
He smiled at her, and for a moment, they simply shared a moment, before she continued.
"I'll also admit I was wondering if we really could unleash a hundred minotaurs from the Dungeon to distract everyone from the fight today," she joked. "But alas, the fight will happen, and I'm actually a bit excited about it. Besides, I do have a few ideas in mind that could be useful should Aiz Wallenstein prove to be a barrier between me and Bell."
"Such as killing the Sword Princess?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"No. If she were to die, even without proof, people would look at me and that will surely turn Bell against me. No, I cannot kill her, though I have been tempted to in the past, as you know." He nodded. "No, I must try something else to push her away from him and bring him to me. On that note, I have something for you to do as well, Ottar."
"Anything, my lady."
"I need you to bring Gumi to me. I have an idea that she'll be very helpful with."
"You seem more energetic than usual, Hermes-sama," Asfi noted.
"Of course! Today is a big day for Bell. When he wins today, he'll have gained even more confidence in himself and will have taken a giant leap closer to defeating the One-Eyed Black Dragon!" the messenger god excitedly declared.
"Does that mean you're willing to cheat in order to ensure his victory?"
The god stopped.
"Why would you ask me that?"
She gave him a look and he chuckled and nodded his head.
"I suppose that really wouldn't be out of the question for me given all I've done to ensure Bell's growth. But, I assure you, I have every confidence in his victory. He'll win, fair and square, and be that much closer to completing the Great Quests!"
Asfi is silent for a moment, staring at her god in all his excitement, before finally asking.
"Have you ever even wondered if that's what he wants to do?"
Hermes stopped again, and gave her quite a perplexed look.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She stared at him for another moment or two, before she sighed.
"Sometimes I really wonder if you gods really know a thing about us mortals," was her answer.
With that, she turned around and left, leaving her god to wonder what she had meant.
The city awoke with a buzz in its veins. Though most did not know the exact reason behind it, they all knew that today's big fight would be one they could not miss. All over Orario, that buzzing feeling was passing through people, sparking a variety of reactions.
In the Guild, Eina was going through some records, or at least appearing to. In actuality her mind was miles away and hovering over a certain white-haired young man who had, not too long ago, saved her from a terrible beast and, in so doing so, had won her heart.
Bell, she thought, her eyes turning downwards as her heart sank. No! I need to be happy for him. He's finally caught up with Aiz. That's great! He's worked so hard these last few months, facing challenges most would never dream of. He deserves to be with her, her heart continued to sink. I should be happy for him, so why can't I stop feeling like I'm losing him?
An image of him beaming at her with that wonderful smile filled her mind and she smiled.
I really have fallen for him. Oh, I'm such a bad advisor. A terrible, no good, selfish, stupid little half-elf advisor, she thought, trying to chastise herself into forsaking her feelings. It didn't work.
Of course it won't. He's just too…, his smiling face reappeared. Wonderful.
"Earth to Eina!"
She jumped.
"Misha! You scared me!"
"Well sorry, I tried calling you loads of times, but you didn't respond," the pinkete said.
"Oh…," Eina blushed. "I'm sorry. I was...elsewhere."
"Meaning focusing on your pet rabbit?"
"Misha!" the half-elf cried and covered her friend's mouth with her hands. "Don't say that!"
"But it's true isn't it?" Misha asked, pulling away. "Not that I can blame you, given what's happening today."
"It…," Eina fell silent for a moment. "It doesn't matter. Bell deserves to be happy and I'm sure Aiz-san will make him very happy."
She tried to end the conversation there by getting back to work, very aware of Misha's eyes following her.
"Uh huh," the girl said, watching the normally professional half-elf try and organize her desk. "You know you deserve to be happy to, right?"
Eina stopped.
"I...not at someone's else's expense," she replied.
"Who says it'll be at someone else's expense?" Misha countered. "It's entirely possible that the Sword Princess doesn't like him like that."
"How could she not?" Eina asked a bit too quickly.
Misha gave her a look.
"Just because you want the rabbit, doesn't mean everyone does, Eina."
The half-elf blushed.
"You don't know her feelings or that he'll be happy with her, not really. What you do know is that you like him and want to tell him."
"I couldn't," Eina returned, sadly.
"You can, but probably won't because you think it would be selfish or because you've already convinced yourself it's impossible," Misha stated. "In the end, it's your choice, Eina, but let me tell you something I know," she continued, her voice uncharacteristically firm. "You do deserve to be happy too."
That was the last thing the pinkete said before she turned around and walked off, leaving Eina to her thoughts and to wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, a future with her advisee turned love interest, was possible.
In another part of the city, people were already gathering in a bar, eager for today's fights and wanting to ensure they had the best seats for the day.
"100,000 valis on the Sword Princess!" one person declared as they threw money on the center table.
"75,000 for the Sword Princess!"
"200,000 for the Sword Princess!'
"Come on guys," the one controlling the scene said. "We can't do this if everyone's betting on the Sword Princess."
"Well let's ask Mord than," one of them said, turning to the man sitting at the a nearby table, being unusually quiet.
"How much you betting on the Rabbit, Mord?" the controller asked.
"I'm not betting today," Mord said, shocking everyone.
"What? You're not betting?" the controller questioned.
Mord shook his head.
The first gambler laughed.
"What, ain't ya confident your rabbit will win this one?" he asked mockingly.
"This is a man's fight," Mord stated firmly, his eyes glaring at the gambler. "You don't bet on a man's fight. You just watch."
Everyone shared looks, but eventually shrugged.
"Suit yourself. This is probably going to be the biggest pot we have, but if you don't want in," the controller replied.
Money's not everything, even for a guy like me, Mord thought, giving one final glare to the gamblers. You can do it, Little Rookie. Show the whole world what you got and get your woman.
Not too far away, in the Pleasure District, the ladies of the night, now free of their customers, gathered in the main room where they would watch today's fights.
"What do you think is going to happen, Aisha?" Lena asked.
"Hard to say," the amazon replied. "Whatever happens is going to be interesting."
"There's more to the fight than meets the eye," Samira stated.
"Yeah, I got that feeling too," Lena said, while many of the other girls nodded.
Aisha did not reply, but she had recognized the same. She had wondered what the feeling was before she had managed to figure it out.
She's the one he was talking about. She's the one he wants, her heart ached for a moment, both for herself and for Haruhime as she understood what this fight could mean for her dear white rabbit. However, she then remembered a bit more. But he did say that she didn't think of him that way. That was why he needed my comfort, her frown disappeared and a smile replaced it. Well, if you're too much of a silly little girl to want such a delectable man, then I'll happily take him off your hands, Sword Princess. Then me and lil' Sis can enjoy him to our hearts' content.
"What're you smiling about, Aisha?" Lena asked, cocking her head.
"Oh nothing. Just making some plans," the elder amazon replied.
The Loki familia had gathered in the entryway of Twilight Manor as they prepared to depart.
"Who do you think is gonna win, Captain?" Tiona asked.
"Why ask me?" Finn counter-questioned.
"Because you're the smartest guy I know and you have that super tacky brain or whatever it's called."
"It's called, 'tactics', stupid," Tione stated, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, don't call me stupid!" Tiona cried, starting an argument with her sister.
"It's too early for things to be this noisy," Bete complained, glaring at the sisters.
The three top executives laughed.
"So do you have any predictions for this fight, Finn?" Gareth asked.
"Beyond it being the biggest fight so far in the tournament and the potential for three select words to be said to our favorite princess?" Finn returned, getting a few smiles. "No, I really don't. I know Aiz and her strength, speed, and determination are beyond exceptional. In any other case I would be betting on her without question."
"But this is Bell Cranel," Riveria said, smiling.
"Yep. The one person whose determination, at least at this moment, might actually beat Aiz's. That, plus he's somehow managed to rise to level five in less than a year, defeat numerous higher level opponents, including a level six co-captain now, suggests that I can't say with confidence that Aiz will win this one."
"Of course Aiz-san will!"
Everyone turned to Lefiya who looked more than a tad desperate.
"Aiz-san always pulls through! No matter the challenge or how difficult the opponent is."
"There's only one problem," Tione said. "'Pulling through', in this case, might actually mean losing."
Lefiya's head and ears fell, knowing that as much as she wished it wasn't true, the amazon wasn't lying.
A tap on the forehead made her look.
"Hey," Tione said. "If you're afraid of losing her, maybe you should tell her how you feel."
"I-I couldn't! I mean…" Lefiya went sent. "She has enough on her mind right now."
The Loki familia shared looks, their hearts weighing a bit more heavily than before as they looked upon their young elf with sympathetic eyes.
It is sad that something as wonderful as two people finding each other could end up hurting someone else, Riveria thought as she silently vowed to find some way to make her elven companion feel better.
"If you say so," Tione said, staring down at Lefiya. "But, if there's one thing I know, it's that, when it comes to love, nothing should hold you back."
Finn smiled and silently agreed.
Any potential response or further discussion ended when the sound of feet at the top of the stairs caught their attention.
"I'm ready," Aiz stated, an aura of determination and anticipation surrounding her.
Riveria could not help but smile.
One way or another, the truth comes out today, she thought as she reaffirmed her vow.
"Then let's get going!" Tiona cried out, looking ready to bounce all the way to the Coliseum.
"You heard her. Let's head out," Finn stated.
Aiz joined the group, placing herself next to Riveria and gave her a smile, which the elf returned.
"This fight is going to be awesome!" Tiona cried as they opened the doors.
"Hey guys!" Tiona called, running up to the Hestia familia and co..
"Hello everyone," Hestia greeted.
"Sup, Chibi," Loki said, getting a playful roll of the eyes from said chibi.
"Hey, where's Argonaut-kun?" Tiona asked, looking around.
"He wanted to prepare himself. Get in the right state of mind, and all that," Welf explained.
"Understandable. He is facing our Sword Princess, after all," Gareth said, smiling.
Said Sword Princess did not look upset by this as one might have expected at learning she wasn't going to see her bunny rabbit. If anything she seemed to see the wisdom in that idea.
"I'll do likewise," she said. "I need to be fully prepared for this fight."
"Ah, but I wanted to spend some time with you today, Aiz-tan!" Loki complained.
"We can get jagamarukun later," she said.
"Will you let me take a bite out of yours?" Loki asked with hopeful eyes.
"If you want."
"Yay!"
With her goddess placated, Aiz departed.
"Ah, now I can't talk to Argonaut-kun or Aiz about their fight! I had so many questions! Boo," Tiona said before she began to pout.
"Like what?" her sister asked.
"Like what this new skill of his is. He said it was like Captain's spell, but we didn't actually learn anything about it. I don't even remember hearing its name."
Come to think of it, they did fail to mention it's actual name, Riveria thought.
"I also wanted to ask him how he's got so strong so fast. I mean, he's taking on Aiz and he hasn't been an adventure for even a year. How crazy is that?!" Tiona continued.
I think we're all wondering that, actually, Finn thought. He then took note of the nervous looks the Hestia had. And it looks like it's some sort of familia secret. I doubt that they're cheating in some way, like Hestia using her Arcanum in secret, but they do know how he's growing. That would make my theory of it being some skill seem more plausible. But, he mentally shrugged. I won't press the issue. They're allowed their secrets like any familia.
Not far away, Achilles moved himself to Riveria's side.
"She's certainly excited," Achilles said, gesturing towards Tiona.
"Indeed she is. We all are," the elf agreed.
"Well, given how this might end, that's understandable."
"How this will end," she stated.
He gave her a confused look.
"She's not planning to throw it, is she?"
"No," Riveria answered with a shake of her head. "I just swore that, should she win, I will drag Bell to a closest and prevent anyone from getting in the way until they both confess."
Achilles snorted in amusement.
"Did you now? Well, I guess at least we know how today ends."
"Indeed we do," Riveria said smugly.
Do we though? a voice whispered in Achilles's mind.
He froze, as he knew exactly what the little voice meant.
Maybe it's time for you to confess as well, the voice said.
Maybe it is, Achilles thought, thinking back to what he had told Finn.
His eyes focused on the elf beside him with such intensity it was a wonder that she did not burst into flames.
Yes. I am in love with Riveria. Completely and hopelessly.
"Riveria," Achilles called, his voice noticeably gentler.
Riveria, hearing this change in tone, cocked her head as her eyes gained a confused, if curious tint.
"Yes?"
"After this fight, do you mind," he stopped and his eyes shifted away for a moment, before turning back to hers. "Do you mind if we talk?" he asked.
Something about the way he said that made her breath stop. Perhaps it was the unsureness in his voice that at the same time seemed so hopeful. More likely though, it was the warmth in his eyes that even now made her heart thunder.
"N-Not at all," she said, near breathlessly.
He smiled.
"Thank you," he all-but whispered before turning back to the arena.
She managed to nod before doing likewise.
What was that about? she wondered as her hand rose to cover her heart.
Off to the side, Finn smiled before reaching out and taking the hand of the girl next to him.
"Is something wrong, Captain?" Tione asked.
He shook his head.
"No, I just wanted to hold your hand," he replied, smiling at her.
Her eyes widened and filled to the brim with desire.
You are mine later, they swore.
Oh boy, he thought with a small chuckle. Perhaps that was unwise.
"It's finally time, ladies and gentlemen of Orario! Today's grand fight! The Sword Princess versus the Rabbit Foot!"
The people of the city roared their approval and shook its very foundations with their excitement.
Down in the lower recesses of the Coliseum, Bell barely noticed all the noise as he was deep in his own thoughts.
It's time. After all this time and after all the challenges I've faced, I'm finally ready to face Aiz, he thought as his fist tightened. I cannot lose here. I won't lose here.
The gate opened and he walked out, the full brunt of the crowd finally hitting him with its deafening cheers.
"And here he is, ladies and gentlemen! The record holder and rising star of our city! Our challenger! Bell Cranel!"
"Bell!" the Hestia familia cheered, as their captain walked out onto the sands.
Good luck, Bell Cranel, Riveria thought as she watched the young man make his way towards the center. Then again, no matter what, by the end of the day, you will have accomplished your goal. I'll personally see to that.
"And on this side is someone you all know and love! The golden swordsman and the princess of the city! Aiz Wallenstein!"
The city was in an absolute frenzy as Aiz walked out, heading straight for Bell.
It's finally time. Now that I finally understand what they all meant. My mother, Riveria, Achilles. Now I understand what I truly want. Who I truly want, she smiled as the face of her rabbit drew closer. My hero.
"Hello Aiz. Thank you for accepting my challenge," Bell greeted, smiling at her.
"Of course. I understand how important this fight is to you," she replied.
"You do?"
Her smile grew.
"I do."
Bell's cheeks gained a tint of red.
Does...Does she know?
He quickly shook off those thoughts as he needed to be entirely focused on the fight.
"Well...then we should begin," he said.
"I agree," she said, her smile dropping as she got in position.
"You heard 'em folks! It's time for our grand battle to begin! So let's get to it! Three, two, one, go!"
The two rushed each other at such speeds that it took a moment for the crowd to realize the fight had well and truly begun.
Aiz made the first move, thrusting her blade at Bell's head.
Using the Hestia knife, he blocked, causing Desperate to scrape against it and creating sparks.
Hakugen wasn't idle though, as Bell flipped it in his hand, and counter-attacked with his own stab towards Aiz's head.
Instead of blocking, Aiz dodged by taking a step back. Acting quickly, she swung her leg around and aimed a kick for Bell's head. He quickly brought both his knives up to block the attack, though he did find himself flying a few feet from the force.
He landed and prepared himself for Aiz's next attack, only to find her no longer before him. Spinning around, he stopped her strike from behind, sending her blade up and leaving her open to attack. He lashed out with the Hestia knife and attempted to send a long, diagonal cut from her left hip to her right shoulder, only to have her jump back.
He knows how I fight, she realized. Normally this would have been alarming or even upsetting, but in this case, it only made her smile. He knows me so well.
Reinvigorated, she struck out again, slashing at her object of affection with a smile.
"Wow, look at them go! I can't even really see what's going on! They're both just too fast!" Ibri pronounced.
"He's not wrong. I can barely tell what's going on," Welf said.
"Yeah, these guys are kind nuts," Ouka said, his eyes straining to get any real detail from the fight below.
"They're evenly matched," Achilles stated, his eyes never leaving the fight.
"Really?" Hestia asked, refocusing her eyes on the fight as she tried to see what he apparently did.
"Yeah. Both are heavily focused on their speed, but it doesn't seem that either hold the advantage here. Aiz may have the level advantage, but with Bell being a high level five now with several, S-class level ups under his belt, that doesn't mean much," Achilles explained.
In the end, this will be precisely what I figured it would be. A battle of wills.
"Worried?"
He turned to Riveria.
"Not really. In the end, despite them both taking this seriously, it is just a tournament. And besides, as you said, we both know how this ends," he replied with a smile.
She smiled back and reached down to take his hand.
His smile grew just a bit at that, and he silently turned his hand over to wrap his fingers snuggly around hers.
The ring of metal on metal flew through the air at such constant intervals it was practically a symphony. Again and again the two would-be lovers crashed against each other, wanting nothing more than victory so that they could finally find themselves in the arms of the one before them.
We're in a stalemate, Aiz recognized as she blocked a double-kick from Bell. I need to gain an advantage, but how? He can match my speed perfectly.
Then she got her answer.
I could use Ariel. But that's dangerous. I might accidentally kill him, she thought, worried.
This worry lowered her guard just enough to where Bell was able to use it to knock Desperate down and slash her across the arm.
"Ah!" she cried as she quickly retreated.
"The first hit of the fight has been scored by Bell Cranel!" the announcer proclaimed, much to the crowd's delight. "Has the Rabbit Foot gained the upper-hand?!"
That, plus the pain in her arm, allowed Aiz to realize something.
No, I don't have to worry about that. He's strong. Strong enough to take whatever I can throw at him. So I can go all out. I need to go all out. Well and truly. I promised I would, she thought, her conviction roaring to life.
"Tempest!"
The eyes in the Loki familia widened upon hearing the super-short chant.
"She's using Ariel?" Finn asked, surprised.
She really is going all out on this, Riveria recognized with a bit of trepidation.
"What are we missing?" Achilles asked for himself and the non-Loki familia present.
"Aiz doesn't tend to use Ariel against non-monster opponents because…"
"Because?" Achilles pressed.
"Because she's afraid of accidentally killing her opponent."
"Oh joy. That's precisely what I wanted to hear," Achilles responded, his eyes turning back to the fight as his hand fell to his sword. "Well there goes my, 'just a tournament' thought."
"I'm sure everything will be alright. Aiz has great control and besides, you know how strong Bell is," Riveria pointed out.
That eased Achilles enough that he let go of his sword, though he still didn't appear exactly happy.
Please let everything go alright, Riveria pleaded.
Bell was just about to press his attack when he heard Aiz call out.
"Tempest!"
He recognized that as Aiz's spell, Ariel, but he was completely unprepared for what came next.
His Sword Princess suddenly appeared before him, surrounded by a shield of wind. He brought up knives up to defend himself, only to find himself immediately succumbing to the force of her blade. Not even a half-second later, his feet left the ground and he was sent flying into the arena wall.
"It appears I spoke too soon. Looks like the Sword Princess has plenty of fight left in her!" Ibri stated.
Bell groaned as he picked himself up, his whole skeleton aching after the most recent attack.
So that's Aiz's true power, he thought.
Though in pain, he could not help but smile.
She finally has to fight me seriously, he brought his knives up, ready to jump back into the fight. Good.
"It seems the fight has turned against, Bell," Freya said, watching the fight with full, unwavering attention.
"It does appear so, my lady," Ottar replied.
"I can't say I'm terribly happy to see the Sword Princess batter away at my Bell, but it does suggest both that he'll lose the fight and that she doesn't truly have feelings for him. I doubt a girl in love would be quite so willing to beat her beloved black and blue."
"I think you're right, my lady. Perhaps she just thinks of him as a friend or a pet."
Freya laughed.
"That would fit her childish mentality, wouldn't it? Oh well, it appears there is little to worry about. Once this fight concludes, I'll go to Bell and comfort him."
"You may wish to bring some healing potions, my lady," Ottar suggested as he watched Aiz send Bell flying again with a kick to the stomach.
"A very good suggestion, Ottar. Thank you."
Everything hurt. Everything. Places that Bell didn't even know he had currently hurt enough to make him wince and groan.
I guess I should have expected that. This is Aiz after all.
He turned his gaze towards the Sword Princess who looked even more regal and powerful than normal.
She really is something, he thought, smiling. Ow. It even hurts to smile.
It's almost over, Aiz recognized as she saw Bell struggle to get up from her latest round of bashing. I hope he can forgive me for hurting him so much. I promise to make it up to you, Bell. I'll give you as many lap pillows as you want! she vowed.
Her spirit once more reinvigorated, she took a deep breath and prepared to finish the fight.
I promise to make this as quick and painless as I can.
She charged towards him.
Bell, seeing her coming once again, raised his hand.
"Firebolt!" he shouted, putting as much power into the attack as he could
The spell flew towards Aiz, but to his dismay, but not his shock, it was simply deflected by her Ariel and she continued her charge towards him.
The moment she was in range, he swung at her with the Hestia knife, only for her to easily bash it away, grabbed him, and knee him in the stomach.
He bent over as the air was forced from lungs, allowing Aiz to chop him on the back of the neck, sending him crashing into the sands.
It's done, she thought as she let out a breath of relief.
He lost, Hestia thought, feeling both sad, relieved, and guilty all at the same time.
Looks like I'm going to have to find a closest, Riveria thought.
Bell/Bell-sama, thought many young women throughout the city.
It's over, Freya thought with satisfaction.
"It's not over."
Everyone's head turned to Achilles whose gaze didn't move an inch from his son.
"Not by a long shot," he added.
Then they heard it.
The ringing of bells suddenly reached Aiz's ears and she looked down.
That's…
Bell began to fidget and, shocked and a tad bit alarmed, Aiz retreated, putting a good deal of distance between her and the Hestia captain.
Bell slowly picked himself up, the ringing of bells still resounding through the air as Argonaut charged.
"Well I'll be! Bell Cranel is not quite down yet, ladies and gentlemen! But I don't know how much more he can take!"
Bell, aching like he hadn't in a long time, if ever, got to his feet and looked towards Aiz.
He doesn't want to lose, she realized. He's desperate to win.
Her heart filled with what she now knew was love, and she stared at her rabbit adoringly. Part of her wanted to simply surrender right there. To give in and let him have the victory so that his determination would not go unrewarded. But that wasn't what she had promised. She had promised to go all-out, and she would until the end.
I am sorry, Bell. I promise I'll make it up to you. No matter what, I will, she vowed as she got in position. I have to act quickly. The longer that charges the more dangerous it is.
That thought in mind, she charged, ready to take Bell on and finally end the fight.
"Lil Rafaga!"
She put everything she had into this one attack, sure she would end things right there.
She was wrong.
Bell, with eyes burning with a determination unlike anything she had ever seen, waited until she was close, too close to stop, before he swung the Hestia knife out to meet her Desperate.
The boom of ringing bells forced many to cover their ears as Ariel and Argonaut met each other with a force greater than most could comprehend.
Aiz's winds met the light of Bell's will, and immediately found that they could not break it.
I…, she pushed harder. I can't get through.
Bell, for his part, was shaking terribly, the pain he was feeling evidently taking a toll on him, but he did not budge. Not even an inch. In fact, to Aiz's shock, he began to push her back.
How…?
Then she saw it. Her wind began to break.
He's...her eyes widened as she met his. He's actually…
"Raaaa!" Bell roared, pushing with strength well beyond what his body could handle and that was only possible through the strength of his will.
Within moments, the light of his Argonaut broke through her Ariel, leaving a wide-eyed Aiz completely defenseless.
Not letting this moment slip away, Bell used Hakugen to knock Desperate out of Aiz's hand.
She watched her sword fly from her, but had no time to do more than that as Bell charged her and, using every ounce of his remaining strength, he tackled her to the ground, pinned her, and placed his knives at her neck.
"Surrender," he demanded, though given how exhausted and pained his voice was, it probably came off as a bit more desperate than he meant it too.
Aiz was shocked into silence.
How did he…? then the answer came to her, and she smiled. Because that's who he is. Because he doesn't give up, no matter the challenges, she thought as she fell in love with him all over again.
That's why what she did next was easy.
She raised her hand.
"I surrender."
"HE'S DONE IT!" Ibri roared as the city lost its shit. "BELL CRANEL HAS MANAGED TO DEFEAT THE SWORD PRINCESS IN THE MOST SPECTACULAR BOUT OF WILLPOWER I HAVE EVER SEEN!"
All over the city people stared wide-eyed as realization slowly began to sink in.
He did it, Riveria thought.
He's actually won, Hestia thought in shock.
"Told you," Achilles said with a satisfied smile
All over the city, these kinds of thoughts were replaying over and over again, including with a certain goddess of beauty.
"Well...I must say I'm surprised," Freya admitted.
"Are you disappointed, my lady?" Ottar questioned.
"No. It was far too wonderful seeing him shine so brightly to be disappointed. Besides, as already stated, this victory doesn't necessarily mean anything. Also," she smiled. "Bell will have little time to even think about confessing once that little announcement comes in."
With Aiz's surrender, Bell's strength evaporated and he fell onto her.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah. In fact I'm great," he said, even if he sounded anything but.
He tried pulling himself off of her, but only managed to shift himself enough to end up face to face and resting his forehead against hers.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
"I'm sorry," she said, staring up into his eyes.
"You don't need to apologize, Aiz. If anything I should thank you as now, I can finally tell you what I wanted to."
"You can?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement and hope.
"Yeah," he said, staring into her eyes. "Though we should probably wait until we're healed," he joked, smiling down at her.
"Do we have to?"
The way she said that caused him to stop. There was desperation in her voice. The kind of impatient desperation one hears from someone who knows that something wonderful is about to happen and doesn't want to wait a moment longer.
"I...suppose we don't," he said, his voice coming out as a whisper.
His hand reached up and cupped her cheek.
"Aiz...you mean so much to me," he began. "Ever since you saved me from that minotaur, I've felt myself pulled towards you."
Since then? It's been that long? she thought.
"And I…" his voice broke off as a powerful force began to pull him down towards the Sword Princess, silently whispering to him that it would be better to show her how he felt.
Her eyes widened as even she realized what was coming. Yet she did not dread it or wish to pull away from it. Instead, she closed her eyes and moved to meet him.
"Are you two alright?"
Bell all-but flung himself off Aiz and looked up to discover numerous Ganesha familia members, including Shakti, around them.
"Uh…" Bell's face was on fire and Aiz was no better. She was so terribly embarrassed that her hands flew up to cover her face.
The Ganesha familia members shared looks and after a moment of looking between the two adventurers, Shakti realized what had happened and what she and her familia had unintentionally prevented.
Oh geez. Apparently our timing is even worse than Ganesha-sama's, she thought as she covered her face with a hand.
"My sincerest apologies," she said. "Help them to the healing area," she ordered, knowing there was nothing she could do now but patch them up.
Her familia quickly set about to do as ordered, picking up the two morbidly embarrassed adventurers and carrying them off.
Aiz Wallenstein and Bell Cranel, huh? Shakti thought as she followed after her familia. Well, they certainly would make a lovely couple.
The two had been all healed up, but neither of them had said a word since getting interrupted, the embarrassment forming a wall between them.
I need to say something! Bell cried out desperately in his head.
"A-Aiz?" he called.
"Y-Yeah?"
"I...I think we're both too embarrassed about what happened to really talk about it, and I don't think now's the time for me to tell you what I wanted to, but, maybe we can meet tomorrow? Just the two of us?" he said.
"I...I'd like that," she said.
A weight was lifted from his shoulders.
"Great. Um. Do you know that breakfast shop on Amor Plaza?" he asked.
"The one with the really good pancakes?" she returned.
"Yeah!" he said excitedly. "Would you like to meet there at eight?"
The two were finally able to face each other, which Bell was very glad for when he got to see her smile.
"I'd like that very much."
His heart began to really get going, but he managed to keep control of himself.
"Great! I promise to tell you everything then."
Aiz seemed content with that and smiled a bit more brightly.
I might still punish the Ganesha familia later though, she noted.
The two, now over their embarrassment and now bursting at the seams happy, made their way up the arena back to their familias.
Naturally, it was Tiona who saw them first.
"You guys were awesome!" Tiona shouted, wrapping them both up in a hug.
"T-Thank you," Bell replied as Aiz did the same.
"I must say, I thought it was over after Aiz knocked you to the ground, but I guess that's what I get from betting against Hestia's favorite captain," Hephaestus said.
"You really were incredible, Bell," Hestia said warmly.
"Thank you, Hestia-sama. In all honesty, I'm quite surprised myself," the young man said.
"Yeah, well, I think you got lucky," Loki said. "Surprising my Aiz-tan like that. Don't go expecting that to work twice," she warned. "But, a win's a win, so good job, rabbit."
"Thank you, Loki-sama."
"Alright alright, leave the kid alone. He's probably exhausted and you're all keeping him from sitting down," Achilles pointed out.
Everyone parted, allowing Bell and Aiz to take their seats with the former taking the seat next to his father.
The two shared a quick glance and Bell subtly shook his head.
Achilles nodded in turn and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Soon, he silently promised.
"Wowee, that was a fight! I'm still in reeling in shock, but that just shows you how spectacular it was!" Ibri stated. "But as that was the final fight of the day, it's time for us to start going through the challenges for our very last day of the tournament! I know, I know, I'm sad too, but all good things must come to an end, so let's get-wait…," Ibri suddenly stopped as he was pulled to the side for a moment. "Well I'll be! We've got another special announcement, everyone! Honestly, we're getting so many these days I'm almost sick of them! But this one...oh boy, I think it's literally impossible to surpass this one. I thought the fight between the Rabbit Foot and the Sword Princess was going to be the biggest fight, but it looks like I was wrong!"
A buzz of excitement filled the air as everyone wondered what challenge could possibly surpass the most recent one.
"This challenge comes from Freya herself, and is a special request for the final fight of the tournament!"
Oh joy. What does she have planned, Achilles wondered as his eyes narrowed.
"So, per Freya-sama's request, the final fight of our grand tournament will be: Ottar, the King, and Allen Fromel, the Vana Freya versus Achilles Caesar, the Olympian, and Bell Cranel, the Rabbit Foot!"
As the city went crazy, all eyes turned to the two human adventurers whose eyes were now pointed towards where they knew the goddess of beauty sat, smiling.
Looks like Aiz and I won't be getting pancakes after all.
… … What? Did you expect it to be that easy? Of course I was going to tease you all. Confessions are a rare resource and must be used at the proper moments. Honestly, if you didn't see that coming then...well...that's on you. Did you really think I wasn't going to pull an anime on you?
Anywho, now that I've thoroughly infuriated you all, that's the end of this chapter. Next time is the final fight of this arc. Bell & Achilles vs. Ottar and Allen. If you thought this was a big fight, just wait, the next one will eclipse it. I have quite a lot planned and am very excited, even more so than I was for this fight.
Hopefully, I'll manage to get the next chapter out more quickly, but motivation is a fickle thing, so I apologize in advance if it doesn't happen. I promise only to do my best.
However, for now, it's time to wrap things up. So I will bid you all a fine farewell. Until next time.