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. This chapter may also include dark themes such as rape, torture, extreme gore, and suffering.
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Patreon: Elier01
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.
67: The Phantom
=Rakia Castle, one week later=
To a man like Kaius, obedience, and competence were all that mattered when looking at his men. That was all he asked from them. He didn't particularly care what they did otherwise, as long as it was within the laws of the empire.
Have some fun with the women before shipping them off. Go ahead, he wouldn't bat an eye. Torture the captured men and women for some sadistic satisfaction? All the freedom to them, as long as they don't cripple them. That would put quite a hindrance on their future lives as slaves.
But at the moment, obedience was not the issue, because he could swear that his men were growing incompetent.
For the past week, ever since he had sent the boy and his wife down that cliff, one with their status locked, and the other mortally injured, his entire operation seemed to be slowly and methodically falling apart.
Or more accurately, dismantled, piece by piece. The reports of his men being brutalized, limbs torn off, guts spread across the battlefield with no enemy bodies in sight.
And the worst part? There were never any survivors. Which begged the question, were his men becoming incompetent? Or was this… fiend, whom his men had begun dubbing as 'The Phantom', just that good?
Both answers did not bode well for him or for his and the empire's shared goal.
Leaning forward after finishing reading a report of yet another camp, ransacked of all resources, either burned or stolen alongside the slaves with his men scattered around the camp, slaughtered like common animals.
There was this tiny feeling in his gut that there was something terribly wrong, because of the way this 'Phantom', seemed to come in and out of existence just to poke at him and his army, halting any significant progress for reinforcing their position into a more advantageous one for their inevitable siege of Orario.
The main army from the empire was only a few days out, and just the thought of the shitshow lodging would be with the poor progress made due to these disruptions was already giving him a headache.
His eyes snapped upwards as his sensitive hearing picked up footsteps, and not two seconds later, the door opened wide, and his closest friend walked inside with her usual indifferent expression, though he could spot a hint of amusement mixed with a tiny bit of frustration in her purple eyes.
"Would it be safe to assume that the 'Phantom' has struck again?" She queried, walking up to the front of his desk as he sighed heavily with a nod. Leaning back and pinching the bridge of his nose, he spoke up.
"Yes, he's truly becoming a pest. The logistics of when the army arrives is going to be a nightmare due to our poor progress in any construction or repair. I'm starting to regret letting most of the Rakian people leave… should have just put them to work." He grumbled as she hummed.
"As I suggested from the start, but who did not listen to who, I wonder?" She teased, a tiny smirk appearing on her lips as he groaned.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. You were right, and I was wrong, I'm sorry. Say, how about I make it up to you instead?" He asked as she seemed to grow intrigued.
"Oh? And what do pray tell, do you have, that I would find worthy of forgiveness?" Her question was laced with a much more suggestive tone, making sure that he knew exactly where he was taking this.
"Tonight, I'll do anything you say. Deal?" He asked, smirking slightly at her small chuckle before proceeding to make a small show of thinking about it.
"Hmm… That sure is tempting- I do think I'll accept the offer, but only if I get two nights in a row." She added.
'Oh, Daring. I like it' Kaius thought as he nodded.
"Deal. But first, I need to sort through all of this paperwork before having Nakul's men deliver it all to our strongholds." Right, strongholds. Not like they could be called that at this point in time. Thanks to a certain 'Phantom', they were barely more secure than they were last week.
=Orario, North Gate=
Finn stood beside Bache and Ottar, watching the returning scouting party from Freya Familia as had become normal.
The prum had never really thought he and Freya familia would ever truly work together, but despite them splitting territories up and building up their forces for the inevitable true start to the conflict, they had oddly fallen into a sort of pattern.
While Riveria and Gareth were doing their own things to bolster their forces and supplies, the captains, or acting captains in Bache's case, were sharing any new information at all times.
As the scouting party arrived, Allen at the forefront glared for a split second at Finn and Bache but quickly averted his gaze back to Ottar as he walked up to them.
"He's back at it again, we found another camp raided." Finn's eyebrow quirked in worry as he felt conflicted.
Despite the newfound partnership between all three of their familias, none of them were happy with the tales they heard the past week.
Camps and supply lines were being systematically disrupted for the empire. Normally, that would be good news, but from the description of what was left at the scene…
He knew that something within Bell had to have snapped. Finn was well aware that everyone had their limits, their breaking point for the amount of pain and suffering they could handle without something inside of them bending to accommodate the holes all of it leaves.
Bell had been one of the most sturdy, no matter how much anyone would want to not admit to that, but he had without a doubt endured more than most experience in a lifetime.
He just wished that his snapping didn't have to be so violent.
"That is troubling…" Ottar uttered as he looked out towards the horizon, Bache frowning hard as she bit her lip.
"Hate to admit it, but I'm a little impressed. I ain't seen many able to do what he has, no matter the stakes." Allen admitted. Sure, the cat person didn't like him from the start, but he could respect anyone who could do all that for a cause. He'd be stupid not to.
"It just… It isn't like him." Bache muttered as Finn turned to her.
"I think we all know that, but it's clear that whatever happened in that forest… it's changed him."
"Well, I wish he didn't…"
Ottar all but looked between the two before turning back to Allen, nodding as the two turned and headed back inside, the Amazon and prum following behind for a full debrief.
This was going to be a long conflict, and neither of the two honestly knew if it would end well for either side.
=Roxneu Forest, Western region of Rakia=
With the sun rising and the warmth slowly returning to the forest from the cold night, Bell leaned up from the book in his hand up in the tree he was resting in.
Honestly, the last week had been… monotonous to him. Fight, sleep, eat, fight, sleep eat, rinse, and repeat. There seemed to be no ending in sight, but he knew he was making a difference.
He had noticed the change in demeanor of the forces of the empire when they didn't know he was watching them.
They were twitchy, glancing left and right as if the slightest movement in the dark or the forest set them off.
The number of soldiers in each unit was had almost doubled which he was unsure if it was due to him, or due to the reinforcements having arrived yet from what he could gather.
He knew that they were waiting for it, but he had no idea when they would arrive.
Last night had been a similar experience, ambushing a resupply en route and burning anything he didn't need to make sure they didn't get their hands on it.
Thankfully, he had managed to find a few books, so he could read until morning. He didn't need that much sleep, so he slept once every other day.
Placing the book he had away, he moved to stand up, balancing on the thick branch of the tall tree before looking out to the side, a long and spread-out view of the region.
It was one of the better spots he had chosen in a while, which gave him… a sense of perspective from just the way it all was within sight.
Mostly, it was forested around the cliff the tree was situated on, but the woods eventually led the way towards a large, spread-out patch of grassland, at the center, a burnt-down village with roads leading in and out of it.
It was one of the places that had been burnt down early on. Rakia was south of Roxneu forest, which meant that Kaius had to have bulldozed through the village on his way to Rakia's capital.
Taking a deep breath, Bell's red irises hardened as a determined frown soured his expression.
More people that lost their loved ones. If he understood one thing about Kaius and Rakia, it was that they had no pension for mercy. None at all. Some might feel… conflicted, but they did nothing about it, so as far as he was concerned, they were as culpable.
A small whisper that almost echoed in his mind, as if it was spoken around and from the forest itself, voicing that he was wrong.
That everyone, had a good side in them, and that they all, with the right opportunity and motivation, would do something.
Silently squashing the voice down, he dropped down onto the ground with a thud before pulling out a map and spreading it out by the edge of the cliff on the grass, his fingers homed in and traced small notes he had made at different key spots in Rakia, namely villages and key structures Rakia had attempted to make in preparation of the conflict that was going to break out with Orario without a doubt.
He had already noticed Patrols from Freya Familia, with Allen at the forefront. He'd had a couple of close calls of being spotted by him.
He could say whatever he wanted about the cat's actual physical abilities for his level, but his sense of his surroundings was without a doubt first class, better than any level 7 he had seen. Bache isn't that sensitive and neither is… Elora…
A tug at his heart at the thought of her forced his eyes to close, letting the pain wash away before taking a deep breath.
That was why he had to do this… Kaius had to pay for what he had done. In the worst way possible.
Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the map, his eyes scanning the notes once more.
Their supply lines were for the most part disrupted, or otherwise cut off entirely. There were a few left, but… well, they weren't exactly low-key.
The western shore was littered with fishing villages, nothing like Melen, which was more akin to a city, bordering on independence as its own country based on fishing, but the places were already heavily reinforced when he had made his way there to case the place.
Strong walls, well-made weapons, and armor alongside more security that was strictly necessary. It was obvious that Kaius didn't want that place to go down. But to make it all worse, he had spotted Nakul there, coordinating with some men and women.
"It's almost as if it's his own base of operations…" Bell muttered as he sighed. It was one place he was wary of attacking because as much as he was confident he could handle Nakul, he had no practical information about him at all. He's a ghost story to the point that even his own men were scared and mystified by him.
The only people who seemed to know anything valuable about him were his two other main targets, Kaius and Varede.
That meant that he didn't know how he fought, and could only guess, and he had no clue what skills or tricks he had up his sleeve.
It made the task much more daunting that on top of it all, if he wanted to take the base out, he would have to not only fight him, but also every other soldier in there as well.
With that in mind, what he could do, was to move away from supply lines for the moment, and focus on something different. He knew that Kaius was holed up in the castle, handling all the paperwork and planning for the conflict to come, and Nakul was… well, doing whatever he was doing on the western shore.
If he took a guess, underground activities like spying as that is his skill set… but why the shore?
Anyhow, that left Varede. What was she doing?
She was the only one he hadn't heard of, apart from her coming back to the castle sometimes, but with no clear schedule.
Kaius had to have given her some sort of task to complete, and it was something she was doing at least, mostly solo.
In other words, he would have to get information by different means… perhaps…
Bell hummed for a moment, processing his thoughts before nodding absentmindedly and glancing around at the map.
If he couldn't get it by interrogating soldiers, then he would have to pilfer for it in documentation.
Mentally tallying where he could most likely find what he was looking for, he rolled up the map before packing it with the rest of his supplies.
He had a long way to walk, but the first place to go to, would be a cliff fortification by the northwestern border to the empire to the north which was being used as one of the six main lookout posts and information hub between Kaius and the central Empire's government. At least if his sources were correct
Getting ready to head out, he took a step over the cliff and allowed himself to drop, determined to see his mission through.
=Northern Plateus of Rakia=
The past week for the Rakian soldiers had been… well, difficult and downright terrifying. Tales being spread of a phantom that attacked and left none alive but the slaves.
It left the morale of most lower-ranked soldiers at an all-time low, especially those tasked with menial tasks such as delivering messages or minor supplies.
Currently, a food supply was headed towards a northern outpost, with most guards on high alert, almost seemingly jittery for any apparent movement in the forest around them.
Despite the shining sun lighting up the area around them like a Christmas tree, bright enough for anything dressed in black and red to be spotted like a hooker in a church, everyone remained extremely agitated.
Added on top of that, they were delivering some exotic cargo as well for some project that Varede had undergoing on Kaius' blessing.
It wasn't like any of them knew what it was, even the cargo was hidden in a wagon, sealed tight to the point that it would be impossible to open without breaking something unless you had the right keys.
There were rumors of course, but none that anyone took any real care to remember since they all sounded so outlandish.
Either way, whatever it was had to be important since it was moving from a southern village to the north as an intermediary before being handled by someone else in another location.
It was meticulous, to a point of almost paranoia.
"Base in sight." Their captain at the front called out as almost all eyes flicked in the direction and almost sighed out in relief at almost being there.
Being on constant vigilance and nervousness was not good for one's mental health, not at all.
As they neared the destination, one of the soldiers at the back noticed something move in the forest and instantly snapped in the direction before he stopped in his tracks as the convoy continued to move unimpeded.
Frowning and narrowing his eyes, he eventually made out some of the features of whatever it was and instantly recognized one very well-known one.
Long ears protruding out to the side, peeking out from a green hood. Which only meant one thing. An elf… but all the way out here? During all this chaos?
Glancing back at the convoy, a good ways away, he thought about what to do before sighing. He so wanted to go back, but protocol said that if spotted, any civilians were to be brought in for processing.
Damn him and his pension for rules…
At least it wasn't the Phantom, he wore Black with red stripes, and this elf with their side to him, obviously female, wore a green formfitting getup with a cape leading down to her feet.
Making his way forward as silently as possible to get a better view of her, he noticed that her features were quite striking as she seemed to be looking over a map of some sort, blue eyes sharp and aware.
If he could say, she was without a doubt someone to be described as beautiful. Now…
Moving through a bush, he stood up straighter and moved towards her, intentionally making his steps louder as he noticed her eyes flick to the side, her ears twitching slightly as her head tilted.
"Excuse me, Madam. I'm under orders to bring in an-" His words were immediately interrupted by something flying past his face at speeds he was not ready for, smashing through trees and the ground far behind him with a loud enough crash to echo.
He looked back to her, only to be met with a hard, seemingly sharp wooden stick aimed at his throat, her blue eyes glaring daggers into his own brown ones.
"I-"
"Quiet!" She hissed, the weapons shoving closer to his throat, protruding slightly into the skin as he gulped.
She meant business and judging by the fact that he hadn't even noticed her throw the rock, she wasn't someone to trifle with lightly.
So for the moment, it was clear that it was for the best to just shut his mouth because if he didn't he might come to regret it… if he even had the conscience to if she did what he suspected she would.
Those eyes were without a doubt that of someone who wouldn't hesitate.
Moments passed as her eyes continued to glare at him, her ears twitching at times as if searching for something in particular.
"You're alone." She uttered, a statement, not a question.
"Either you're a fool, or incredibly brave. Perhaps both. Who are you?" She asked
"Fidelius…" He got out after searching for his voice for a second.
"What's your purpose here?"
"To… apprehend any civilians found outside the empire's jurisdiction?"
"Was that a question or a statement?"
"Statement-"
"Good, now, I'm searching for someone, you may have heard of him. Probably has attacked your camps, killed your men." She told him, almost in a demanding tone for him to tell her what he knew.
It didn't even take a moment for him to figure out who she was looking for. The only person who matched the limited information in any way was the Phantom, and if she was searching for him, he'd gladly send her his way. Let the two fight it out instead.
"W-we call him the Phantom… He's… well, everywhere-" The wooden sword switched its position as she grabbed hold of the back of his head, wrapping her fingers around his hair tightly and pulling his head back, the blade digging into his skin as his breathing grew ragged.
"Where…" Her voice hissed as he closed his eyes.
"I- I heard he hit a camp west of here… something about a prisoner convoy…"
"Anything else? If you lie, I will know." Her question made him rapidly shake his head.
"I- I just know because one of my mates was there… officers found him in pieces."
"Whui, Bell? Cin're onlui negr- cinnere…" The empiric soldier blinked at hearing the elven mother tongue, something rarely used to the point that most elves never use it after learning it as a child. Most don't even pass it on.
Before he could utter another word, her arm became a blur before his entire vision darkened and his body flopped to the ground.
Ryuu stared down at the man before sighing. It had already been a week since she left to find Bell. She's made progress, but at times, she'd also taken steps back.
If anything, Bell seemed adept at covering up his own tracks. Whenever she gets a clue and investigates, she finds all the evidence one could ever need for what happened, but nothing about after. No traces of where he went, only a general idea of the direction with no endpoint.
At least this soldier who is probably level 2 or a fresh level 3 judging by his reaction time, had given her some information.
If he had headed west, from here, he would have been somewhat boxed in, with three new outposts further south of his estimated location and the sea to the right. Nothing of interest to the north, at least to his goal… which put her squarely right between him and the rest of Rakia.
All she had to do was to not miss him when they eventually passed one another, maddening as it was trying to track someone who could disappear from plain sight from his sheer speed.
Luckily she's been getting closer the more she heads towards the Empire, where there are more patrols and convoys.
Looking up Ryu took note of how dark it was becoming. Her cerulean eyes gazed upon the sky as the morning sun was slowly being swallowed by the large storm clouds ahead.
That wasn't something she had been expecting, though she couldn't really be mad at her own lack of knowledge of the weather.
Even with magic stones and innovations of their vast usefulness since their inception, they did not have a reliable way to predict the weather.
Mulling over how she would have to modify her plan just a bit due to the incoming storm, she gave a small huff and a small shake of her head.
Beginning to move, she headed towards the west, fully intent on finally tracking down Bell, though what she would do when she did… Well, that was still something she was working on.
=Archian Manor=
Bache sat at the bedside, a pained expression on her face as her hand squeezed that of the limp woman lying in the bed in front of her.
Creamy pale yet perfect skin laid still, soft shallow breaths periodically puffing out of soft pink lips yet no response to any action was to be received.
Every time she saw her elven sister in this state sent her in a moment of shocked despair. The family they all had built together in that village had seemed so… permanent. So untouchable that… she had nearly forgotten the fragility of life.
That the world had a scale that was always in motion, tipping slowly to one side or the other… and they had been lucky so far for them all to have come out mostly unscathed whenever it tipped towards that of disaster.
Until now
Elora laid, comatose… Adrienne had thrown herself into training and any task she could be assigned to. Aralaya had done the same but with her studies, with a fervor she hadn't seen even in her most passionate subjects, seeking a way to heal her mother, and Bache feared she would even take something that would be detrimental to herself as well.
Jannor… he was a different story altogether.
Where Adrienne's lost feelings had caused her to seek out a purpose beyond the pain, and Aralaya's fear to seek a solution to it in her books and magic, Jannor's anger had manifested in more ways than one.
The timid and sweet child had become somewhat volatile at times whenever he was reminded of the current state of his family… and he had dedicated himself to the task of helping out in any way with the war effort… which Bache had figured was a sneaky way to try to overhear any details about Bell.
Bache herself had been forced to become the stoic and strong figure of the children. With both Bell and Elora out of the picture, she was the only one they had, and she felt wholly inadequate as she watched the family slowly fall apart.
They barely talked to one another anymore, and only in short, and concise sentences.
"God… I wish you were here…" She whispered to the elf, not even receiving a twitch from the comatose woman.
The only good news was that Airmid had given her a clean bill of health… at least physically. There is no telling what damage occurred to her brain without her being awake… so that is still up in the air.
But at least she would live… It was akin to a hollow victory that left much to be desired.
A knock on the door startled her slightly as her head turned to the side, her sand-colored hair framing her face along with it as strands covered part of her face.
"Come in." She called out before the door opened. The long cream-colored hair of Fina peeked inside as her eyes peered at Bache with worry and a hint of trepidation.
"Uhm… Miss Bache. Finn Deimne is looking for you." The woman asked, her fingers playing with her uniform nervously
"Bache is fine, and thank you" Bache replied, a slight smile playing on her lips as she felt a bit bemused despite her somber mood.
"Ah, ok, and um Miss-" Bache turned as long black hair and bright blue eyes popped up next to her, frightening the poor chienthrope.
"F-fiona! I told you to wait!" Fina scolded slightly, feeling a bit unnerved at her ability to sneak up on her, despite her enhanced senses due to her being a beastman.
The midnight princess looked apologetic, making a slight motion of asking for forgiveness before turning towards Bache, and glancing at Elora, causing her expression to fall slightly.
"Um, Bache, would you happen to know where Jannor is? I d-didn't mean to interrupt…" Fiona asked, a tinge of red topping her ears as she didn't really know if she should be asking when she was clearly here to keep Elora company while in her coma.
'Oh? Hehehe, seems like he has an admirer' Bache thought with plans of future teasing, feeling a bit better at a reason to talk to the children… Besides, she always did enjoy teasing him.
"He should be in the training room," Bache said. "Also, go by the kitchen and get him a snack" She paused for a second, thinking over a stray thought and contemplating its validity.
"His favorites are all there, specifically the elvish treat of owlberry muffins" Bache said with a smile, and Fiona nodded.
The girl could have sworn she saw a small grin plastered on the Amazon's face and felt a bit skeptical but decided to trust the woman for now.
Heading off and leaving the two there, Fina gave a skeptical look at Bache, seemingly wanting to say something, but deciding it wasn't worth it.
"Would you mind letting Finn and whoever else is here with me? It's probably important if they came all the way here for it.
The chienthrope nodded and headed off, leaving the Amazon alone once more as she looked back at Elora's still-closed eyes and undisturbed features.
It took a minute or so before she heard footsteps near the door.
"Good evening Bache, I apologize for interrupting but there is a necessary discussion we need to have" The prum said, glancing between Bache and the incapacitated elf. Behind him, Riveria took a step forward, making herself known as her eyes were locked solely on that of her niece, not even glancing at Bache as she walked up to the opposite side of the bed and brushed tentative fingers against the woman's own pale skin.
"Bache… I'll swap with you, I'd… I'd like to spend some time with my niece" Riveria spoke up, working past the lump in her throat before grabbing a stool and sitting down.
"...Okay. Thanks, it feels a bit better knowing she isn't alone." Bache answered and bit back an 'Even if I still resent you all just a tiny bit'
Getting up, Bache motioned for Finn to follow her as the prum promptly tagged along, giving one last glance at Riveria before leaving the room entirely.
Moments passed before the high elf intertwined her hands around one of Eloras before leaning forward far enough to practically lay down.
It was comforting in a way… something she was only used to getting with Ais and Fiona. Yet it was different. Memories of her sister flashed in her mind as Elora's scent washed
By the great tree, she missed her…
Taking a deep breath, she got comfortable. She may be here a while.
=Archian Manor=
"So… what's this about?" Bache asked, getting straight to the point the moment she closed the door behind them.
Finn instantly sat down and motioned for her to sit. After a moment, she obliged as the prum took a breath.
"Most of the preparations for the coming conflict are complete. Adrienne and Jannor have been a major assistance, to be frank… but that's not what I wanted to discuss. It has to do with where to station you all. Our original thought process on how to delegate the positions… well…" He looked apologetic as he trailed off, but clear in what he was insinuating.
They had a decision previously on who would go to what front in the Themis familia in groups of two… but that won't work with Elora out of action and Bell going rouge.
Bache gave a sigh as she nodded.
"Yeah… that is important…" She mumbled as her thoughts began trying to come up with the best choice for a solution.
She was never tactical or knowledgeable in formation tactics like Elora, or as versatile and flexible as Bell. What she was best at was crowd control thanks to her poison abilities mixed with her volatile fighting style.
Sure, Bell could handle a crowd, but that was one thing she actually surpassed him in… that and bloodlust, but she's an amazoness so…
"Indeed, the way I see it, with the loss of two powerful forces, the best course of action is to instead of delegating your familia in groups of two, instead you and Daemonias, as the two strongest currently available in the Themis familia will be split between two fronts while Cerberus and Novae Sanguis should be placed together. After all, from what I hear, they work like two parts of a whole." Finn suggested, tilting his head as he waited for Bache's thoughts.
For the most part, the amazoness saw where he was coming from. While all of them together worked like a well-oiled machine, Aralaya and Jannor were in an entirely different situation. They had been with each other from birth. Learning with one another, playing with one another, and eventually training and fighting with one another.
They knew each other almost better than they knew themselves. There was just some inherent connection between the two derived from their growing up and evolving with each other.
Despite her having reservations about putting Adrienne on her own in a separate front, she knew that her daughter could take care of herself. She may only be fourteen, but she is an experienced and skillful fourteen-year-old, not to mention that her skills are basically amplified the more allies she has whom she sees as equals.
"What of Jannor and Aralaya?" Bache asked curiously, having an inkling of where he wanted to place them.
"I was thinking of them pairing up with Riveria and Fiona in the northern front." Finn answered promptly as he handed over a piece of parchment.
Taking it, the Amazoness inspected it, finding a rough outline of a map that depicted the territory of both Orario and Rakia.
The steep cliffs that lay between them were highlighted as the northern front while the plains to the southeast of the Rakian capital were the southern front.
The north was Adrienne who was placed along with Finn, Bete, and Lefiya while the south was delegated to Bache, Riveria, and Tiona.
The eastern border, wedged between the two others was where Jannor and Aralaya were paired with Fiona, Ais, Tione, and Gareth.
There were other names, but those were the ones that stuck out to Bache as she looked over all the notes and additions to the terrain made in preparation for the scouting reports that Allen had come back with from his excursions.
Something small caught Bache's attention as she noticed small 'x's across the map. A foreboding feeling sank into her stomach as she got an idea of what they meant.
"Finn… are the 'x's for…" She trailed off as she looked up at him as he took a second before nodding.
"Indeed, every known location that Bell has been from our knowledge, each one having some form of carnage left behind." It took a lot for Bache not to visibly show what she was thinking.
On one end, she was angry. So angry she wanted to erupt and just scream, but she was also understanding in a way after having had a week to think about it. She was able to understand. He'd lost his family not once, but twice before, and she knew he was beyond terrified of it becoming a third.
They were everything to him, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to make sure they were safe… what happened to Elora, it had to have triggered that fear, and he responded in the only way that would really make sense in such a situation for any living creature.
To make sure the threat is gone, no matter what, and that morphed into the desire to completely destroy his enemy.
At least that is what Bache believes to be the case. Things might be different, but it is what makes the most sense to her.
"It's not going to be a problem, is it?" Finn asked with a hint of carefulness as Bache frowned.
"Bache, no… Veregina, we need every first-class adventurer available to us. Kaius and his lieutenants are no joking manner, a single missing level 7 could severely lower the end result." Nodding in understanding, Bache gave Finn a look that told him enough.
She wouldn't go chasing after Bell, but it was clear from the fire burning in her eyes to the prum that he knew that if she spotted him, she would try to make contact.
He found that to be understandable and acceptable.
"I understand, I also agree that the distribution of the children seems to work. I'd have liked Bell or Elora with Aralaya or Jannor but… I understand that won't work." She finished, giving her opinion on the original topic as Finn nodded.
"Indeed…" Finn muttered whilst thinking about Bell once again and what his mindset might be like, failing miserably to comprehend the anguish that vexes Bell's very being.
"Was that everything?" Bache asked after a moment of silence to which Finn simply hummed before nodding.
"Indeed it was, I know it wasn't a particularly large meeting, but one that was needed nonetheless," Finn's answer relieved the amazoness who simply wanted to head back and spend time with the children or sit by Elora's side.
Nothing was as important anymore to her… well, nearly nothing, but her going out there and looking for him would do no good, and she knew it despite her desire to do so.
Standing up, Finn walked to the door before giving one last smile at Bache and left the room, no doubt to oversee the progress of one of the many areas he had to oversee.
Silently, she couldn't help but continue her trail of thoughts she'd had just moments ago with an air of finality because there was one thing she knew for certain in the circumstances they all had found themselves in.
If Bell wanted to, he could effectively become a ghost… if he didn't want anyone to find him…
Then no one would.
=Archian Manor, Training room=
Sitting to the side on a stool next to where they kept their training equipment, Jannor inspected his weapon closely.
How long had he had this particular weapon?
Years, was the answer. Ever since he began his journey as an adventure… and it had truly gone through its own journey at the time.
It's not a divine weapon, that's for sure and it can't grow with its wielder like his father's old knife, but it had been repaired and refitted time and time again. It had even been reforged to reinforce it as he grew stronger.
All of it being done by his father of course… the father that was now missing, out there, doing what he silently wanted to do as well.
It wasn't something he was particularly proud of, but he too wanted to see the man who had done that to his mother… the woman who had bore and birthed him into this world.
But he was angry too. Angry that he had left them right before a war… gone out on his own to chase after him.
That he left them when they needed him most… and it hurt, it hurt so much… especially seeing his sisters and Aunt Bache hurting as well.
The two emotions clashed with one another and it had made him more volatile than he cared to admit.
He honestly didn't know what to think, and sometimes, it was just easier to let the anger reign over the sadness and hurt.
Blinking away the thoughts before he got lost even further in them, he gave one last long look as he inspected the staff.
It had been modified recently to have one end act like a spear, essentially making it a dual weapon, and could become extremely versatile if he mastered its use.
Perhaps he should get back to the training… he still needed to work on that combination attack he'd been trying out.
So far, he was still practicing the motions but he was making some progress.
"Well… better get back to it-" He stopped as he heard footsteps walking down the stairs. Looking over to the door, he frowned as he tried to place the presence he felt.
It did feel familiar like he'd felt it before…
The moment the doors opened and was met with those bright blue eyes and raven black hair, he felt his throat clog as his heart began to beat fast.
Was he blushing?
Oh, he was blushing… shit.
"F-fiona!? What are… you doing here?" He asked, fumbling with his words as he forced some semblance of composure to form into his act.
"Ah, I- ehm, I was just wondering if you wanted to sit down and eat some of this with me? I know how hungry training can make you." He swore that her voice sounded divine… wait, maybe he should answer.
Glancing at what she was holding out to show him, a burst of affection spread throughout his entire body as he recognized the treats.
"You got some Owlberry Muffins! I didn't know they sold those here in Orario. Mom makes them instead…" he stopped as his heart plummeted at the thought of his mother.
The mental image switched between her smiling face as she baked, humming along to some tune she was fond of at the time, and her pale face, blood covering half her body as she looked like a corpse.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought these, Bache mentioned you had some in the kitchen and… well… I'll just-," Fiona uttered quickly, fumbling to remove the muffins from sight only for him to grab her hand and give her a small smile, but genuine.
"No, it's alright. You meant no harm, and I'd love to eat some… to remind me of those times. I haven't been able to think much about how she used to be, and instead, it's always how she is now. So, thank you." Her eyes searched his own for a long moment before she seemed to find what she was seeking and gave a nod.
"Okay, here." She held the tray towards him as he grabbed one of the muffins.
Sitting the his entire brain went blank as he tried to think of something to say. He didn't really know Fiona that well since he'd only met her on a handful of occasions, most being in the last few days.
Even then, they didn't really talk, mostly giving small greetings before continuing with whatever they were working on for the preparations.
"So… I don't know if it's alright if I ask, but I was wondering how you were doing." She broke the silence. The relief he felt at the excuse for conversation, even if it was a bit personal, was very welcomed.
"I'm doing as well as I can… I mean, in a way, I lost both my father and mother at the same time, even if they are still alive." He answered, looking down at the muffin before taking a bite, savoring the taste of the Owlberrys that were the key ingredient as it washed over his tastebuds.
It tasted like home to him, as it reminded him of his mother… of the better times when their family was so… lively.
It was a solace in dark times and he wanted to hit himself for not eating one earlier if this was what it did to him.
As he opened his eyes and turned to her, he saw her looking at him sadly.
Blinking, he reached up and touched the side of his cheek, feeling the wetness before realizing why she looked at him like that.
"Sorry, just… this tastes like home to me. I kind of feel dumb for not doing this earlier…" He chuckled slightly as she nodded.
"I won't say that I understand your pain… but in a small way, I do. Remember Terra? He wasn't part of the familia for long, but we talked quite a bit before we ventured into the dungeon that day… I had come to care for him. It's not the same as losing your mother or father, but… the pain of losing someone that you are responsible for… is like losing a limb. Especially if you care…" Jannor hung onto her words as he worked through them.
A part of home wanted to lash out, telling her that it wasn't the same at all… that what she was describing was nothing as he felt… but how could he do that?
The way she had described it… definitely had some of the qualities of his pain in it, and she did admit that she couldn't completely understand, only a little.
"Yeah… It feels like my life is falling apart. Suddenly, two of the three people I look up to the most in the world are no longer here, though I am used to Dad going on his trips, but Mom was always there." Fiona nodded along,
"It just… It hurts so much…" He wanted to cry but stubbornly forced it back, putting on a blank face as he looked straight forward, his heart bleeding.
Warmth spread around him as he blinked, his facade crumbling as he turned and looked down at the girl beside him.
She'd moved closer and leaned onto him wrapping an arm around him as she rubbed his shoulder gently.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll be here whenever you want, alright?" She told him seriously but with a gentle smile.
"W-what? Why?" he asked. He swore that he had heard her wrong, or misinterpreted her.
"Yeah, what are friends for?" She asked, her smile spreading into a grin as she let out a small gleeful sound as he couldn't help but smile.
"Friends… right!" He said, suddenly feeling much better. A new friend… especially one like Fiona was what he needed.
It would be a good distraction, and he hoped it might lead to something more.
Unknown to Jannor, Adrienne, and Aralaya had snuck their way to the training room following Fiona when they saw her heading to the kitchen and grabbing the owlberry muffins.
Silently cheering him on whilst planning how to mess with him after all the conflict settles down.
=The Empire, Unknown=
Barking, groans, and other sorts of animalistic noises could be heard, whether it be domestic, monster, or human, was up to anyone's guess.
James wrapped his fingers around the cold metal of the claustrophobic cell that he was confined within…
More like a cage if he was being honest with himself.
He didn't know how long he had been here, or how much more he could handle. Day in and day out was filled with nothing but sounds of pain, every new voice drawing his inevitable turn closer.
Those… things he'd seen when they'd first dragged him down to his cage… he'd thought them some kind of monster from the infamous dungeon… but they didn't look like anything he'd seen on the surface or heard of, no matter how little.
They looked- no, were horrific abominations of nature. Flesh and bones twisted and turned in unnatural ways that sent one's stomach into a fit of vertigo and urgency to vacate its contents onto the floor
Some of them even had protrusions and exposed organs that almost seemed to pulse as if close to exploding.
It was a nightmare in the making… and he had ignored the implications for too long.
He wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what those things used to be.
People… humans, elves, and beastmen alike, all changed horribly and painfully. Obviously, given the constant screams and moans… well groans in those that had gone through extreme changes.
How they elicited such changes was beyond him and quite frankly, he never wanted to know.
Not like he had a choice in the matter.
He knew that it would be his turn eventually to be dragged from his cell to never return, probably to endure a fate that was worse than death.
Leaning back and turning to the side, he looked through the bars to the person in the cage next to him in pity.
It was a little girl with her twin brother if he had to guess. They seemed the same age and were hugging each other tightly as they tried to sleep.
They didn't deserve to be here… to be taken by these… animals.
The Empire deserved to burn, after all, no country should sanction anything of this nature… ever.
He was brought out of his thoughts as the doors opened. He expected the usual duo that took people away but was met with deep violet eyes that seemed to bore deep into his soul for the split second their gazes met.
Admittedly, the woman was beautiful, if not for the fact that she seemed to be uncaring for what was going on around her.
The guard to the side seemed to stiffen at the sight of her before bowing deeply.
"Lady Varede, is there anything I can do for you?" He said the usual sneer that marred his face gone with a schooled yet worried expression.
"A material report would suffice for the moment, the current batch was a failure. Too aggressive with no potential of telling apart enemies from allies. The power was… adequate but still lacking." She answered as the guard stood straight and nodded.
"I'll get it done." He immediately left as Varede turned her gaze towards the cages, scanning everyone within including himself. James almost felt as if she was sizing him up when her eyes had moved past him. Like he wasn't the thing she was looking for.
Her violet gaze snapped back to the right and for a split second, his heart froze as he thought she was looking at him.
Was he wrong? Did she find him adequate for whatever horrible things they were going to do now?
It took him a moment to realize it wasn't him she was looking at, but the two young children in the cage beside him.
"Hmm…" She hummed, her hand reaching up as it rubbed her chin in thought.
Things stayed that way for a few minutes until, the cold gaze of the woman locked eyes with James.
"Him, bring him, and the two small ones." Her pause chilled the room further than it should have.
"Take them to the experimentation room and fetch me some quality magic stones, not the inadequate things you brought last time." With a swift turn, she left as her words sunk in.
Before James could even react, the cage opened and he was shoved out of it hard, both arms being restrained as he was dragged out of the room.
He struggled for a minute, but with how weak he'd become due to extended periods of time without food, it was all for naught.
He could idly hear the cries of the two children behind him as they were dragged by their arms like ragdolls, moving up the stairs before all three of them were pulled into a room.
Within, Varede stood to the side, tinkering with something with notes around her, but that wasn't what pulled his attention. What made him pale completely was the blood that adorned the table at the back of the room, tools stretched on a table to the side that he didn't know was for, but could imagine didn't warrant any good intentions.
"The man first, then the children." She commanded at the guards that held him threw him onto the table and strapped him tightly to it.
He opened his mouth as to speak and curse them as he struggled against the restraints before remembering his tongue was gone.
The memory of it shut him up instantly as he knew that all that would come out would be incoherent noises.
Varede stopped whatever she was doing and brought whatever it was she was working on to the table he was strapped to before picking up one of the tools.
"Well, shall we get started?" She asked as she attached the device to the center of the tool and now that he got one good look at it, his eyes widened in horror as there was not anyone that wouldn't recognize it.
'A… magic stone? Is she… going to-' He thought before her eyes turned downwards
The moment she aimed the tool toward his chest, he instantly screamed out and trashed only for her hand to slam against his torso, holding him down with strength unbecoming of any normal human being.
"Now, Now, Behave. I wonder if the modification will make a difference though… no matter." The moment whatever she held pierced his skin and dug deeply with a click.
The next moment, his body underwent the most excruciating pain he'd ever experienced as he didn't even recognize that he was screaming at the top of his lungs as she moved around a bit before switching tools and doing something else that he couldn't really care for because-
PAIN!
His arm felt weird… was it supposed to feel like his hand was split?
Was it always so bright?
Did his skin always feel like it was melting in molten lava- no, his nerves…?
A slight glance between screams saw that his flesh was splitting and contorting in ways that would have horrified him-
PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!
He felt his consciousness fight against him as a sickening crunch sounded from his torso, blood beginning to pain the table around him as if a bucket had been turned upside down.
Is this how I die?
Does it matter?
As long as this PAIN STOPPED!
The last sight he experienced before his mind completely collapsed, was the uncaring and fascinated gaze of Varede, looking at him like her prized toy.
Varede began to snicker soon after James lost consciousness.
"Number 317 looks promising," She said.
=North of Orario=
Awyin Keylar was not a happy elf. Not at all.
Don't get him wrong, he loved serving lady Kita, but the task he'd been handed was not one he was particularly fond of.
To deliver a letter of immense importance to a human man named Bell Cranel. He'd heard the rumor of her apparent fascination with him but didn't take it seriously given the state of whatever rumor mill you'd find in any city or location.
They were always volatile and extremely inaccurate, taking any piece of supposed information and blowing it out of proportion until it was unrecognizable. A woman swallowing a fly could be turned into an epic scandal of adultery in some extreme cases he'd seen in his long life.
What had him up there in dissatisfaction with his current task though wasn't due to him being human or being assigned to travel such a long distance for a letter, no matter how important. It was the sheer amount of hiding and dodging patrols he'd had to do thus far.
Something must have occurred for them to be riled up to this degree, most likely a brewing war given that some of those patrols were more like marching pieces of armies.
Thankfully, the journey which should have taken no more than a few weeks due to his use of wind magic to drastically speed up the process.
He shuddered at the thought of having to travel for three, upwards to four months to reach his destination. He silently blessed his family for passing down the magic for such a long time to their descendants.
Looking out towards the horizon where the tip of a large tower peeked over it as if watching and welcoming all approaching travelers.
It was definitely a sight to behold that from such a distance it was still visible to him. Einhente was large, but the buildings weren't exactly towering. Three stories at most but no more.
He idly rubbed his fingers against the satchel strapped to his hip that contained the letter and his spare supplies, his ears twitched slightly as he slowed slightly, shifting his head to gaze behind him where a wagon approached.
Awyin couldn't help but grin slightly in relief at the luck. Stopping, he waited for the wagon which eventually neared the elf, the driver slowing down as he gave the elf a questioning look.
"Mornin'. Are you headed for Orario?" The man asked, the greying beard swaying in the mild win as his green eyes awaited an answer.
"That I am, would it be too much of a hassle to ask for a ride?" Awyin asked, only for the driver to shrug, pointing back to the wagon with his thumb.
"I 'ave no issues with that." Awyin couldn't help but smile, his blue eyes silently thanking the man as he moved around and hopped on, the wagon beginning to move shortly after.
They were silent for a little while, the scenery moving along as the elf enjoyed the breeze, letting it tickle his skin and hair pleasantly.
It was one of the many things he enjoyed doing when he had the chance. He'd always loved the feeling of the wind.
"So, what's a lad like you doin' out here? You an adventurer?" The man asked as Awyin shifted his gaze to him, before turning back to the scenery.
"No, simply a messenger. I've got a priority delivery for someone in Orario." He answered truthfully, not like the man would understand the actual importance of it.
"Ah, a courier. Well, it's nice to make your acquaintance, I'm Marco." Awyin waited a moment before smiling slightly.
"I'm Awyin, the feelings mutual. Are you a farmer?"
"Indeed, how'd you know, I wonder." There was mirth in the response coupled with a chuckle as Awyin couldn't help but let out a snort.
There was plenty of produce around him in the back, neatly stacked. Most likely heading it to be sold at the marketplace if he guessed.
"I wonder indeed, though there is quite a lot of produce here. A good haul?"
"That it is, had a good decade or so, and the crops finally decided to catch up. You see, I used to have a problem with them raiders and bandits raiding my farm for food. That or surface monster." He explained as Awyin's curiosity was piqued.
"Oh? What changed?" Marco nearly fell off the wagon in surprise as he shifted around and stared at Awyin incredulously as if he had just lobbed off his own head and kept talking.
"Are you serious?" He asked as if that'd suddenly make him have some form of epiphany.
"I would not ask if I wasn't." Marco simply blinked after a moment of surprise.
"Sorry, lad, I was just surprised given that everyone I ever interact with knows what's been going on the last decade. Well, might as well give you the story. You see, as you probably know, most of the world is unsafe due to bandits, raiders, and surface monsters, let alone countries waging war every few years, especially Rakia and the Empire."
Awyin nodded, that was after all, basic knowledge. You wouldn't survive in the cruelty of the world long without knowing it.
"Well, around a decade ago, give or take, a man showed up and started taking care of them, something the guild had been doin' a piss poor job at if you ask me. Eventually, he earned the moniker and alias of Apollyon by saving Rakia and continued to tear the bandits and raiders a new one while the surface monsters slowly dwindled." Marco's explanation shed some light on the lack of goblins he'd seen anywhere on the surface after he'd crossed the empire's borders into the rest of the mainland.
It had been bugging him slightly, but he'd simply chalked it up to being lucky.
'So that's what happened' He thought slightly. Guess Bell Cranel had lived up to the rumors he'd heard around Einhente.
"Though it did surprise me when it was revealed to be none other than Bell Cranel during a duel with the sword princess. Though I am mightly glad he isn't a criminal as everyone had thought… though…" He muttered stopping suddenly as a frown etched itself onto Marco's features.
"What is it?" Awyin asked, quirking an eyebrow with a tilt of his head.
"Just, that apparently something bad happened to him. His wife, Thúl I believe was nearly killed apparently and he disappeared. There are rumors he's tearing the Empire a new one, but I'd rather wait for confirmation before I believe it.
"I see…" The wagon fell into silence after that, the conversation dying as the walls of Orario slowly approached.
Now that was news to Awyin and would complicate matters. After all, you can't deliver a letter to a man whose location is unknown.
'Perhaps his familia?' He thought Miria had informed him of what they had found out before he departed on his task.
The Themis Familia consists of Bell Cranel, Elora Cranel, Bache Kalif and his three children, Adrienne, Aralaya and Jannor Cranel, though he did not know if they'd recruited new members since.
'I guess I have a new target for delivery.' He concluded as they finally reached the wall.
"Well, lad, we're here. I wish good luck for you!" Marco said as the elf jumped off and headed for the guarded entrance after giving a wave. He guessed wagons had a different protocol for entrance.
"Name." The man at the front gave in one of the most boring tones he'd ever thought.
"Awyin Keylar." The guard jotted something down, probably his name.
"Purpose of seeking entrance?"
"Courier service for the captain of a familia," Awyin answered.
"To whom?"
"Captain, Vice-captain, or executive of the Themis Familia." The guard instantly paused, eyes widening slightly as he looked at the elf who stared back as he hardened his expression.
"Alright, that will be 2000 valis." Awyin fished out the coins and handed them over before being let inside where he locked eyes on the tower, now truly showing its massive size from the inside of the walls.
'It really is magnificent' He couldn't help but muse before beginning to move. He had a familia to find.
=North-Western Border of Rakia, 10PM=
Ryuu's blue eyes scanned the large outpost at the top of the hill. It was a long shot, but she knew that one of the most important parts when acting alone was information gathering. After all, without it, you're powerless to achieve what you want.
On the way to the west, she'd encountered another patrol of Rakian guards and managed to squeeze out the location of this fortification. An information hub where every correspondence between Kaius and his army passed through before going along to its destination. It may at first glance seem useless due to any information not staying long. Reality however would be different.
No matter how much space they had, there would not be enough wagons to take every letter from the entire army to the empire after being sorted at once, they'd normally stay for a week or longer.
So, she decided to take the gamble that led her here, keeping an eye on the fortification from a distance for any disturbance during the night. After all, Bell usually acted at that time.
So far, it had been quite boring, making Ryuu wish she had at least brought along a book for light reading, but that was beside the point.
Leaning back against the tree while balancing herself on the branch, her eyes never strayed from the fortification as she waited.
It wasn't until a few minutes later that she nearly fell out of the tree as an enormous explosion went off at the edge of the fortification, shaking the forest around her.
Gathering her bearings, she looked up with wide eyes as a massive inferno had engulfed a large part of the fort. The smoke cloud alone was far larger than any she'd ever seen, putting the combined smoke clouds from the dark age to shame.
"...Bell…" She muttered before she was off at full speed, traversing the forests with ease, closing in on the information hub before her ears began to pick them up. Memories flashed in her mind for a split second… of the screams of terror from back then when she slaughtered the Rudra familia.
The next moment, she was narrowly maneuvered around a tree before the area began to fill with smoke, some trees having been lit alight from the debris of the explosion.
The screams all around were all-encompassing as she couldn't help but pick up on the sounds of blades clashing, and blades breaking.
There was no way that anyone in this fortification was anything more than level 3 at most, and that was only if they had been lucky, which essentially rendered them all doomed against Bell. After all, there was no way they'd beat his level 7 status.
Finally reaching the break in the fortification where the concrete walls had been utterly obliterated, she blinked at the sheer destruction of it.
Whatever Bell had used, it was strong… really strong.
'Was it that magic?' she asked herself. The one he'd used against the black goliath?
,,,
No, that can't be right. That magic was bright, and didn't result in flames, merely a blinding light that destroyed anything at the center where it was targeted.
This was something else…
Avoiding the flames so as to not burn her clothes, she looked around, eyes widening at the corpses that lay about. Limbs and organs having departed from the body of their owners, lying about. A head with his skull split in half, leaking grey matter from the cleaved brain. Holes and puncture wounds littered some of the corpses as well with shattered and severed weapons scattered across the ground.
It was a sight of horror to witness, despite her already having seen it before… but that didn't mean she wanted to see it again. Once was more than enough, but now… now she felt as if she wanted to puke, but pushed it back before containing the emotions and hardening her expression.
She had a goal… now she just had to push through whatever lay in front of her.
Pulling her gaze from the decimated corpses. She turned and headed towards the direction of the fighting.
The moment she leaped onto the roof of one of the buildings and got an overlook, she froze.
There he was… his sword twirling and twisting a blade to the side with a fine precision that was impossible to not marvel at. Only for the bade to cleanly slice the man in half, the blood bursting and painting the ground red as his organs made a sickening squishing sound underneath the man's slowly dying screams.
Ryuu was completely frozen in place as she watched him butcher the Empire's soldiers, burning them, mutilating them…
She had been wrong to think of this as fighting… this wasn't that… it was a massacre.
Bell grabbed hold of one of the men's arms before slinging him over his shoulder like a ragdoll and smashing him down onto another with a sick crunch as they died instantly from the impact.
Bell wasn't fazed at all by it and immediately tilted his body as a blade swiped past him before his foot snapped against the soldier's jaw, snapping his head back, breaking his neck, and sending the jaw flying.
A torrent of flames seemed to appear from thin air to engulf a large part of the Empire's soldiers as Ryuu blinked in surprise, only to realize that Bell had disappeared and reappeared with three more men falling down, dead with varying injuries on their corpses.
What had just been at least thirty soldiers had dwindled to a mere three standing in an instant.
Ryuu took a step back involuntarily as she realized just how quickly he'd taken them down. She hadn't even been looking for a few seconds and they were all dead… all but three.
The next few seconds passed as she watched as he severed one of the man's shoulders down to his hip from his body before shooting off in a burst of speed, instantly appearing with his fist through another's chest as blood and pieces of the soldier's lung and heard splattering behind him.
She had to do something…
Forcing her legs to move, she hopped down to the ground just in time to watch as Bell grabbed hold of the last by the throat, lifting him up high as she caught a glimpse of the side of his face.
"Cranel-san!" Ryuu's voice carried itself towards his ears as the limp noodle of a man suspended in the air with Bell's sword an inch from impaling the man's heart. Turning his gaze around towards the new arrival, the blade thrust forward, blood now leaking from between the wound and the blade as well as through the man's mouth.
Ryuu felt her entire body lock up at the scathing look Bell threw her, one she'd seen in the mirror so many times. The look of pure hatred that blinds one to anything in front of them. A hatred that's so pure that one's own vision can become foggy at times as your body moves on its own.
"Stay out of my way, Ryuu." His voice was low, dangerous, and heavy with a clear threat to it. As if he was telling her without words, but his tone, that if she did not do as he said, he would hurt her.
"Please, Cranel-san. I know what you're goin-"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" His scream boomed across the field of corpses, dust, and smoke moving aside as if making way for the sheer emotion embodied in his words. Ryuu's body was unable to move as her mouth clammed shut out of the sheer power he exuded. A presence and threat her body had not perceived since she'd faced Alfia for the first time. That unfathomable power that seemed insurmountable.
"You lost your familia... your friends... but I lost my wife. The woman I love more than life itself... she was worth everything to me! She was my hope... and without her, I have none left. I will make sure that everyone responsible for taking that from me will watch everything they love burn to the ground." All Ryuu could do was gulp. That skill of his that enveloped him in that red mist, that made him look like a monster seemed to converge around her suddenly as the fear she felt intensified tenfold, her eyes shaking as he threw the corpse onto the ground and walked right up to her, face so close she could feel his breath on her skin.
"Last warning... stay out of my way... or I will not hesitate to kill you too." His seethed out, keeping his glare onto her blue eyes hard as she felt the desire to crumple into herself to avoid that glare… yet she wanted to say something… try to persuade him but no words would come, her body would not listen as the primal fear began to take its toll, her face paling completely as his skill continued to weasel itself into her mind, bringing out every ounce of fear and flight response she had ever felt.
The moment it receded and he turned around and walked towards the central building, her legs collapsed as she fell to the floor, shaking and unable to stop the relieved tears that spilled from her eyes.
She felt as if she was completely out of her depth like she'd walked and challenged Udaeus as a fresh level 1. How could a person completely overpower someone who was at the cusp of first class so easily, as if it was child's play?
Only one answer came to her mind as she watched Bell disappear inside the building… Or more accurately… a saying.
Zeus and Hera Familias were known as one thing… The familia's of monsters.
And she knew at that moment… that he…
Was a monster.
And done, finally managed to finish this. Took way longer than expected due to my experiencing the most extreme case of writer's block. I won't make promises anymore either for when the chapters release, because it makes it feel like a job.
Instead, I'll trickle away at the chapters piece by piece and they'll release when they do.
Anyway, I don't really feel like giving a long speech in writing so I'll simply move on to the reviews, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in PMs or in Archive's case, reviews.
Jack Blaze: This first appetizer of what's to come was absolutely glorious and the rest of slaughter promises to be even better
Everyone trying to at least marginally civilize the complete and utter monster Bell's gonna be by the end of this epic arc is gonna be some major suck time later, of course, but the complete utter and sheer carnage in this arc will be a thing for the ages huhuhuhu.
Kaius really should have known better and made sure Bell was actually dead, knowing who the man's related to. Now, having wasted his one true shot at killing Alfia's nephew this hilariously badly, he's basically just gonna be left waiting for the day Bell finally ends the extreme misery he will be left in during this whole thing
Finally, let Jas and the other lads corrupt ya, degenerates know very well what they're doing lmao
PS: Say, speaking of corrupting...how far along have they sunk their claws into ya in regards to the Alfia story, eh? wink wink nudge nudge
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Author: Well… I have to say, you have me enough review material to read for a solid 10-20 min… so, I won't answer it all here as to not inflate the chapter with all the responses I'd have to give.
I am glad you liked it, and I am honestly weirdly relieved to not be bound by the relatively tame approach the story had for a while.
But as you said, now we are back to the gritty and brutal, and we are just getting started.
A slight warning, there will be some twisted experimentation shit going on as a bit of a teaser showcased in this chapter. An abomination horror theme to it, but not too invasive to the story. It does have its purpose though cuz… Varede is a sick piece of shit.
Anyway, there's much more coming and I look forward to writing it in due time :)
Ps: they have sunk the claws pretty deeply…
Carnificina: I've never liked the loki family and it would be cool to see bell getting revenge on them, but now with elora, i hope the flame of his revenge doesn't go out anytime soon, "reduce all creation to ashes, ryuujin jakka: ennetsu jigoku", just like Yamamoto, bell would burn the empire to the ground.
Author: Oh man, trust me, those flames aren't going out anytime soon. This arc is gonna be pretty long, so… yeah, it's gonna be a while for the finale of it to come. In the meantime, glorious slaughter and vengeance await!
Sokka1127: It's over for the empire if it wasn't obvious enough, Bell might get a new skill from his experiences and will probably go down in history for being the first man to take down a country single handedly.
I'm interested to see what kind of boost Legacy's rebirth will have now, since the last time he used it was saving Rakia from the Vikings.
Unpopular opinion: Bell needs more magic and it should be fire type magic not like firebolt which is fire and lightning, just needs to be fire maybe take Ais ariel and just swap it to fire. It can be explained as him coming to terms with loving Ais and getting magjc similar to hers
Author: A new skill, huh? Hmm… well, anyway. I can confirm that Legacy Rebirth will be used soon. It's been a while, but it's time for it to shine.
You'll just have to wait and see about potential new magic. Maybe he will get it, maybe not. Time will tell :D
That's it for the reviews. I didn't wanna go on a large review answering spree due to me being gone for a while (SINCE AUGUST!) and them piling up.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and to see you next time!