The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
34: Of End's and Beginning's
=Anfesera=
"Damn… if I'd known, I'd have come with you two and ripped those arrogant bastards limb from limb!" Bache hissed out as Elora motioned for her to calm down.
"I know… and I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner" She smiled lightly as Bache took a deep breath.
"I feel the same as mom…" Adrienne hissed, grinding her teeth in barely kept anger.
"Mom…" Aralaya whispered out, tears in her eyes while Jannor was sitting quietly, looking down at his lap, his eyes covered by his hair.
"Well… It's at least handled… well, we think it is but if they act up…" Elora just sheepishly smiled at Bell who grinned back before a dark look took form on his face.
"There will be hell to pay, much worse than just a 'stern lecture' of common sense" Bell seethed out.
"Honey, you did the right thing. What they did was… horrific but as we saw, it wasn't as bad as I believed. We had some that were on our side" Elora smiled as Bell nodded.
"Yeah, though only two of them"
"Hey! The queen being on our side was a big win!" Bell shook his head with a smile.
"Maybe you're right… but still, it was pretty bad" Bell cheekly said as Elora huffed, knowing he was right. They did try to assasinate her after all.
"Alright you two, enough bickering. Seems Elora got what she wanted… the question is, did you?" Artemis asked from the side as some curious glances turned towards Bell.
"Yes" He said as he pulled it out of his pocket. It was small, small enough to fit in one's palm, but it glowed and hummed with the energy of the sacred tree still inside. A testament for the strength it has as a medium.
"Wow. So you have everything now!" Jannor exclaimed, eyes read from crying earlier. Bell nodded in response while somewhat concerned. The concern made him look around at the other kids. It took but a second for him to spot the worried look on the other two.
"Don't worry. I'll hold you to my words. I'll stay a long while. Now, I can return whenever I like so there is no rush" Bell smiled as the two sighed out in relief.
"How long are you thinking?" Erebus asked as Bell looked out the window.
"I don't know… it depends on how I feel, but at least a few years" He answered before turning around, meeting the smiles of the rest.
"Sounds good to me" Bache commented as Elora nodded.
"Ehm… about training…" Rethusa began sheepishly, sweat drops forming on her forehead as Bell's eyes almost promised her pain.
"Going all out" It was all he had to say to receive four simultaneous groans from the main victims.
""DAD!""
"NOOOO"
Laughter spread around the room as Bell turned towards the twins and quickly walked past them, grabbing the hemn of their shirts, pulling them with him.
"You're going first" The two seemed to give in to their fates as they just slumped as their feet were dragged alongside Bell, out the door.
'Let's enjoy this time with everyone… before I finally return'
=Orario, 3 years later=
"No way!"
"Damn, the Loki Familia never disappoints"
The guild was in a surprised yet happy state as a new announcement has just meen made public on the bulletin board.
Rising star of the Loki Familia, Midnight Princess has reached level 3!
During Loki Familia's most recent expedition, Fiona Demine managed to defeat the Goliath alongside fellow members Raul Nord and Annakitty Autumn.
The news had gotten many to talk. The speed at which Midnight Princess has been leveling up, many are wondering if she is the second coming of the Sword Princess, who herself leveled up at a similar speed.
In the beginning people had talked about The Little Rookie but quickly got shut down by either glares or sneers.
It was basically common etiquette to not talk about the boy in public, but as all rules, unspoken or not, some broke them.
Currently, Eina was handling the level up report to the guild. The announcement came before as it required less details and was short, only meant to get the information to start spreading.
Eina sighed as her pen fell to the side before leaning back in her chair and stretching, whimpering as she did so.
Currently she was down the guild archives, reserved for only the staff with high level clearance. Her work ethic and popularity with the adventurers didn't amount to nothing as she had rised through the ranks over the last decade. Currently, she had the title of Branch manager, but still acted as an advisor. Sure, it means more work but she honestly couldn't care less. She enjoyed being an advisor.
The added work did mean more hours and had led to her current predicament. She hadn't slep a wink the previous night and it was already halfway through noon. At least the paperwork was basically finished. In reality, she had spent half the time covering for Misha's work she hadn't done… like usual, and the rest doing her own.
Rose had asked her many times before why she put up with it and didn't just fire her since she had the power to do so now, and her answer was always the same. Misha was a close friend and she was honestly a good Advisor, losing her would lose the guild more than it gained.
That wasn't completely false, but it wasn't the entire truth either. The whole reason? She felt obligated to work above and beyond so that if Bell ever came back… she could face him with no qualms. She had been his advisor, and she had failed at that job.
She would be damned if she failed again, so she took as much work as possible. Did everything she could, even if she would have to sacrifice her own health here and there.
To be honest… it felt good to do something that felt right, so she continued. The only issue was her wavering belief that Bell would ever return at all. It had been over a decade since the last whisper about him in the world was spoken.
All she hears now is about this 'Apollyon' and his incredible feats.
Apollyon saved the village of Egrit, Apollyon eliminated the well known bandit group that terrorized the roads of Clarton. Apollyon this, Apollyon that! She was really starting to grow tired of it.
Not that what he was doing was bad, she was honestly grateful. He was helping people in a way that no one since before the age of the gods has ever done. The guild have desperately over the last millennium tried to extend its reach and influence to protect as many as possible, but its resources were always spread thin the moment they left the walls of Orario.
But then Apollyon had come out of nowhere, originally known as 'The Masked Man', 'The Mercenary' or 'The Royal Executioner' who went around, protecting people and obliterating bandit groups as if it were child's play.
He has made the outside world feel much safer and it showed with the massive increase in Trader presence around the entire continent. He has single handingly skyrocketed the financial situation of basically every country… Well, everyone but the Empire. They just cut down anyone entering their territory, no matter who they are or their intentions.
Eina's emerald eyes shifted towards the side where a dedicated 'Empire' file laid firmly in a spot within the bookshelf. The country was honestly the definition of a mystery.
Every action they take is laced with confusion. If they conquer a piece of land, the information is always so sparse that one can't even tell if it really happened. The reason for that is one thing and one thing only. They leave no witnesses.
The only thing that allows the guild to gather information on it is the Hermes Familia who have eyes and ears everywhere, somehow even within the empire, though those ears are severely limited.
Eina stood up and walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a document that had the large letters on top of it, clear as day in bold.
Classified
Eina, being the rank she was at within the guild put her in a spot that allowed her into the most well kept secrets of the guild. That included 'classified' files such as these
It was something she was grateful for as she had learned a lot because of it, but sometimes she truly wished she had never stepped foot in the secret archive of the guild.
The Empire, a country ruled through one simple law. Survival of the fittest. The strong rule, the weak are culled. This country is the largest participant in conquering tactics, using brute force to lay waste to villages and other structures, slaughtering it's inhabitants indiscriminately while leaving women and weaker willed men as slaves, either for workforce or less pure reasons.
The entire paragraph disgusted Eina to her core. How an entire country of people could act like that was beyond her, but it was the next paragraph that left one wondering.
The motive of the empire is unknown as there has never been a clear goal or pattern in their conquests, showcased by their rapid change in targeted areas. In 976, the Empire claimed a large piece of land directly east of their border, only to quickly change targets to islands over the western border.
Usually, war and conquests have a pattern to them as Rakia perfectly exemplifies. During the age of Crozzos where they used their magic swords as siege weapons, they burned down the elven forests north of their originally small piece of territory to eventually massively increase the size of their country.
It had a pattern to it, they attacked the areas that had strategical or agricultural benefits for the country and its people.
The empire? The land they conquered was laid barren and hasn't been used to this day. Scouts that had nearly sacrificed their lives can attest to that. It was as if they conquered only to destroy.
"What is the point…" Eina whispered as she continued reading. As she continued skimming down the information, she eventually arrived at the part that was the most bizarre.
The biggest issue of the empire isn't its massive army, but the fact that they are blessed with the blessing of a god. None know whom, but what is known is that the blessings began appearing 15 years ago-
Eina stared at the 15, clearly having been updated every year with the smudge of ink as proof of its rewriting. At first, she had thought of it being linked to Bell's imprisonment but had quickly squashed that theory. It made no sense. Why would the empire go out of their way to suddenly focus on a 15 year old boy, extraordinarily talented, but still a nobody in the eyes of a country like that.
Well, it's not like anything else they do make sense, but this would take the cake by far.
"Hahhhh" Eina sighed as she closed the file and put it back "Enough of that… I gotta finish my work so I can sleep" She muttered, walking back to her table underneath the magic stone lamp.
She grabbed her pen, positioning it on the paper before continuing her work, throwing all thoughts on the file out of her mind.
=Anfesera=
'How long has it been now?' Bell thought as he strolled through the village, greeting villagers as he passed them by. Ever since he and Elora returned from the Alf Royal Forest, he had made good on his promise.
He's stayed for a long time now, and he honestly somewhat regrets not putting on more of a display for the king of the Elves. Elora seemed satisfied with the results but… he feels like it was lackluster.
The place had clearly changed, that being apparent by them actually allowed visitors but he had heard underlying whispers from traders stumbling upon Anfesera that the prejudices of the elves still had hold.
Well, it was progress. Removing decades worth of Pride, beliefs and prejudice was not an easy thing to do.
Now, it's been nearly 3 years since they've returned, and honestly, Bell was beginning to become impatient. He has been training as hard as possible while also training the others and his status was approaching its limit. It had taken a long time, but it was more of a continuous but slow growth than he was used to.
As Bell approached the edge of the village, he peeked down at his latest status update feeling satisfied with where he had managed to arrive. A place most people can never achieve.
Name: Bell Cranel
Lv 7
Status:
{STR} S-910 - S-912
{VIT} S-953 - S-954
{DEX} S-943 - S-949
{AGI} S-999
{MAG} A-877 - A-878
Magic:
Firebolt: Swift strike magic. Casts a bolt of fire and electricity on command that explodes on impact upon contacting any surface.
Legacy's Rebirth: Catalyst Magic. Generates a shroud of lightning around the user that interacts with the body, strengthening it and protecting from outside dangers. May also be used offensively as magic but takes a strong toll on the body if doing so.
Requires a Storm Crystal as a catalyst to activate.
Skills:
Liaris Freeze: Precocious Maturation. The effect is maintained so long as the user maintains their feelings, and the effect is heightened depending on how strong these feelings are (Current Bonus: 0%/Deactivated)
Argonaut: Heroic strike, the possibility of turning any situation around with an overwhelming amount of force. Able to be dual charged but drains massive amounts of mind power.
Scourge: Raises the power of the user exponentially depending on the amount of Malice the user lets out
Blade Master: When the user uses a bladed weapon, increases proficiency of the weapon and technique that is currently used
Dragon's Bane: Dramatically increases all basic abilities when fighting draconic type monsters. (+1000 to all stats)
Development Abilities:
Luck: A
Abnormal Resistance: B
Psych: D
Intuition: C
Strong Body: F
Mystery: H
He felt truly ready to return. He had learned so much over the years from the people he grew close to. Erebus taught him to control his emotions, the first Adrienne taught him to grieve, Takara and Asuka taught him to think. Bache taught him how to truly fight, Elora taught him to care and finally… His family taught him to love.
It truly felt like a journey that's coming to an end, but something deep in him knows that this is just the beginning.
He looked up at the horizon where the tip of Babel tower could be seen in the distance, his hand reaching out as if to grab it, to hol-
"Bell, what are you doing?" Bell instantly snapped out of his thoughts as he turned around where Bache stood with a curious look on her face, Rethusa accompanying her.
"Oh… just thinking. It's been three years now and…" Bell turned back to the horizon as Bache followed his gaze.
"Oh. Bell, don't worry" He could practically feel the smile on her face "I've talked with everyone. We all know you're getting impatient to return so follow me. Let's talk with all of them" Bell blinked as Bache walked off, Rethusa giving him a knowing look.
After a moment, he followed back towards his house. Bache practically slammed the door open and it took but a second for everyone to peek over the corner to the door.
"Bache? What's the matter?" Elora asked as the amazon simply pointed over her shoulder at Bell.
"Guess where I found him" At that, Elora sighed out with a tiny smile on her lips.
"Oh, so that's what this is about" She muttered before clearing her voice.
"ADRIENNE! ARALAYA! JANNOR! GET YOUR BUTTS IN HER NOW!" Elora screamed out as Bell winced slightly. Basically having super hearing that can't be turned off is… not always the advantageous.
Three seconds later, two of the children came in through the backdoor, panting as they looked around frantically.
"WHO'S HURT! WHERE ARE THEY" Adrienne freaked out alongside Jannor before Aralaya calmly walked in.
"Are you idiots? Look!" She told them, pointing at everyone gathered in the room.
"Oh, is it time?" Adrienne asked, looking hopefully towards Bache who nodded.
"YES! FINALLY!" She fist bumped the air as Aralaya smiled and Jannor did the same. Erebus simply gave Bell a look as the rest smiled at him.
As for said rabbit, he looked like a lost bunny, confused at the situation.
"Ehm… what is going on?" He asked as Elora walked forward.
"Bache here noticed your habit. You know, staring across the horizon towards a certain dungeon city" Elora smiled as Bell nodded.
"Well, we all had a talk and decided that this time, you're not going alone. We're all coming with you" Bell froze for a second. This entire time he had honestly thought that he would return alone but… if what she was saying was true…
"Wait, then I won't be able to hide who I am!? The kids have my name! So do you!" He exclaimed as Erebus chuckled.
"Bell, you've gotten smarter, but even an idiot could solve that issue. The kids can use their mother's name. Carleen for the twins and Kalif for Adrienne" He explained as Bell gave him a deadpan look.
"What about you then? You're practically infamous in Orario" He said in such an even voice it was honestly comical.
"Oh I know. I'll just disguise myself as my brother god. You know, Themis, the god of Order. Painting my hair white was actually beneficial as I practically look just like him right now" Bell blinked.
"You have a brother?" He asked as Erebus just shrugged.
"Yep, though we never really talk. Something about us being complete opposites when it comes to beliefs" It made some sense, Order was the opposite of Chaos. The color of hair is the opposite of Erebus.
It's kind of weird thinking about it.
"Is he one of the gods who remained in Tenkai?" Bell asked as Erebus nodded.
"Yep, he's a little stuck up, but honestly is a good guy. He stayed because he knew that someone had to continue our duties as gods. I'll just explain that I took his place in heaven so he could enjoy the lower world" Bell blinked before nodding.
"Ehm… okay, but are you all sure about this. When people find out who I am, the reception most likely won't be good" Bell warned as Adrienne scoffed.
"Please, I've heard too many passing traders badmouth you dad. I can take it"
"I agree with her" Aralaya smiled as Jannor nodded along.
"I'm with them" Bache grinned as Elora smiled back.
"What about you Rethusa?" He asked as she shrugged.
"I'll stay behind. We can't leave the village unguarded so Artemis and I will protect it. Who knows, maybe another villager will join the familia" Bell nodded at her.
"Thanks…" He said as he looked at them all, still not believing what he was hearing.
"We are all with you Bell. All the way to the end" She smiled as tears brimmed in his eyes.
"Everyone… thank you… I don't have the words" He said as he laughed with emotion in his voice.
"Hey, it's alright. How about this, we'll wrap up everything we have going here and head to Orario in a few days?" Elora suggested, wiping a tear from his face. Bell smiled at her before nodding.
'What did I ever do to deserve this family' Bell thought as he nodded.
"Alright, well if everyone is ready, I'll send word to the Chief to let her know that we'll be leaving within the next few days. As for the rest of you, get your things and only the stuff you need. Also I believe your father has prepared a few things for everyone" Elora spoke, giving everyone a smile that spanned ear to ear.
"She's right, I do have something for everyone. Once you're all done packing and are prepared to leave, meet me at my forge" Bell followed up Elora's order.
"SWEET!" Adrienne yelled out Bache had a smirk on her face that obviously showed that even she was excited about the unknown gifts.
"Bell I'll be back, I left a list of things that I'll be taking in our room" Elora said as she bagan to walk towards the exit of the house.
"Yes Ma'am, understood" Bell responded and turned to Rethusa and Artemis. "As for you two, follow me please" Everyone looked at each other and began to follow Bell to his forge.
Once they arrived at the forge Bell promptly opened the door and beckoned everyone inside. As they entered their faces showed the embodiment of being dumbfounded. Weapons, armor, artifacts, and even items that radiated magic were neatly strewn across the surfaces of the building.
"Have your pick, I've already gathered the items that I will be giving everyone. So there's no need to worry about what you pick" Rethusa was slack jawed and unable to speak from shock, and Artemis was about to say something until Bell held his hand up.
"Just keep in mind before you say that this is too much, that this is only a small token of how much I value you two for sticking with me even after finding out my true identity" Bell smiled at her just nodding.
"Th- thank you Orion…" Artemis said. Bell just smiled as she turned and began to parooze the forge.
"Bell what is this?" Rethusa called out.
"It's a Glaive, it's pretty much a spear shaft with a sword at the end of it. But it can also function like an ax, well that's at least what I was wanting to go for, a multi tool if you will" Bell explained.
"Bell, I think I found something I want" Artemis spoke, holding a set of arrows and chainmail covering. The items were enchanted, Bell had picked it up through trial error "Those arrows will stop in mid air if you invoke the enchantment, but they will only stay there for 12 seconds without you releasing them, otherwise they'll just return to their released speed" Artemis seemingly blown away by this awaited his explanation of the chainmail.
"And the chainmail is pretty much normal, but… it's able to take a fair share of stabs by gathering at the point of impact though it's only able to do it a few times, so I would still avoid any attacks" Bell finished his explanation.
Artemis, now walking to the corner waiting for Rethusa, held onto her new equipment like a small child that just got the toy they really wanted.
"What did you choose?" She asked as Rethusa instantly, grinning even wider, pulling out the glaive she had asked about, beginning to explain it.
The door opened as the others walked inside. Bell smiled at them as they looked around while wide, excited smiles on their faces at all the items. Everyone quickly scattered to whatever caught their eyes.
"Bell, what do these do?" Bache asked as she showed a pair of gloves. Bell grinned at her wearing them.
"You chose the ones I specifically made for you! They work with your mind power, if you focus your mind onto it, they will slowly charge with the energy, similar to my skill though nowhere near the same amount of power. Be warned, it has the same downside as my skill, that being it drains a massive amount of mindpower so use it sparingly" Bell explained as Bache grinned.
"Sounds neat" She commented as Bell nodded, somewhat relieved that she didn't try it in this confined space.
"Dad! What about this!?" Aralaya asked, holding out a shaft with one end being a sword and the other like a staff.
"Oh, right. I originally tried making a sword with the capabilities of a staff, but it seems like that simply isn't possible with my level of skill yet. No idea why though. Instead, I came up with that. A staff's purpose is to simply amplify the power of the mind, but no one said that the other end can't be a sword either. The staff part is completely normal apart from increased effectiveness of the magic amplification. As for the sword, it is more durable and sharper than usual" Bell smiled as Aralaya nodded, twirling the weapon around with ease with a smile, before it turned to a frown.
"Sounds incredible!" She smiled as she stopped her movements and just admired the weapon.
Elora went towards a lightweight set of armor, painted black with an Onyx colored mask that covered one's mouth.
"That armor is a matching set with the pair of shortswords in its sheaths. They are linked to each other and can teleport a set distance instantaneously by deconstructing and reconstructing their atomic structure with a mere thought by the user, allowing one to block attacks that are normally unblockable in an instant. The distance is pretty limited though so it's mainly for defense purposes" Elora's eyes were wide at the possibilities one could do with that.
"Oh! What does this do!?" Adrienne stood with her arms out, inspecting herself wearing a set of steel armor protecting her vital parts with a shorsword sheathed on her side.
"Oh, right. There is nothing special about it right now-" She pouted in disappointment as Bell chuckled before motioning for her to listen. "Not yet at least, so I want you to use your mind power on the armor and I'll explain" She did and she almost jumped as her entire body was quickly enveloped in a blue light.
It disappeared as fast as it came, confusing her as she looked up at her father, confused as of what happened.
"There, the armor has now linked with you. It can now morph around your body to wherever it is needed. You can control it or leave it be, it automatically protects you whenever needed, making arrows and long range projectiles pretty much useless against you, though I would still be careful against too much at once. The armor can't just increase its size, so it can only protect so much at once" Bell warned as Adrienne nodded before making it move to different spots on her body.
"Oh, you can also hide it under your skin. I know, it sounds uncomfortable, but if you spread it out thinly, it would be able to bend and hide itself without restricting movements. You can't even feel it" Bell advised as Adrienne frowned before hesitantly trying it.
The armor completely disappeared inside her clothing. She pulled up her shirt, looking at her skin, seeing no difference and feeling none either.
"Huh? I can even move. This is amazing! What about this shortsword?" She asked as Bell shrugged.
"It was my first try after my own so it only has more durability and a sharpness amplifier added to it" He said as she nodded.
"Dad, what about this staff?" Bell turned around, spotting Jannor holding a decorated staff and wearing lightweight chainmail armor.
"Oh, right. You can probably feel one effect right now" Bell said as Jannor nodded.
"Yeah… I can't feel its weight" he commented.
"That's right. It's light enough that one can't even tell it's there. It also has the highest durability and harness I've been able to make. It's basically as tough as Durandal and hard enough to crack open a minotaurs skull with ease. As for the armor, it's basically identical to Artemis'" He explained as Jannor nodded before walking aside.
"I think that was everything. There are still some things left. Maybe someone else will find use for it" Bell commented as he looked at the remaining gear.
"Orion, what about yourself? Did you do anything with your own gear?" Artemis asked as Bell smiled as he motioned towards his armor.
"Take a guess" Bell requested as everyone looked at him up and down.
"Ehm… you look the same so… maybe more durability?" Aralaya tried as Bell nodded.
"That's one thing. What else?"
"Ehm… I don't know. You never mentioned anything" Bell chuckled, shaking his head.
"Alright then. First thing as you said, It's more durable, making it virtually as strong as durandal but also lightweight" Everyone nodded as Bell put out a second finger.
"Secondly, it's infused with Spirit steel, so it's able to absorb magical attacks as energy, allowing me to focus that energy into an attack like Argonaut does but without losing any mind" Impressed looked took place on everyones faces as Bell put up a third finger.
"It has shock absorption, making blunt force attacks much less devastating and less prone to dent the armor or hurt me. Lastly, it has Temprature Nullification, allowing me to travel through any environment with minimal difference in the temperature I feel" Bell explained before opening his eyes again, only to meet the pout of Adrienne.
"Why does your armor have so many effects and ours don't…" She complained as Bell shrugged.
"Well, what can I say. Making mystery items takes a very long time. All this took three years, and all of mine alone took two of those. The more you put on one piece of gear, the harder it is to add more. I haven't even gone into the weapons" Bell joked as Adrienne groaned.
"Great… he even made his weapons cooler" She huffed as Bell shook his head.
"Oh, it's not my old pair of swords. I melted those into either armor or the weapons you have right now" He cheekily explained as their gazes fell on his sheaths.
"Then what are those?" Bache deadpanned as Bell's grin grew wider.
"These? Oh, they are my new weapons, completley made from spirit steel" He said as he pulled both out as everyone blinked at the contrast. The left sword was completely black with a long blade that was double edged, a red rubelite gem inside the guard that had a black hole effect at the center.
As for the left, it was completely opposite of the other, being completely white with a blue gem instead with a light spreading outwards within it.
"The black one is called Katua and the right is Lunastus" He said, his grin softening into a happy smile as he saw Erebus blink, the only one knowledgeable in dead languages.
"You named them Regret and Redemption?" He asked as everyone turned to Erebus who had a soft look in his eyes.
"Yes… they are meant to be symbolic of two parts of myself. A physical manifestation of the two. Katua is the manifestation of my regrets. It's able to slice into magic and absorb it and retain its form. If I swing, it will let the energy back out in the exact same shape as the spell. In other words, it absorbs magic, copies its structure and releases it back out at command" Bell explained as they nodded.
"As for Lunastus… it's the manifestation of my redemption. Erebus knows better than anyone how far I fell in the beginning of my journey. I was so lost that I slaughtered people without care… Everyone here has allowed me to redeem myself and find my way again. It's the physical manifestation of that… my redemption… my hope… my family" Everyone's eyes softened at that as Bell smiled softly as his eyes stayed glued to the sword in his hand.
"Wow… I… Bell, I have no words" Elora said as she held back tears.
"We feel the same…" Bache said as she walked up to him and hugged him. Bell didn't hesitate to return it.
"Like we have already said… we are with you the entire way, Dad" Jannor said as the other two nodded. Bell smiled at them before returning his gaze back down to the sword, holding it out for everyone to watch.
"As for what it does… Watch" The sword began glowing as Bell focused before the blade began vibrating extremely fast. It took but a fraction of a second for it to light up with the vibrations as Bell motioned with his left sword at another piece of gear.
"Bache, could you hold that sword up in a guard position?" He asked as Bache complied, holding it above her head as if guarding an attack.
Bell swiftly brought down the sword on the blade.
The room fell into silence as a pair of metal noises was heard on the gorund. Bache looked down, blinking, then back up on her blade… that was cut cleanly in half.
"For reference, that sword was made from Durandal" Bell grinned as the room fell into silence. The only thing that could be heard was the vibrating sword Bell twirled around.
"EHHHHH!?" Rethusa exclaimed as she ran forward, inspecting the sword that was no longer glowing.
"YOU'RE KIDDING! DURANDAL IS UNBREKABLE!" Elora exclaimed, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"I didn't make it on my own though. I had some help" Bell said as he looked towards Erebus.
"I don't want to take the credit but Bell was as lost as a bunny. He didn't know what to do with the sword as he wanted to have something unique. He had come up with the idea of cutting Durandal, but couldn't make it work so I simply advised him in a way to do so" the god shrugged as Aralaya began thinking.
"But Durandal is unbreakable. To break something unbreakable is something that is scientifically impossible. Smiths and Magicians alike have tried to do so since durandal was discovered so the fact that it was done proves that it isn't unbreakable. But how did he do it? They have tried everything, magic, blunt force, sharp attacks, mel-"
"Woah there Aralaya, slow down" Bell laughed as she went beet red from embarrassment.
"You're right though. Durandal is virtually unbreakable, but as Erebus explained to me. There is nothing in existence that is infinite and everything has a limit, even the gods. In other words, there is nothing that can have infinite durability" Bell tried to explain as Aralaya listened.
"In Erebus' words. 'Every material has a weak point. A frequency that can disrupt its atomic structure. All you need to do is make a way to use it'" Bell said as Aralaya blinked.
"Wait… are you saying that-"
"THATS GENIUS!" Elora exploded as everyone else looked between the only four people, excluding Artemis, who understood what was going on.
"By disrupting the atomic structure in a precise area, you're able to slice through any material like butter!" She laughed out as if she found out the secret to the universe.
"That's right. This sword, the manifestation of my Redemption, is able to breach any defence like it's nothing. The only downside is that it drains my mind insanely fast. It makes Argonaut look cheap in comparison. Just that one attack took half my mind power" Bell said as Elora frowned.
"Oh… that makes sense. Something that can rapidly adapt to different molecular structures on a nanosecond basis would have to be almost self conscious. It's like powering an entire mind with your own mind" Aralaya commented as Bell nodded.
"It originally used a lot more. A single attack at first knocked me out" Bell shrugged as Bache flinched.
"Damn, that sounds rough" She said as Bell nodded before smiling again.
"Yep, but it's worth it. The swords also have passive additions like increased durability, Piercing Resistance, Shock Absorption and Sharpness amplifiers. They are my best creation and they took nearly a year alone to make" Bell smiled as he sheathed the swords.
"That's amazing. What about your knives though?" Adrienne asked as Bell patted the two smaller sheaths where the knives were held.
"Oh, nothing really special about those. I maximized their sharpness and durability while minimizing the weight. They are my go to weapons for swiftly taking down a larger opponent where speed is better than brute force. I'd imagine if I ever had to fight Elgram that I'd use these. They can also float as well like Elora's shortswords can" Bell said as they nodded.
"As for the spear of Orion, I couldn't figure out how to modify it. Plus, I kind of don't want to. The spear is alive so modifying it feels wrong. It would be like modifying a person" Bell explained. Artemis smiled in approval of his words, knowing what he meant. The spear did indeed have a will of its own, and modifying it could jeopardize that, as well as its trust and belief in him.
"Now… for the last piece Bell said as he spread his arms out. Everyone blinked in confusion as they inspected him.
Nothing happened for a solid few seconds before out of nowhere, his face was covered with his usual mask.
"Whoa! Is it the same as my armor!?" Adrienne asked as Bell nodded.
"Yep, and the armor can do the same. You see now where I got all the ideas from? I tested it first on my gear before implementing it on all of yours. In other words, you all got the versions that I knew worked" Bell said as the armor disappeared before reappearing around him.
"Makes sense" Rethusa said with a nodd as Jannor grinned.
"Now, as for the mask…" Bell muttered as he pulled it off and looked at it.
"There is no way to know if the main purpose of it will work until we are in Orario, but from what Erebus and Artemis said, whenever I'm wearing it, I feel like a different person. It's like my aura changes and can't be discerned" Bell said as he looked at the two gods who nodded.
"Yes, that's the case. From that alone, I'd say it works" Erebus said as Bell nodded.
"Let's hope so" He said before putting it back on, before making all the armor disappear with the mask, the only parts left being the belt and wrap that held the weapons and other equipment. They didn't have that feature as he hadn't had time to implement it.
"I think that was everything" Bell smiled, wearing normal clothing with the equipment.
Without warning, he was instantly jumped by the three children who hugged him tightly.
"Thank you so much dad!" Adrienne simled up from his waist as the others did the same.
"Yeah! All of this is incredible!" Aralaya added.
"We'll make good use of it"
"The kids are right. You've outdone yourself this time around Bell" Elora softly let out with a caring look on her face.
"Yep, I'll make sure these things are put to good use" Bache held up her fist with the gloves on them, the poison of her magic enveloping her hand.
"Stop it… you're going to make me cry" Bell said with half lided eyes and an easygoing smile on his face.
"Please! That's our job!" Rethusa huffed out as she leaned her hips on one arm, her hair swaying from the movement
That earned her a smack on the shoulder from Elora who smiled at her.
"Excuse me, I think that's my job as his wife" She grinned as Rethusa put a finger on her chin, looking up as if thinking.
"Hmm… I guess so. But that doesn't stop us from doing it" She teased as Elora rolled her eyes.
As everyone began chatting, Bell stood there. For the third time that day, looking at his family with hope.
'What did I do to deserve them all' He thought in his mind again, still not knowing an answer, but honestly not caring. The fact that he had them was all he needed to be prepared for when he finally returns to Orario.
=Few days later=
The village was buzzing with life, everyone working on their daily chores. Bell and his family alongside the chief were the only ones not working as they were gathered at the edge of the village.
This was the day… the day he had been waiting for since… well since this all began. It has been 15 years… 15 years of miracles and tragedies. 15 years of trials and tribulations. Bell couldn't help but reminisce about it all. He had started it all as a young 14 year old boy, now a man in his prime at the age of 29, hardened by decades worth of hard battles.
But not all were bad. He had gained people he would go to the end of the world for along the way. People he would give anything for.
His Family
The people that would follow him to Orario and leave behind everything they have here, and some that would stay behind to protect this place in his stead.
His mind wandered to the worst parts of the journey as he looked over the horizon where Orario lies, he had lost people along the way. Black hair and blue eyes flashing through his mind, ponytail flying around as if driven by magic before a splash of blood covered the debris around them..
He had grieved over unjust death's with those closest to him. Silence around them as Bache and Bell's eyes remained cold, without emotion, the grave of the girl taken to early in front of them as rain poured down from the heavens
He had fought battles that would make any adventurer shake in fear. Surrounded by vikings alike, all swinging their heavy weapons into your side, smashing and breaking your bones as you keep fighting
He had found legends and learned their stories. The statue mirroring his own looks stood before him, the story etched on it revealing a mystery that shook him to his very core
He had met powerful enemies that were made of pure darkness. The flames melting anything in its path, it's grin filled with sharp teeth as it's blood red eyes stared down at him like a god of destruction, preparing another blast
And he had cowered under the pressure of a mysterious race of people whom he had never met before. Eyes glared at his own red ones, as armored monster-like people stood at attention, waiting for any command to cut him down as he felt his heart beating a million beats a second.
He turned back towards his family, as his mind clears.
He had met a powerful companion who's punch could even make Ottar bend. Bache jabbed forward as she explained the mechanics of fightning, teaching Bell who listened intently, mirroring her actions.
A light had been set burning in his soul along the way. He held his newborn child in his arms, her chocolate colored skin gleaming against the candlelight as her wails filled the air like the most beautiful tune in the world. He swore to protect her, to be there for her like his father never was.
He had found a person he couldn't get enough of. Someone he loved deeper than he thought possible. Elora smiled up at him with her beautiful features taking his breath away. The love on her face directed at him making his knees weak as they said their vows.
He had gained a purpose, one he could stand by for the rest of time. He looked upon his family, his home that he had built. Bache, Elora and everyone else alongside Erebus and Artemis, laughing as they were playing a game, enjoying themselves. At that moment, he vowed to protect them, to go against even the gods for them
"Bell. I take it this is goodbye?" Saena said with a sad smile as Bell focused back into reality.
"Oh… not permanently. I'll visit, after all, this place will always be my home… no, our home" He said as Saena's smile grew with fondness.
"Good, you're always welcome here as well as anyone you call friends" She said as Bell nodded.
"You ready dad?" Jannor asked as he turned to his family who were ready to leave.
"Yep. Saena, Artemis, Rethusa" He called out as they all looked at him "Take care, and see you soon" He smiled as they did the same nodding.
"May luck be on your side, Orion" Artemis said as Rethusa gave him a nodd.
"You too, Bell. Say hello to my daughter for me" Bell chuckled at that before giving her an affirmative. He turned around and began heading out as everyone else followed, following beside him as they headed onwards towards Orario.
It has been a long time, but I'm ready. This chapter of my story has come to an end, but who says it's the last? A lot more is in store for me, and before I knew it, I would be thrown at the center of a conflict, larger than I could have ever imagined. A conflict that would decide the fate of the entire world.
WHOOO! The return is happening! Next chapter you've been waiting for is almost here xD!
I also wanted to add that Bell may feel super OP and well… He kind of is, but it comes at a cost. Every single one of his OP skills or moves have a heavy toll on them so he won't use them a lot, so don't worry, he will still struggle!
As an added note, here are some numbers of the height of some characters with Ottar as reference of course!
Bell Cranel: 6'3/190cm
Bache Kalif: 5'7/175cm
Elora Cranel: 5'5/168cm
Adrienne Cranel: 5'4/167cm
Jannor Cranel: 4'9/152cm
Aralaya Cranel: 5'1/157cm
Ottar (THE CHAMPION!): 6'11/210cm of pure muscle