Hello everyone and welcome back.
Well...the last chapter was admittedly very lackluster. Many of you noticed it and combined with my slow upload schedule, many of you are upset with me. You have every right to be. I have committed so much of my time to this story and you all have invested so much into it, yet I've really let it fall by the wayside. For that, I am sorry. I've allowed myself to be pulled every which way and punished your loyalty and patience with subpar work. That is unacceptable. True, this is for fun, but I should not let a project that I have bestowed thousands of hours on, simply fall off the face of the earth. As such, I've tinkered with my plans a bit and am going to try and revitalize this story so that you won't be so disappointed, while also trying to be more timely with new chapters. I swear, my goal is not to make you wait a month for a new chapter.
All that said, I reiterate my apology and I do hope, for those that remain, that you enjoy the story. Thank you.
I do not own Danmachi.
Gluck!
Crunch!
Slurp!
Clang!
Slick!
The adventurer did everything in his power not to react to the horrifying array of noises emanating from behind the rock.
What is that thing? It tore through us all like nothing!
Creeeeeeek!
He froze and covered his mouth with hand, praying to Heaven that the monster hadn't heard him.
Unbeknownst to him, the Juggernaut was well aware of his presence.
Leave the adventurer, the voices echoed in its mind. News must spread of your power if the traitor is to come looking for you.
Can I not simply go to him? These adventurers are weak.
These adventurers may be weak, but not all of them are, and the traitor certainly isn't. If you are to be at your full power, you must remain in the Dungeon, only then can we aid you.
The Juggernaut clicked in annoyance. It wished to destroy the traitor who had destroyed so much of the Dungeon and enraged its masters, but it would obey.
The monster turned away and slunk off back to the deeper recesses of the Dungeon, leaving the cowering adventurer behind.
Thank you, he thought as he stared up towards the sky before slowly leaving his cover.
He immediately regretted this as the sight before him was so awful that he immediately vomited.
"Gods. T-The Guild needs to know about this immediately!" he gasped before taking off, leaving behind the gory, dismantled remains of nearly 50 members of the Osiris, Horus, and Set familias.
"How long does he expect us to wait?" Hera questioned, her tone and eyes hard with impatience.
"Hades told us he'd contact us soon and he's never broken his word before," Zeus reminded her, though in truth he was growing equally impatient.
"'Soon' for gods is a very expansive time frame," his wife countered.
Aria listened, but said nothing. In truth, she was easily more impatient than her two companions and her mind had been in a constant state of warfare between the reasonable side that allied with Hades, and her motherly instincts which simultaneously begged and demanded that she go to Orario and Bell.
Just then, as if sensing their impatience, a black portal appeared in the middle of the room, making them all stand at attention before Roc came flying in.
Zeus held out his arm and the hawk flew over and landed upon the limb. Zeus greeted the bird with a few affectionate strokes before noting the black orb in its claw and taking it.
Pouring his power into it, he and the two ladies waited for Hades to appear before them, which he did a moment later. However, he was not alone.
"Persephone?" Hera asked, surprised to see the auburn-haired goddess before her.
"Greetings Hera. Zeus," Persephone replied before turning her cold eyes to Aria. "I am glad to see you free and well, Aria."
The cold tone was not missed by any of them, least of all the spirit.
"Hello Persephone. I am glad to see you as well," she replied.
"Why is she here?" Hera questioned, her tone harsh and demanding.
"Persephone is here because she has agreed to allow you three to stay in one of her temples just outside of Orario," Hades explained.
The three immortals blinked.
"That's…very generous of you, Persephone. Thank you," Zeus replied.
"Do not thank me for this, Zeus," she threw back, "as I see it, this is a matter of self-preservation given the evident insanity controlling Aria's mind."
Aria met Persephone's glaring eyes with steady, if still ashamed eyes.
"You told her," Hera growled at Hades.
"I did. She needed to know the truth," the god of the Underworld responded.
"That's minotaur shit and we both know it," the Queen of Olympus snarled. "You told her because you still feel guilty about kidnapping her and desperately want her approval."
Hades's fire and ice eyes filled with rage, but before he could utter a single syllable, Persephone barrelled in.
"You do not get to insult my husband, Hera! He told me because he knew I would not aid him without the full truth and resisted me when I suggested that Bell Cranel and Achilles Caesar were too dangerous to remain alive."
Aria's eyes widened in shock and rage, but just like with Hades, she was prevented from responding as Zeus stepped forward.
"Why would you eliminate Achilles?" he demanded, his eyes sparking with contempt.
Persephone turned to Hades, who sighed.
"Several pieces of information have come to my attention that suggest to me that Achilles Caesar is aware of our true origins."
Zeus, Hera, and Aria all froze.
"Achilles Caesar knows the truth about our past?" Hera questioned, her voice and hands shaking.
"I believe so. I have not questioned him myself, but from the information I've gathered, it appears he's aware of, at the very least, our parentage, but likely far more than that," Hades answered.
Hera spun on Zeus her eyes aflame with accusations. He, in turn, raised his hands defensively.
"I never told him! That's information I'd never share with any of our children, no matter how close we were. I never even expected to tell Bell!" he swore.
"I do not believe you told him, brother," Hades offered, "but that means that the information is out there, and likely with multiple copies if Achilles's original alias 'The Historian' is anything to go by."
Hera growled as Zeus began to sweat. However, before anything could go further, Persephone re-entered the conversation.
"We're getting off topic," the goddess stated harshly. Everyone turned to her and slowly calmed down, though Hera's scowl was even deeper than before. "Good. Now," the Queen of the Underworld turned on Aria, "I'd like to know what, by all of Creation, was going through your mind when you agreed to give that accursed beast a child! Has your captivity driven you insane?! Do you feel we abandoned you and want revenge on all of us?! Why would you create a key to Tartarus, ARIA!"
All eyes fell upon the wind spirit for they all desired an answer. Yet, as each painful second ticked by, she made no reply, she simply glared back at Persephone with resilient, but glassy eyes.
"I will not apologize," she stated, her fists clenching so hard that the skin broke.
Persephone looked like she desired to reach through the projection and strangle Aria, but she was calmed when Hades's gentle hand touched her shoulder.
"The why matters little now. What matters is how to proceed," he said as calmly as possible. "Persephone has agreed to allow you to stay in her temple near Orario, so that, if anything should go wrong, you three can quickly intervene."
Zeus nodded.
"But you still won't allow me to see my son?" Aria questioned.
"If I could be sure that no questions about his father would arise from a reunion or that it would jeopardize his mental state, I would never have stopped you in the first place, Aria," the dark god replied, "but your revealing would necessitate that, especially from individuals like Achilles, who likely is also aware of your Soul-Split ability. He'll want to know who the other half is and given Bell's Wrath of the Dragon skill, I do not doubt someone of Achilles's knowledge and intellect will quickly be able to put the pieces together."
Aria bit her lip.
"Have…have there been any more transformations since Tiamat?" she asked.
"There was one partial transformation recently. Bell fought an irregular monster in the Tower Plaza and used his ability during the fight."
"A monster managed to reach the surface?" Zeus inquired.
"This was not a regular monster, but a member of a group called the Xenos. They are intelligent monsters and some are even capable of speech. I have been informed that the irregular in question was named Asterios and was Bell's rival."
"Wait wait, what?!" Hera bellowed.
"Seconded! You never told me about this!" Persephone cried.
"It hadn't come up before this," he replied. "To make a long story short, the Xenos appeared 16 years ago and are now allies of Bell and the Hestia familia."
Any questions or complaints that would normally have arisen from such a blasé response were silenced by the time frame given.
"16 years ago," Aria repeated.
"Yes. I suspect Bell's conception had something to do with their emergence, though the influx of power and memories from the Behemoth and Leviathan may have also contributed," Hades stated.
"Oh this just keeps getting better and better," Persephone sneered.
A few moments of silence passed before Zeus pressed forward.
"As shocking as this all is, it doesn't really change the situation with Bell."
"True, but for now the situation is stable. Bell's fight with Tiamat and Asterios has made him extremely popular in the city, which, alongside his friends and familia have restored his mental strength."
Aria's eyes brightened.
"So…he doesn't…" she couldn't finish, but continued to stare at Hades hopefully.
"He's doing much better. Bell himself explained that his fight with Asterios was meant to help him get back in the right mindset. We shouldn't have to worry about any…attempts for now. I am still opposed to meeting you at this moment though for if anything will destroy his mind, it will be the revelation of his father."
Aria nodded but, remembering something, quickly ran over to the nearby desk and grabbed a letter.
"But you're still willing to deliver my letter, correct?"
Hades nodded.
"I will, though I think it's best if it goes through Galadriel. If I deliver it myself that will raise questions not easily answered."
"That's fine. She knows my code name, Meteria, which should provide cover for any questions," Aria replied before turning to Roc, who readily accepted the letter.
"We still need to decide what to do next," Hera pointed out.
"For now, the best thing to do is observe," Hades stated. "I will keep track of Bell's mental health and watch Achilles to try and gauge what he knows, and we all must be on watch for any movements by Chaos, whether on his own or by proxy."
The immortals all nodded.
"We're nearing the final battle," Zeus said, his voice filled with both excitement and fear.
"Yes, but the key to victory now sits in the heart of one young man who doesn't even truly know who or what he is," Hades responded with far more fear than excitement.
Desperate cut through one target after another in rapid succession, slicing through them like a hot knife through butter.
Ais had been training since before dawn and even with her superhuman stamina, she was beginning to feel tired.
Not yet, she told herself before she grabbed a basket filled with fruit then launched it high into the air. She activated her Ariel and chased after the basket.
After flying up over 100 feet, the basket stopped and began to descend, causing its payload of citrusy treats to leave its arms. Not a second later, Ais was upon her first target, slicing an orange in half, before launching at an apple.
She carved and diced up the fruit as it all fell towards the air, before shooting after the basket, collecting it, and using it to perfectly catch each piece of fruit until it was all arrayed nicely in her arms.
"Ha…ha…ha," she huffed.
"All that for a fruit salad?"
She turned just in time to see Tione punch Bete's arm.
"Hey!" the werewolf bellowed.
Ignoring the argument erupting behind her, Lefiya strode forward, worried eyes locked on her idol.
"Are you alright, Ais-san? I know you always push yourself, but something seems…different today," she noted as gently as possible.
"Yeah, you went absolutely nuts on those fruits!" Tiona declared far more boisterously.
"I'm fine," Ais responded.
"Don't even try that bullshit," Bete spat, turning his attention away from Tione as he stomped up to Ais. "Spill it," he demanded.
Ais met his glaring eyes for a moment before her golden gaze turned to the much more patient and pleading eyes of her other friends.
"I…I'm falling behind," she explained, her ashamed eyes turning towards the ground.
"Falling behind? In what way?" Tione asked.
"Bunny boy," Bete answered for Ais as he backed away from the target of his ire. "He's a level seven now and that's got you all upset."
Ais nodded.
"That hardly means you're falling behind," Tione stated.
"Of course it does!" Bete bellowed, making the four women around him jump. "And she's right to be pissed! So am I! It's bullshit! How's that moron become a level 7 in less than a year?! Even the captain took, what…20 years?!"
Tione had to admit, the werewolf had a point and nodded as she began to wonder how it was possible for someone who, by all rights, shouldn't have even reached his first level-up, had someone passed all of them.
"He's worked really hard!" Tiona cried, wanting to defend her favorite hero.
"And we haven't?!" Bete threw back.
"It…is strange and…a bit disheartening," Lefiya joined, but seeing that this wasn't helping Ais, she quickly continued, "but that doesn't mean you're falling behind! It just means he's got some way of growing really fast! Maybe…maybe if we ask him, he'll tell us."
"Achilles told me that it can't be replicated," Ais responded.
"So the old man knows? Tsk," Bete kicked a stone. "Probably just doesn't want us to beat his kid."
"That's unfair and you know it, Bete," Tione chastised. The wolfman 'tsked' again, though he did seem to regret his words.
"We could always ask Argonaut-kun how he's grown so fast. At least then we'd know," Tiona suggested.
"Even if he's willing to tell us, his familia might forbid him from sharing. They've been more open with us than most familias are, but that doesn't mean they want to spill everything," Tione pointed out, making Tiona's shoulders slump.
For a moment, everything was silent as a mixture of emotion, few of them good, stirred in the young adventurers' hearts.
"Then we just need to push ourselves!" Lefiya suddenly declared, startling the others. "I'm not about to let Bell Cranel best me, especially not without a fight. I've gone through too much to just allow him an uncontested victory!"
Her friends shared a few looks before the amazon sisters smiled and Bete snorted.
"That's right! We can catch up in no time!" Tiona declared.
"After everything, we're probably not that far from level 7 ourselves," Tione added.
"And once we get there, we'll put that rabbit in his place," Bete vowed.
Lefiya turned to Ais and smiled.
"Even if we're behind, we can catch up," she assured the swordswoman.
Ais looked between her friends and they each showed the same determination as the elf. That determination reignited the fire in her heart and she nodded.
"Yes we can."
"They seem fired up," Gareth noted with a smile as he, Finn, Riveria, and Loki watched through the window.
"Good. The Evilus may be dealt with and Tiamat destroyed, but there are still plenty of challenges to come," Finn replied as he watched Tione battle against Tiona and Bete.
"True that," Loki joined, leaning back in her chair, "though that just makes me wish that we had Bunny Boy's skill so that we could brush aside whatever comes our way."
"You think it's a skill too?" Finn questioned as he and the other two commanders of the Loki familia turned away from the window.
"That's the only thing that makes sense. I might have accused Chibi of using her Arcanum back when he first leveled up, but I know she wouldn't do that. Still, even if I'm sure that the reason for his growth is a skill, I don't know the specifics of how it works. Knowing the kid, it's probably some desire to be a hero or 'the power of love'," Loki finished as she did quotation marks with her fingers.
The adventurers laughed.
"That does sound like him," Gareth chuckled.
"There are certainly worse ways of getting stronger," Riveria noted.
"True. Though if it is the power of love, maybe one of us will get lucky and gain the skill ourselves with all the love in the air," Finn joked.
"Way to rub it in, Finn," Gareth responded, pretending to huff.
"Hey now, don't pretend like you don't have a special someone. I saw you at the Venus candy shop on Armor Street getting that heart shaped box the day after Tiamat's attack," Finn countered, making Gareth blush while Riveria did her best to hide her laughter behind her hand. "And don't think I haven't noticed how eager you've been to see Hestia lately, Loki," the Braver continued, turning on his goddess.
"T-T-That's just for…business purposes! Yeah! Business purposes! Completely professional!" the trickster goddess exclaimed, her face as red as her now wide open eyes.
"Uh huh," Finn replied as he and Riveria smirked at the deity.
"Ugh, don't look at me like that. Hestia's just…Hestia," Loki replied as she turned her chair away from, making them laugh. "Still…" the goddess continued after taking a deep breath to cool her cheeks, "it would be nice if there was some way to 'borrow' or replicate Cranel's skill so that we all could level up more quickly," Loki bemoaned, earning silent nods from her children.
"Report," the silver-haired goddess of beauty commanded.
"Aphrodite met with Lancelot Chevalier yet again, though she took great pains to hide her destination," Alfrigg reported.
"She knows I'm watching that accursed pretty boy like a hawk, yet she still tried to secretly speak with him. She would only attempt something so foolish if it was important," Freya deduced, her eyes narrow and voice venomous.
"Which can only mean Bell," Ottar stated.
"Yes," she agreed before falling silent as she began to think. Her familia waited with saintly patience until she spoke again. "Attacking Bell is out of the question. He already proved himself capable of holding off Lancelot and that was before he was a level 7. Now, I doubt that the Knight of Knights could manage a victory even with all his underlings and the Aphrodite familia aiding him. That means they have another goal which, given Aphrodite's previous demands, must be banishment, and the only way to accomplish that outside of a War Game would be to make him so unpopular that he felt compelled to leave."
A few of the Freya familia nodded, though Hedin took this chance to step forward.
"They must be playing the long game then given the boost to Cranel-san's popularity following his fights with Tiamat and the Black Minotaur."
"Correct," Freya agreed, "they can't possibly compel his banishment any time soon. Right now they are probably gathering allies. Bell's recent battles have made him a hero in the eyes of most of the city, but such an acclamation also breeds jealousy and the desire to undermine, especially given that Bell-kun is only now approaching the end of his first year in the city. Such a meteoric rise naturally causes dissent. That's where Aphrodite and Lancelot will start."
"There's also those who fear him," Ottar reminded her.
"True. Most, I think, were silenced after Tiamat and Asterios, but some will still fear him and his power. In that sense, his rank up to level 7 may actually work against him."
"But Ottar and Anya beat him!" Gumi suddenly declared.
"He wasn't using his full strength and we had several allies," the boaz pointed out.
"But she does have a point, and one that, if put in the correct light, might ease some of the fear surrounding Bell-kun," Freya commented. "A perception of invincibility readily spawns fear. Take away that invincibility and you take away the fear."
"If you make a god bleed, people will stop believing in them," Hogni joined.
"Is that a saying you mortals have?" Freya questioned with a laugh. "A bit grotesque, but I suppose I see the logic behind it," she turned back to Ottar. "If news of your victory over Bell were to spread, it could lessen some of the fear Bell's power creates in the populace, though it should be made clear that it was a close fight. A level two adventurer shouldn't think that he or she can defeat Bell, after all."
Ottar nodded.
"And their attempts at gathering allies?"
Freya's frown returned.
"Orario is desperate for some peace and quiet after all the recent horrors so the Guild will not look favorably on open conflicts, which means no War Games or anything like what we did on the Ishtar familia. That said, we can still take action against anyone Aphrodite and the presumptuous swordsman try to ally with."
"We're ready for battle whenever you desire it," Bringar stated instantly.
"And I suspect some conflict will be necessary," his goddess replied, "luckily though, we should be able to turn many familias to our side with more peaceful means. A bribe here, a wink there, should hinder any attempt those two imbeciles make to form a coalition. That said," she eyed her familia, "up your training and keep watch over Aphrodite and the Knights of Camelot. Once we know who our targets are, we move."
"Yes Freya-sama!"
Her officers departed, except for Ottar who moved to his lady's side.
"There is one more thing," he revealed.
"By that tone, I suspect it's not good," she replied warily.
"Lancelot made contact with the Sword Princess."
"To what end?"
"It appears that he wishes to train her," her captain answered.
"What?" Freya repeated, unable to believe her ears. "He offered to train her?"
"Yes, my lady."
"What a preposterous thing to offer. Not only has he attacked Bell, but she already trains with Achilles, the most exceptional swordsman since the Sword Hero himself."
"Not according to Lancelot Chevalier. According to him, Achilles's skill relies on his magic and unpredictability. In terms of actual swordsmanship, Lancelot claims to be superior," Ottar informed her.
"Arrogant fool," she spat, before pausing. "Surely Ais Wallenstein didn't actually accept his offer?"
"No my lady, she did not, however, by the end, she did appear…conflicted."
"Conflicted?" Freya repeated, receiving the smallest of nods from the High King.
Silence fell upon Folksvangr. Freya, unable to believe what she was hearing, placed her hands on her hips and began to pace back and forth.
"She couldn't seriously be considering accepting his offer," she thought aloud, knowing that with Ottar her thoughts were as safe as if they were in her own head. "What could possibly cause her to turn towards him instead of Achilles or her familia or even you for that matter?" she asked her captain.
"I'm not sure, my lady. She has appeared uneasy recently. Why I cannot say. Whatever the reason, I think that's why she is considering Lancelot's offer."
"She better not be!" Freya declared. "That would be a betrayal of Bell to the highest degree. The Knight of Knights tried to kill him!" she roared. "No, she would not be so foolish or so heartless."
Once more, the fortress of the Freya familia fell silent as her words hung in the air like a guillotine. Then…Ottar asked the question that dropped it.
"What if she is?"
Freya's beautiful eyes darkened, her lush lips descended into a contemptuous frown, and her soft hands tightened around her hips like a noose.
"If…she is actually foolish enough and heartless enough to accept a deal with Lancelot Chevalier…if…she'll break Bell's heart. Which. I. Will. Not. Forgive."
"And that's the last of it!" Hestia proclaimed loudly as a cheek-splitting smile spread on her face.
The Hestia familia and friends smiled along with her as they stared down at chests that contained the valis that would pay off the rest of the hearth goddess's debt to Hephaestus.
"I'll be the judge of that," the smith goddess responded, trying to sound stern, but unable to convince anyone with the soft smile playing across her own lips.
The Hephaestus familia began counting the money as everyone waited with big, patient smiles for them to finish.
"It's all here," Tsubaki declared with her own big smile.
"Well…" Hephaestus paused, doing her best to appear firm, though her smile peeked at the corners of her lips, "you paid off your debt a lot quicker than I thought you would. I guess that means you won't be coming into my shop anymore to work. Shame; I liked seeing you in that uniform."
"I am never wearing that thing ever again!" Hestia bellowed, puffing her cheeks in indignation as those around her laughed.
"It appears that another celebration is in order," Mania commented.
"No, Lili won't allow it! Our budget for food is already three times greater this month and Lili will not cut into our equipment or potions fund so that we can have another party!" the prum roared.
"Oh come on, Lil' Lili, this is a big moment," Welf argued.
"We've had enough 'big moments' to last a year, but our funds are only so much!"
"Then how about a small affair? No party, just a nice, quiet dinner," Marius suggested.
"I think that sounds lovely," Astraea joined.
Lili didn't look convinced, but the presence of Bell's soft hand on her head quickly burned away her frustration.
"Tomorrow we can go to the Dungeon and delve until you're satisfied that our finances are in order," he offered.
The young woman stared up into his warm, ruby eyes for some time, enjoying the way his gaze made her feel before finally turning away.
"I suppose that'll work," she conceded.
"Thank you, Lili," her captain beamed.
With the matter decided, Haruhime decided to join the conversation.
"The pantry is nearly empty due to the recent celebrations, so I'll need to go grocery shopping before we can make dinner."
"I'll handle it!" Alise suddenly declared as she jumped forward with her own winning smile. "It's been so long since I've had a chance to just walk around Orario and I'm itching to see how it's changed over these last few years. Just give me a list and I'll get everything you need!"
"O-Oh…well, if you're sure, Alise-sama," Haruhime replied, a bit startled, but still appreciating the gesture.
A couple of minutes later, Haruhime had the list prepared and handed it over to the Astraea captain.
"Great! We'll be back soon!"
"We'll-?" everyone responded, only to be cut off as Alise suddenly latched onto Ryuu's arm and pull her out of the room and out the front door.
Astraea laughed.
"I'm actually surprised it took this long for that to happen. Those two have a lot of catching up to do," the goddess stated as the others smiled or chuckled.
Ryuu smiled patiently as her redheaded best friend dragged her down the street like an overly enthusiastic puppy.
"Gods! It feels like it's been forever since I've gotten to just walk down the streets of Orario in the sunlight!" Alise declared with her biggest smile.
"It does feel like it's been a lifetime," Ryuu seconded.
"For me it has been!" the Astraea captain proclaimed, making Ryuu tense. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm…I'm so sorry I didn't rescue from the Evilus sooner. If I had known-"
Alise stopped her with a flick on the forehead.
"Precisely. You didn't know. How could you? I barely knew where I was before those guys nabbed me and I doubt they were proclaiming to everyone that they put me under mind control."
"Still…" Ryuu looked down in shame.
"Ryuu," Alise sighed with a smile, "you've done literally nothing wrong. There's nothing to feel guilty over."
"That's not true," the Gale stopped, not caring that they were in the middle of the road or that others were looking at them. "I did do something I should be ashamed of. Something awful."
Alise remained silent and, though uneasy, waited for a friend to continue.
"After you and everyone else died, I…I went on a rampage. I targeted the Evilus and used every means I could to get revenge. Ambushes. Poison. Fire. Anything and everything. I…I abandoned every principle Astraea taught us and…" Ryuu's eyes filled with tears, "everything you stood for. I'm…I'm so sorry."
Alise continued to stare at her friend as she cried before taking a deep breath.
"That is pretty bad. I'm sure Astraea was disappointed too."
That 'too' felt like a knife in Ryuu's heart, but she managed to nod.
"You shouldn't have done that Ryuu. It goes against everything the Astraea familia stands for. Everything our friends stood for. More importantly, you're a better person than that, Ryuu."
"I'm sorry," the elf whispered.
Two soft arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
"I know you are, and I also know that you were in a bad place after we died. I would be too if I lost all of you, but we all promised to be better than the people we fought. We each promised to uphold justice and help those who needed us no matter the personal cost," she pulled back and lifted Ryuu's head. "That's why, as your captain…or former captain, I guess…"
"You'll always be my captain," Ryuu commented with a small smile.
"Even though you totally have the hots for Bell?" Alise asked deviously.
Ryuu blushed, but after a deep breath, nodded again.
"Yes. I…do have feelings for Bell, but you are my captain, regardless."
"Hehe, good to hear. Well then, as your captain, it's my job to reteach you what it means to be someone who upholds justice and fights against evil. Step one," she took Ryuu's hand, "is to remember the good in the world. Like a sunny day," she gestured around them, "the feeling of wind on your skin, and the simple joy of going shopping with your best friend."
She finished by giving Ryuu her biggest smile which, despite her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Ryuu readily returned.
"I promise I won't forget again."
"Good! Now come on, I'm getting hungry and we still have groceries to buy."
The next day, per Bell's suggestion, the Hestia familia went Dungeon delving and, with their combined strength, soon found themselves in the Water Levels.
"Rwoooooooar!" The Drag Octopus wailed in anguish as it was cut down by Marius's sword. A moment later, two crossbow bolts pierced the eye of a Raider Fish, which promptly burst into dust.
"They're doing well," Achilles commented as he watched the others tear through the monsters.
"They are," Bell agreed as he watched Mikoto and Aisha cut through half a dozen Raider Fish in a matter of seconds. "They've gotten much stronger."
"They have," Achilles agreed, making sure not to mention why they'd gotten stronger, "they might even be able to handle the 30s by themselves."
"Maybe, but I'd rather they be careful and take things slowly," the Hestia captain replied.
Achilles laughed.
"It's a bit ironic for you to say that."
Bell laughed in turn and nodded.
"I suppose it is, though to be fair, I'm sure Hestia has wished I would take things more slowly on numerous occasions."
The Hestia familia finished carving through the horde of monsters and began collecting their bounty of magic stones.
"So whatcha think Lil' Lili, does this put us in the green?" Welf asked as they put the last stone in Achilles's Infinite Bag.
"It should be enough to ensure that we aren't in debt again," she responded curtly, though it was clear she was pleased by the haul. "However, Lili thinks we should keep going. No reason to stop when we're still in good shape and both Achilles and Bell-sama haven't even needed to join in."
"That's the spirit! Let's rip and tear until we're as rich as the Loki familia!" Aisha bellowed with amazonian bloodlust earning a cheer from the others, albeit a less menacing one.
The familia continued on, cutting through monster after monster and collecting their stones as the sound of water echoed around them.
"While Lili would like to continue so we can earn more, if we want to make it back before sunset, we'll need to head back now," Lili pointed out when they'd reached the end of the water levels.
"True," Ryuu agreed.
"Bell and I can do a quick rush through the thirties if you want a top off," Achilles suggested to the prum.
"Count me in too!" Aisha proclaimed.
Lili contemplated this for a moment and was about to agree when a voice called out.
"HELP!"
Everyone's head shot around and soon centered on a clearly exhausted adventurer running towards them as quickly as he could manage.
Not wasting a second, Bell and Achilles shot towards the adventurer, the others close behind.
"Are you alright?" Bell asked the moment he and his father were next to the man, the elder adventurer scanning for danger.
"T-Thank the…gods," the man huffed. "I…I thought that…thing was going to kill me for sure."
"What 'thing'? What did you fight?" Achilles questioned, Dragonsbane now unsheathed and ready for a battle.
"I-I don't know. It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen," the adventurer explained as the others finally joined Bell and Achilles. "It was…horrifying. Like a nightmare made real," he continued. "It…it destroyed my entire familia."
That made them all tense.
"Tell us what happened," Bell requested as Haruhime brought a bottle of water over to the man, who grateful accepted it before downing its contents.
"M-My familia, the Osiris familia, along with the Horus and Set familias, decided to go on a joint adventure into the Dungeon. After we'd heard how far you'd all gotten," he gestured to the Hestia familia, "we'd figured we'd push ourselves a bit. There was 50 of us in total and we prepared as best we could, but nothing could have prepared us for…that."
The Hestia familia did not interrupt, though they shared some looks.
"We made it all the way to the level 50 safe zone with minimal casualties. We felt on top of the world, but then, that…creature came. First thing we heard was this…rumbly creaking."
Ryuu froze.
No.
"Then, before we knew it, five of our people were turned into pulp and mangled flesh," the adventurer continued. "By the time we realized what was going on, another five of us were dead. It was only then we got a good look at that thing. It…" the man stopped as fear seized his body. "It was like the skeleton of some dragon or other ancient beast. I've never seen anything so terrifying, except maybe that dragon that attack Orario."
No. It can't be. It can't! Ryuu screamed in her mind.
"We threw everything we had at it, but it was too fast for our physical attacks and it reflected all our spells. Nothing…nothing we did could stop it. Soon…I was the only one left."
"What kind of monster can reflect magic and defeat several familias by itself?" Mikoto asked.
"The Juggernaut."
Everyone turned and stared into the wide, terrified eyes of Ryuu Lion.
"Ryuu…you know what this monster is?" Bell asked, a cold finger crawling up his spine as he took in her terror.
Ryuu, body shaking in a way it hadn't in years, managed a nod.
"It's called the Juggernaut. It's a monster that only appears when the Dungeon itself is damaged or under attack. It," she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, "it's the monster that destroyed my familia."
End.
So, how'd I do? Did I manage to get some of that old excitement back? I hope so as I do want you guys to enjoy this story, vain though that may sound. Anyway, as you can see, our next big baddie is going to be the Juggernaut and I do have a few plans up my sleeve that I think will surprise you guys. Hopefully, anyway.
All that said, please do share you thoughts with me, whether it be about the chapter, the story overall, or any issues you may have with my writing or writing schedule. I know I've beaten you over the head with it so many times, but I am trying to improve, so please share you thoughts.
With that, I will bid you all the finest farewell. Since I doubt I'll be seeing all of you before the 11th, Happy Veterans/Armistice Day to you all and, wherever you are, I hope it is safe and peaceful, especially in these dangerous times. Goodbye for now.