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.
68: Conflictions
=Archian Manor=
Bache, stopped and pondered at the stairs at the front of the house. She knew that she had walked around the house three times now, passing this place each time due to it being located in a perfectly central location of the manor.
She sighed out loud, feeling a bit lost as she felt like she was going stir-crazy ever since her meeting with Finn had concluded.
Due to her anger and anguish at him, she hadn't truly thought about just what it meant when Bell had gone on his crusade outside of the effects on her family.
Where they had lost (no matter how temporary it may be for Bell) two irreplaceable parts of the family, Orario had lost one of its strongest adventurers. At least in their eyes.
Not only that, there was no way they'd be able to stop him or even find him unless he wanted to be found. Bell had long become terrifyingly proficient at it and escaped others to the point of it almost feeling supernatural.
She figures it has something to do with that abnormal ability to tell whenever someone is looking at him at any time, and the fact that he's been on the run for four years.
He's got plenty of experience and natural talent for it.
Taking a deep sigh, her gaze wandered to the floor, thoughts coming and going as her heart couldn't help but ache.
"Why the long face?" Bache blinked as she stood up straighter and turned over towards the familiar voice.
"Erebus, decided to leave the library again? What is it? Three times this week?" She asked, frowning.
"Sorry, I have my reasons, but It's important." He told her with a nonchalant shrug. She blinked, feeling a bit stupified at the somewhat cryptic words.
"What could possibly be so important?" She asked as he turned and looked at her for a second.
"I'm sorry, I can't say. It's something Bell asked me to do before he left." She blinked, her hands clenching hard enough to draw blood.
"You… knew!?" She tried her best to restrain herself as she forcefully took deep breaths. There is no point in letting her emotions control her, she knows this.
"Yes, though there wasn't anything I could do to stop him. I've seen that look in his eyes… all too many times. Nothing in Gekai or Tenkai for that matter could stop him."
"Oh, that's bullshit and you know it! You could have told him you'd strip him of his status if he left! You could have reasoned with him that we need him… that I need him…" She exploded, growing quieter as the last sentence escaped her lips, ending in barely a whisper.
"Bache… I know you need him. You are in love with him after all, but it's not as simple as that. Either way, he'd have gone." Bache too knew that he would have gone either way. He'd been through too much and this had just been the breaking point, no matter how much her heart didn't want to admit it.
She opened her mouth to speak, only for the door to sound, as both Erebus and Bache shifted their gaze to it in question.
The Amazon moved over quickly, expecting perhaps one of Loki's children to be visiting. She was pretty certain that Riveria wanted to visit quite often to see Elora so she figured it was her.
Her expectations however were completely destroyed as she was met with the green eyes and platinum blonde hair of a male elf she did not recognize.
She knew for a fact it wasn't any of the royals in the Alf forest, due to green hair being prevalent there and anything but being an anomaly.
"Good evening, are you perhaps Bache Kalif?" The elf asked as the Amazon nodded, frowning slightly as she wondered what his business could be for.
"I am here with a letter, and an envoy of sorts for my lady, Dhiaga Mahal Kita, queen of Einhente addressed to the current acting head of the Themis Familia." he told her, bowing as she grew even more confused.
'Dhiaga ma- what?' Bache though, before one of the names clicked in her mind.
Kita
She remembered how Bell had felt fear, how she'd felt a suffocating presence as she'd walked past her back at the cave that was the home of Antares.
Her expression immediately hardened as she knew that this was serious. If that mons- no, Vouivre contacted them, then it was most likely intended for Bell, but she was the next best option due to him and Elora not being available.
Straightening up and putting on her most dignified act, she bowed her head slightly as a show of respect, remembering the 'lessons' Elora had pushed onto her in etiquette.
"A pleasure, how about we take this somewhere more preferable." her voice almost felt alien in how it talked as she had to think about the words to use. God, she hated this crap.
"Of course." He answered as he entered the building, bowing slightly towards Erebus before following Bache.
The three of them headed up and turned right before heading to the second-floor living room. Thankfully, neither of the children was there, she didn't want them to be involved with whatever this was about.
Sitting down, the elf seemed to rummage through the bag on his side for a moment before producing a sealed letter and sliding it across the table towards her and Erebus.
"This letter was originally intended for Bell Cranel, but as his whereabouts are currently… unknown and his wife remains incapacitated, you are the next in line to receive it." The elf confirmed her assumptions as she nodded.
Picking it up, she opened it and unfolded the letter within.
~ Bell Cranel,
I write this letter in an offer of shared interests when it comes to the coming conflict that is soon to occur where our goals will without a doubt, align with one another.
As you may have already become aware, the Empire has begun to move, but this letter will not make it in time, despite its post haste. This is what I believe will be the first spark, that will burn and crecend into an inferno that will plunge the world into war, a war which Oldurin, my brother, wishes to use to further spread his version of chaos and destruction.
Naturally, I do not wish for that to occur, and I imagine, neither do you.
I truly do believe that you are the sole being within the world that possesses the potential to do what needs to be done in order for this perpetual cycle of conflict, destruction, and cruelty to end.
Thus, I wish to formally invite and welcome you to Einhente whose location is specified below.
I merely wish for further discussion and potential talks of an alliance in the coming conflict, and give you my word and honor as queen of Einhente that no harm shall come to either you or anyone whom you deem fit to accompany you.
I eagerly await your reply, Dhiaga Mahal Kita ~
The letter wasn't overtly long and went straight to the point. As far as she could tell, there was no falsehood within this letter, and despite the remaining few trust issues she has with monsters or Xenos… well, whatever they are as they mentioned they aren't either of those, she decided to trust this letter until she got Bell's input if he returned… no, when.
"I see…" Bache hummed as she turned the paper over, before putting it down "I cannot make any final decisions as of yet, not until Bell has returned." She told him as the elf nodded.
"Of course. I have been instructed to not leave until I have gotten a definitive answer, so I may find a suitable Inn to stay at as I await a reply." He answered in turn, the two staring at one another after a moment.
Silence ensued before Bache finally broke it with a sigh and leaned back.
"Man… I can't do it anymore, I hate this formal bullshit." Bache's words made the elf snort as he covered his mouth, though his smile could be seen simply by how his eyes contorted and shined with amusement.
"That makes two of us. I hate it too to be honest and have always found it annoying at the best of times." He dropped his hand and let a chuckle reverberate through his throat as Bache couldn't help but grin.
That was something she could get behind.
"Right? But you should prepare yourself, it could take days or years for him to return. He's been gone that long before." Bache told him with a quirk of her eyebrow.
"A few years isn't so bad for an elf, especially for one that has lived over three hundred years already."
Bache whistled at the number, knowing that basically put him in his mid-thirties in the age of other species without the Falna.
"Your choice… now, Erebus, why are you just standing there in the corner? It's creepy." The god simply shrugged, as if he honestly didn't know.
"You're the acting captain at the moment, so I leave the politics to you. You know I hate that stuff." The Amazon nearly growled as he damn well knew she despised it just as much as he did.
Awyin silently laughed at the antics, he could already tell they were close, despite them seemingly riling each other up.
The two would have continued if the door hadn't opened, drawing everyone's eyes to meet that of curious red ones.
"Auntie? Erebus? Who's this?" Aralaya asked, clutching three books to her chest as she tilted her head.
"An envoy from Einhente. Apparently that Kita woman wants to 'negotiate' with Bell." Bache's words made the girl blink before it connected.
"Ah… I guess that would be difficult at the moment…" she uttered sadly as no one said anything.
"Well… I'll take my leave. Do you have any recommendations for an Inn?" Awyin asked as Erebus seemed to deep it important enough for his input.
"I'd say the Hostess of Fertility should do the job. A bit expensive, but the best service in Orario." Bache and Aralaya merely deadpanned at him before nodding slowly, agreeing but feeling a bit weirded out since he's only been there… what? Once? Twice at most.
"Much appreciated, I'll wait for the response."
He headed for the door, giving an encouraging smile at the girl, glancing at the books she held before leaving.
"Well… I guess that's done with." Bache muttered, folding the paper back into the envelope as Aralaya moved to the sofa a plopped herself down.
"What are you reading?" Erebus asked just as she chose one of the books and opened it.
"'Secrets of the Innate Magics'" She answered as he hummed with an appreciative nod. An old book, very old, but intriguing. He might give it a go one of these days. Might be worth the read after all…
"So, you're researching innate magic now? Didn't you already do that a few years back?"
"Yeah, but I may have missed something, so I'm going through it all again." At that, Bache lost all interest in the conversation and wisely decided to depart from the room to spare her the headache.
They two remained far into the night engrossed in the conversation, which put a smile on the amazons face.
Maybe, the family isn't as shattered as she believed… Only if she could find the same spark in the other two to confirm it.
Oh well, it will come with time, she figured. At least this proved it wasn't completely hopeless.
=North-Western Border of Rakia=
The moment Bell laid eyes on Ryuu, all he wanted was for her to leave. He didn't want her involved in this. He didn't want her in any danger…
He didn't want anyone else to be hurt by his incompetence.
So he did the only thing that came to mind. To instill a fear so deep into her that she would have to retreat. He loathed to have to do such a thing to someone he considers a dear friend, but he supposed that it had to be done.
It at least made it easier that the anger that burned in his heart fueled his actions as he simply imagined it to be one of his targets, Verede in this case so that his anger was aimed.
It still hurt to see the fear in her eyes, the paleness of her skin as the blood drained from her face, the shaking of her limbs, and the quivering of her lips. It still shattered his heart as he saw her collapse, tears trailing down her cheeks as he felt that he might have gone too far, that he might have broken something here which he may never replace.
He didn't want to lose her, he didn't want for them to remain at arm's length for the rest of their lives, but if that was to be the cost of keeping her safe… then so be it.
He sometimes hated his ability to see around him due to his senses…
Finally disappearing inside the building, he walked up a metal door which he easily smacked hard enough to send it flying back into the wall in the back.
Inside lay all the information he could ever need, so he quickly got to work and scoured the labels, taking anything that may contain anything remotely useful for his goals.
He didn't really have the time to stay too long. He still needed to head back to get his status updated by Erebus in their regular meeting location. He'd already sent the letter detailing when he wanted to meet, and he would have to leave soon if he actually wanted to get there in time.
Taking a few more minutes to look around and grab what he wanted, he walked up to the exit and looked back at the still largely letter-filled room.
He didn't want Kaius, or the empire for that matter to be able to scavenge any of this…
So he pulled up his hand, charging Argonaut for a few seconds before letting out a firebolt that completely disintegrated a large portion of the room while setting the rest ablaze in an inferno that began to spread and engulf anything in its path rapidly.
Satisfied with the handiwork, he turned around and headed out of the building as he spotted Ryuu, still at the same spot on the ground, looking warily between him and the building.
Now wanting to give her any indication of his inner turmoil, he quickly dashed away, leaving the elf alone to watch as everything around her was consumed by the inferno he had started.
Making it a bit of a distance away, he couldn't help but take notice of how much of a beacon the outpost had become due to nightfall. One could probably see it, even if the flames and smoke were beyond the horizon.
It wouldn't be long until Kaius knew what happened, and this place would be crawling at that point.
He knew Ryuu would be long gone by that point too, so he didn't need to worry about that point.
He just hoped he had gotten some good intel from the whole ordeal, but that remains to be seen.
His thoughts drifted towards other matters as he burst away in the general direction of Orario, leaving the area with the view of burning buildings and smoke rising into the skies.
=Unknown=
Her entire vision was enshrouded in a darkness so thick it was indistinguishable from complete blindness. The only hint of that not being the case, was the soft shades of grey that would pass around her, a mockery and twisted form of her own power used against her to imprison her in this hell.
The only reason she hadn't completely given up was the thought of her seeing her daughter again one day.
Oh, how she missed her daughter…
She was the light of her life, and sacrificing her to the cruel fabrics of time was a hard decision, but one she would repeat in a heartbeat.
She couldn't allow that monster to take her alongside herself…
No, her best guess is that her stasis state would remain for about a thousand years before she would resurface in the world again, where, she did not know, but somewhere.
Hopefully, someone caring found her… nurtured her with all the love and care in the world… she deserves no better after having been forced to watch her father be killed in such a manner, and her mother be kidnapped.
It worried her at times if the blasted dragon would find her as she rarely got to see light, the last time being down in that large city.
The memory reignited in her mind and she couldn't help but smile thinly as she remembered that man in the obsidian armor who managed to escape the dragon.
It was the first mortal life she'd seen since her capture, and she knew that he was powerful, approaching that of her husband, but still lacking.
How he managed to achieve that amount of power was unknown to her, no other great spirits remained on Gekai that weren't captured or didn't already have a contracted mortal.
Perhaps a different method?
She sighed, her breath echoing in the prison as she felt a gush of win ruffle her hair, she instinctively looked around, as if she'd see where she was.
It was the most she could get in this prison when she wasn't allowed the pleasures of sight regularly, but the feeling of her surroundings, the noises that sometimes bled through gave her an incomplete, but better than nothing, image of her surroundings.
What she felt now was one of the few things she wanted to see, that she missed so much and remembered doing with Albert.
Soaring through the skies, how the wind rushed past her face as the clouds blew past them at incredible speeds.
She adored the skies, and sharing them with Albert was one of the best things she had ever done. The look of awe she had seen on his usually composed features had been a personal victory that had boosted her confidence immensely.
They had lived such blissful lives for those years, having Ais and watching her grow… until that day when Albert had chosen to hunt down the great calamities.
Of course, the first two fell quickly, though managed to escape out of sheer luck. Then there was that Vouivre. A calamity that could be reasoned with, and Albert showed mercy after she gave an oath to never again hunt humans again, unless absolutely necessary.
Then came the dragon, Oldurin, self-proclaimed king of the skies, and the monster that she watched blew apart a large portion of the continent, segregating the south from the rest of the landmass which would end up becoming forgotten.
If Albert hadn't managed to survive that attack, losing an arm in the process, and surprising the dragon and injuring it, she never would have had enough time to send Ais off.
And now, she'd been stuck, in this nightmarish existence ever since.
As another gush of wind washed over her, she couldn't help but wonder what Oldurin was up to, or where he was headed. All she knew was that whatever it was, could not be good. With his slumber at an end, she feared for the rest of the world.
=Einhente=
Leaning on the railing by her balcony, Kita's mind wandered as her gaze took in the sight of her city which she had helped build from the ground up. She had been actively avoiding looking at herself in the mirror because she knew exactly what she would see.
Her pale, tired, and haunted eyes, were the same as they always were this time of year without fail.
How many years has it been since that fateful time? When she had finally been snapped out of their control and given her own choice in life?
Oh, how she loathed her creators… her mothers. They were the cause of all this madness, this chaos. They were the reason her people were preparing for war…
What would the world look like if they hadn't existed? What would existence be like without the Keepers?
For a moment, her mind pictured an almost utopia-like world with no conflict or wars, where prosperity was all anyone knew, but she had instantly squashed that thought. Mortals were too flawed for that to ever happen… well, so were immortals, perhaps even more so.
After all, mortality has more advantages than one would think.
One thousand years of age, and some lessons she still had not learned. Despite her reluctance to admit it, she knew that she too, like her creators and the gods was flawed similarly.
They didn't truly change.
'Apart from that one time… because of that human'
The only mortal to have ever beaten her, who managed to put her into a position where he had full control of her life.
He could have easily killed her, a simple twist of his wrist and his blade would have cracked her magic stone and ended her existence permanently… yet for some indiscernible reason, he hadn't.
Albert Waldstein, had spared her. He'd taken one good look into her eyes, almost like he was staring into the very fabric of her being before he'd spared her.
That act, coupled with him showing her what it was like to be cared for, to be loved… like having a father, had cemented her as who she was today. It had taken less than a year, but he had put an impression on her that had shaken her to her core.
Her love for the mortals, or more specifically, for those she considers family… her people, was unparalleled. She would do anything for them, even if it meant she would die.
Yet she knew that the war would kill a large portion of them, and there would be nothing she could do about it, as much as it pains her.
Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she looked up at the sun, slightly over the horizon and illuminating the city beautifully, she silently wondered how her messenger was doing.
She'd recently got word of the brewing war between Orario and the Empire. It had come as a bit of a shock to her. Some unforeseen variables had to have existed for the empire to not only attack and claim Rakia, but also set their sights on Orario.
It was a bit irritating having her predictions squashed by such unforeseen circumstances, but given the pattern so far, she had an inkling that Bell Cranel was somewhere at the center of it.
How he was, she wasn't sure, and she wouldn't be able to tell until her spies came back and informed her. Nevertheless, it had postponed her plans a bit, as she'd expected to be able to get a reply from Bell Cranel within a few months, before meeting, but the war will push that back.
How long? She did not know. A couple of months at best… a few years at worst. Though… if Bell Cranel is fighting at the front, there is nothing that would be able to stand in his way.
The strongest warrior of the Empire, Kaius was a level 8, and a relatively new one at that. He didn't have any special circumstances or potential growth skills such as Bell Cranel, so as long as the latter took the former seriously, the war would be nothing but a one-sided bloodbath.
'Though I wonder if he's one to go that far…' She pondered right as the door to the balcony slid open.
"Milia." Kita nodded slightly as her blue eyes glanced back at her.
"Milady, to be blunt. You look like hell." Milia commented as she took in her queen's appearance. Kita couldn't help but chuckle at the forwardness, yet she appreciated it. There was nothing one valued more as a leader that was feared, than one that isn't afraid to speak their mind. It's refreshing beyond measure… true friends are hard to come by after all.
"Blunt as always I see… though what you say is true. I usually hide during this time, as it reminds me of the days when I was less than I am now… when I was nothing but a pitiful slave to them." She spat out the last word like the most vile of venoms as Milia hissed at the thought.
"Tsk, I see. Have they been bothering you again?" Milia asked, her question being answered by a simple nod. Walking up next to her, the Harpy gave a hard beat of her wings as she landed on the railing with her feet like a perch.
"They are beyond persistent. They should understand by now that there is nothing they can do to regain their control over you. Their power is chained, only usable within the confines of their prison, more potent the deeper one goes." Milia added.
"Indeed, One hundred floors to drain their powers, each one using their abilities to build monsters, each floor closer to the surface, weaker than the last. It's a brilliant way for the gods to have achieved their goals if only they'd actually cared about the consequences it would have on the inhabitants of this world." Kita's words held a hint of contempt to them, Milia quirking an eyebrow as she leaned forward slightly.
"Oh? I sometimes wonder how deep your knowledge goes. From what I know, you shouldn't have been alive when the gods did whatever they did."
"You would be correct. Most of what I know has been pierced together with time. I could be wrong, only time will tell, but nevertheless, it is the most likely possibility. Either way, I don't know everything, the only ones that could truly give a picture of what really happened, and the true nature of the Keepers are the gods themselves as they were the only ones there when it occurred." Kita answered as Milia hummed.
"Is that so? That's unfortunate, it's been made abundantly clear since the gods descended that they will not divulge that information. They all respond the same. 'The dungeon is the dungeon'..." Milia scoffed after she finished, too many times had the gods said that according to their spies. It was honestly growing old.
"Yes, the dungeon may be the dungeon, but one must wonder. What would it be, if it loses the prisoner that it is not only made to hold but is the source of their power?" Both fell silent at that.
The dungeon was without a doubt alive… so… without the ones that controlled it… what would it do?
=Rakia Castle=
"What…?" Kaius breathed out in reply as the soldier in front of him delivered the news. If he'd been a bit more aware, Kaius may have taken some pity on the messenger, but was his thoughts were to rattled to do so.
"A-as I sai-"
"I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID!" He lashed out, gloved fist smashing into the desk as the wood gave way to the force, sending splinters scattering across the room with the contents on the desk smashing flying across from the backlash.
The soldier held back a whimper as his feet trembled, screaming at him to run, but being petrified at the same time.
"Leave…" The words came out far more composed after Kaius had taken a moment to calm down. Without hesitation, the man practically sprinted out the door, leaving the former Zeus Familia member to internally seethe.
How in the name of all hell, did the information post fall so swiftly and so easily. He'd figured the Phantom was powerful, but this… He'd stationed three of his level 6s there! THREE! That was one-third of all their level 6's, not to mention all the levels 5's and 4's as well mixed in with countless levels 3's and 2's.
And apparently, they were slaughtered like common rats during a purge… Sighing out and sitting down in the chair, Kaius felt his shoulder sag as a sense of foreboding came over him… and as much as he hated to admit it.
Fear.
He'd ignored the possibility for far too long. It should have been obvious with the closeness of the event and when the Phantom appeared.
"Shit…" He muttered as the door opened without even a knock. He didn't even have to ask who it was as only two people ever did that, and one was in their lab at the moment.
"Nakul, now is not a good time." He admonished as his head of intelligence, espionage, and assassination silently plopped himself down on a chair and crossed his legs.
"You should know by now Kaius, I don't really care. Though, what's got your bollocks twisted in knots like that?" He asked, amusement evident in his voice. While he could be aloof and standoffish with anyone he didn't respect or feel comfortable with, he was quite the opposite when he was. As much as Kaius loathed it at times.
"You won't be so amused when you find out."
"Find out what?" Was the immediate response as Kaius's eyes turned to him seriously.
"I believe Bell Cranel survived." It took a second for the information to process, but the relaxed posture of Nakul stiffened as he saw his hands clench against his legs. Both had been sure of his demise. From all accounts, Varede's curse should have still been in effect during the fall but…
"Fuck, I knew the timing of her collapsing was too close." Nakul hissed. He'd decided not to double-check on Kaius' advice and had simply left his hiding spot and followed them back. After all, his sole role of keeping any interference from arriving had been somewhat achieved. That meddlesome elf notwithstanding.
She'd been a surprise to the assassin, he'd for so long been fast enough to notice and react to anything faster than anyone else apart from Kaius that he'd forgotten what it was like when anyone else did it.
In a way, he had realized he'd grown soft due to it and had trained relentlessly since.
"Indeed… and I fear we may have a much larger issue on our hands now. From how he's acting, he's completely lost it. No form of goading or bait will lure him as his attacks are almost random. One day he's attacking convoys, the next he's simply slaughtering any came he comes across without a care. He'd like a bloodhound without a leash." Kaius said, simultaneously trying to brief Kaius as well as figure out the situation himself.
"Right, so what can we do? If what you say is true, then we can't set up a trap with Kaede again. Her curse may be really fucking useful, but it's a one-shot deal. Fail, and you're screwed."
That… Kaius knew all too well. The curse on the surface may seem almost unbeatable, it is actually extremely flawed. For one, it is useless unless one has had meticulously planned for a conflict beforehand. Days in fact, as it is a catalyst-type magic curse… and the catalyst used is rare…
After all, it's not easy to get something like the essence of the sacred tree. Very useful for many different purposes, but it's limited and their plants in the Alf sacred forces can only smuggle so much without causing adverse damage to the tree.
The tree after all does decay if too much is taken before it can recuperate.
The amount they can extract every month is equivalent to a single use of her curse magic, meaning they do not have enough of it to use for three more weeks. Sure, they could try to hold out for that time, but with the way events were panning out, it was only a matter of time until he found one of them-
That doesn't even take into consideration that Orario is preparing for an all-out war…
His entire plan hinged on Bell Cranel being killed, and he cursed himself for not making sure the job was done. Now… now he had to find a way to pull through this situation.
"I know. We need to regroup and plan, Varede is still working on her experiments and we both know nothing's gonna get away until she's satisfied." Kaius answered back as Nakul nodded, humming along.
"Damn right about that. I may not care about the enemy, but shit, the things she does almost makes me feel sorry for them." Nakul's comment hit close to Kaius's heart, far closer than the assassin would think.
Despite his defection to the empire, Kaius wanted what was best for him and his people, but he'd lived amongst the people outside the empire for so long during his time with Zeus that no matter how much he tried to look the other way, it still felt wrong.
Forcing his emotions down, the man turned and looked out the window with a perfect view of the setting sun, a deep frown marring his features as he tried to think of any solutions.
All he knew for certain, was that difficult times were ahead. He only hoped they would be able to weather it.
=Orario=
On top of the wall, Erebus stood silent as he worked the back of the boy he'd met a decade and a half ago. The legacy of the greatest mage Orario had ever seen and her sister, the mage that allowed and made what he wanted to do possible after the fall of Zeus and Hera.
It didn't take long for the numbers to finish updating as Erebus finished up his work while Bell inspected the results.
Name: Bell Cranel
Lv 8
Status:
{STR} I-43 - I-49
{VIT} I-2
{DEX} I-36 - I-40
{AGI} I-97 - H-101
{MAG} I-20 - I-21
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: 329%)
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)
Vesta: As long as the user's desire to protect something remains, regenerate wounds and fatigue at an increased pace. Heightens defence against any flame or heat by a large margin. All fire based attacks have increased effects.
Strength of the effect is based on the strength of the user's desire to protect.
Development Abilities:
Luck: S
Abnormal Resistance: A
Psych: B
Intuition: B
Strong Body: E
Mystery: G
Supreme Vigor: I
The fact that his agility had risen to H in a single week was surprising, but it was his most abused stat with him running everywhere constantly, Erebus had told him Liaris Freeze had gotten weaker. Not by a massive amount, but noticeable.
Bell could understand the reason for it. All he could think about was Elora, the guilt, the pain, and most of all, the loving memories that had begun to haunt him in his sleep, making sure that what little sleep he got wasn't doing its job, not really.
His heart beat for her and his children… his family… but Kaius is a threat to that- no, the Empire is a threat to that. He's lost his family two times already in his life, he won't let that happen again.
The memory of the tears in Ryuu's eyes as she stared at him as if he was a monster flashed in his mind for a split second as he internally flinched before shrugging the feeling off. He couldn't let her continue to try to stop him.
Better for her to think the worst of him, than to put her in any unnecessary danger. Focusing back on the update, he checked it over one last time before handing it back.
"Thank you, Erebus. I'll contact you tomorrow, is that okay?" He asked, the god nodding along before putting a hand on Bell's shoulder.
"Bell, you know that I support you, but do you have to do this alone? Orario is about ready to launch their offensive…" Erebus stated as Bell instantly froze, shoulders tensing as he realized what that meant.
His children… Adrienne, Aralaya and Jannor. Even Bache, was going to war. Sure, he trusted them, but the thought itself was… it made him nervous beyond measure. The dungeon was one thing, at least there, they knew the general danger per floor and recommended, abnormal events notwithstanding, but a war, especially one with the empire?
Taking a deep sigh and thinking about the situation. He wanted to be able to keep an eye on them, but how? It wasn't like he could follow them around, especially given that the chance of them all going to the same battles was slim to none. If he knew Finn correctly, he'd probably split them between separate fronts, similarly to how he did down in the Knossos all those years ago.
"I'll be in touch…" Bell all but whispered, making a decision before leaping off the wall, leaving behind an off-put god in his wake.
Despite him being honest and truly supporting Bell, one thing he did not want to see was for him to destroy himself… no matter what he'd said previously.
Seeing Bell's figure rapidly disappearing into the distance in a blur, leaned forward with a heavy sigh.
"What is right or wrong…?" He muttered to himself as his eyes fell to his hands, conflicting emotions going through him as Erebus frowned.
"I don't even know anymore…"
=Twilight Manor=
The sound of his pen swirling across papers was all too familiar to Finn. The past week had been a whirlwind and then some. He'd run around alongside Riveria and Gareth, even the other executives had done the same in preparations for the impending war.
With all of Orario being dragged into this mess, and Thúl being mortally injured, and Bell Cranel going rouge, his hands had been literally and figuratively held up. He and everyone else had run around to every type of Familia there was. Industrial, Medicinal, Agricultural, Smithing, and Exploration to name a few. This wasn't the usual conflict against Rakia they were used to. It wasn't something they'd be able to breeze through.
The enemy has soldiers on par with some of their best and Kaius himself can fight Ottar to a standstill if not even beat him, the Boaz himself has admitted to that fact. In their last confrontation, he had been an inch from death, but by pure luck managed to escape.
In layman's terms, they had to be methodical, or risk defeat… and he knew, that defeat in this case, would most likely result in the destruction of Orario. The most time-consuming task hadn't been to manage everything, it had been the pre-planning for the war, including the placement across the fronts.
Thankfully, he wouldn't have to single-handedly manage every front on his own and instead delegate the tasks. He'd command the southern front located on the plains while the northern front by the steep cliffs would be managed by Riveria.
There had been issues with it from Freya Familia at first, but apparently, that had been curbed rather quickly by Ottar. To be honest, he was curious as to why, but he knew that was internal familia business and to keep his nose out of it. Whatever incited this change, Finn was all for it as it made his job much easier.
And due to that, he'd managed to get them to a prepared state within a single week. It was honestly beyond surprising as it was the fastest Orario had ever been able to mobilize before. Even during the time of Zeus and Hera, the fastest mobilization for anything had been two and a half weeks and that had only been for a small defense mobilization.
As he signed a final document, Finn let a sigh escape him as the pressure eased a bit knowing that with that, everything was set in motion. They would depart in three days according to his planning.
Loki, Freya, Themis, Ganesha, and even Hermes familia were coming along with Rakia supporting them with everything he could spare.
Silently standing up, Finn walked up to the window and looked out of it, one hand on the windowsill as he took in the view of the cramped streets. A week and it had barely gotten better. The temporary lodging did not help with their day-to-day life as most of them couldn't stay in their camps.
It certainly didn't help the chaos that the knowledge of intelligent monsters caused major waves throughout the city. More than a few familias had decided to conduct what was essentially a crusade against them and banded together to search and 'exterminate' the threat.
That had caused rifts between people as some were so tired of the endless killing, that they preached to try to negotiate, surprising more than some, including himself.
It had practically split Orario's opinion in half, and the prum did not know what to do about it. He had no right to intervene, but if left as is would tear the city apart… perhaps even humanity as a whole. After all, there was no way in hell they were going to be able to keep this information inside Orario.
It was more than likely that letters containing it had already left the city walls, heading for their sender's families, friends, or home countries, informing them of the enormous news.
It would take some time, but within a month… they would know if the world would give them a chance or not.
Shaking his head, he looked back down at the streets and focused back on the more pressing issue at the moment, one that couldn't procrastinated in any way, shape, or form.
Besides, Soon, they'd be able to begin doing something that would help the people in the camps… more permanently. The only issue on the agenda for that task was… well… it was how many people would have to die for that to happen.
That part of him he was so used to listening to, the part he had been for so long wanted to say 'However many that were necessary', but his conversations with Riveria and Gareth, the recent events with Ais, and the mere thought of his daughter being one of those sacrifices made those thoughts pause.
It made him question if that was what had to happen. If there wasn't something he could do to make sure no one will die. It's hopelessly idealistic and the chances of it coming to fruition were practically zero.
But as Riveria had once asked him… Why not try?
Sighing and closing his eyes, he promised himself he would try. After all, he owed Riveria… no, everyone that at least. They were relying on him, believing in him.
An artificial hero he may be, but he would do everything he could to make sure no one dies.
Or at least he'd fail while trying.
=Makeshift Campsite, West of Orario, 9PM=
The fire cackled as the timber slowly burned away by the warm flames that lit up the surroundings as Bell sat with a small pile of letters.
Going through all of the letters, even with his speed turned out to take a lot of time. He noted to himself that reading fast may get him through it all quickly, but it was not preferable to read between the lines which Kaius seemed to love doing.
He'd had to reread letters multiple times just to get the message that was meant to be delivered. Some of it was status reports, and most were just soldiers sending letters home to their families.
He wanted to scoff at the absurdity. Here they were ruining life for entire countries, burning, pillaging, and raping before writing loving letters to their wives and children.
It was honestly bizarre and made his stomach twist into knots.
One interesting piece of information he'd found so far though was that Kaius and Varede were in a much deeper relationship than he thought. On the outside, it looked purely physical with maybe some emotions mixed in, but the knight of knights was honest to gods in love, and the same vice versa.
'Two psychopaths… how romantic' Bell thought bitterly as he remembered how he'd happily taken Elora from him. How he'd gutted her before they fell.
It was just one more reason for him to go for Varede first… to go for where it really hurt. Kaius wanted to build a life with her. A family? Well, tough luck. He'd make sure that never happened.
He'd rip it away from him and have him watch as all his hopes and dreams turn to ashes before his eyes.
He'd made a promise, and he'd keep it.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he reached over into his pouch, pulling out another letter stored within, before frowning at the seal.
Every letter had its own unique seal depending on who wrote it.
Kaius was red with the emblem of the First Legion on it. Varede was similar but purple… and if he'd guess, this was Nakul. Black with the First Legion emblem. It was the first he'd seen, so he honestly did not know what to expect.
Cracking the seal carefully, he unfolded the letter within as his red eyes began to take in the contents of the letter.
~ Commander Nakul
Our usual method of correspondence seems to have failed. It appears that our courier has either abandoned us, or something has happened to them. Fortunately, he was not carrying any sensitive information, but it led me to take a less secure line of communication through the information post between Rakia and the Empire's border.
I'd recommend assigning a new courier for future correspondences that you trust, but knowing you, it has already been handled.
As for my report from Orario, the Braver has mobilized a surprising force alongside Freya and Themis Familia with Rakia bolstering their numbers as well. It has become increasingly difficult to spy on them, especially due to Themis Familia.
I do not know what it is about them, but they are all abnormal. Veregina almost found me within less than a minute of trying to sneak into their manor. Thus, I believe that your previous order is not possible with my capabilities.
I also must give highly urgent news. Bell Cranel has survived and appears to have gone rogue. From the talks between the Familia's, he appears to be targeting our supply lines, though nothing conclusive has been found out by anyone within the city.
To conclude this report, Orario appears to be heading for an estimated two weeks until preparations are complete if the impending conflict between Freya and Loki keeps escalating.
Until further orders, I shall continue to blend in within Loki Familia's ranks.
Epsilon ~
As Bell finished the letter, his eyes shifted to the side as the information sunk in. This was a veritable gold mine, he knew that for a fact, but he also knew there was no reason to get too excited.
He'd gotten lucky. Very lucky, to the point that he honestly couldn't attribute this luck to anything but his development ability… an ability that he had a love-hate relationship with. It protected him… but not other people he cared for. Not his goddess… not the innocent Adrienne and not Elora.
The letter itself was quite cryptic, but two pieces of crucial information lay within. One, their codename is Epsilon. He did not know if that was high ranking or not, but it gave him a means of confirming his suspect.
People can control their facial features, but shock will always have the same effect on people. Elevated heart rate, shallower breath, and the narrowing of the pupil. Instinctual reactions of any living being that can't be removed.
The second piece of information though, is the most important. Whoever it is, they have managed to hide within Loki Familia without being spotted. How? He did not know, but he knew that it had to be someone inconspicuous. Probably lower leveled so that no one would notice as easily if something was off.
It made him wonder though how they pulled it off. Loki familia would notice if a stranger was within their home and among their ranks… a traitor perhaps?
It was quite a conundrum, but he knew that this was his in. Nakul and his spies had direct lines not only to Nakul, but also to Kaius and Varede. They were the heart of the First Legion, pumping information around so that the brains could work their magic and send orders to the muscles.
An apt analogy came to him as a small smirk played on his lips, the moonlight dancing on his skin and worn armor.
The information is the blood… and he was the virus, invading and destroying the body from within.
'Well, guess I'm heading back after all' Bell thought as he leaned back, looking up to the night sky.
He'd have to make sure no one sees him. He knows how to do that, but the issue is his presence. He'd still not found a way to suppress it, so finesse was required. His armor was a no-go, so…
Without hesitating, he allowed it to disappear back between his skin, only leaving him with his clothes underneath.
Laying down in the grass, he slowly closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to welcome him into its embrace.
He had a clear path now. One step at a time, he would dismantle and destroy Kaius and everything he loves.
With that, sleep took him over as everything went black.
=Archian Manor=
Bache stood on one of the balconies of the manor, the letter she'd received from the Elf, Awyin. She'd put it on the backburner with the preparations for war, but with those duties finalized, she'd found more time to ponder how to handle the situation.
She had never been the best at thinking through situations and making the best choices for the long term. That had always been Elora's specialty, and on rare occasions, Bell, though he was far from perfect in that regard.
The way she saw it, she had a couple of options, at least that were obvious. Firstly, she could simply decline it. She had plenty of reasons to do so, the major one being the current instability of their situation, but also due to the single encounter they'd had, which was borderline hostile.
Though, something in her gut told her that it doing so, would lead to something bad… very bad. That does not even mention the fact that having them as allies might prove to be a boon as even Bell had felt threatened by that Vouivre when they'd met, adding that on top of that minotaur hybrid could only mean one thing.
They possessed a military that might be comparable if not even surpassing that of Orario's. Turning down an opportunity to form an alliance of sorts with someone like that was even to her, stupid.
The opposite would be to accept the invitation, despite their current predicament, but that had the cost of pulling them out of the war, which they had no idea how long it would last.
Orario may have far more first-class adventurers compared to the Empire, at least according to preliminary reports that Finn had shared, but their numbers dwarfed theirs nearly ten to one.
Worst of all, while Rakia had the similar numbers in the past, the issue is the fact that they have soldiers that can stand toe to toe with their strongest and hold their ground. They needed every person on deck for this entire ordeal.
With both of those options non-viable, she could only think of one possible solution.
To request an extension of the date to whenever they could feasibly visit Einhente, which at the moment, she did not know when. Weeks, months… years?
Her eyes fell towards the gate, a sadness filling her at the thought of their current situation remaining for such an extended period of time.
Movement at the gate caught her attention, causing her to frown as the form of Erebus walked up the pathway toward the manor. Questions filled her mind as she wondered what he had been doing out at this time of night.
Normally, for gods that would be normal behavior. Even Kali went out for some 'fun' at times, and she'd as well not think much of it with Erebus if it happened maybe once in a while. But this was the third time in a week he'd gone.
It was bizarre and an extreme behavior change, completely unbecoming of a god.
Narrowing her eyes slightly in suspicion, she turned around and headed inside, Fina cleaning the main hall as their eyes met, the chienthrope smiling at the amazoness, though it didn't reach her eyes, not completely.
Bache gave a weak smile in return, not bothering to ask as she already knew. She was afraid like the rest of them for what was to come. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the stairs just as the doors opened.
"Ah, welcome back, Erebus-sama." Fina greeted the god, his grey eyes meeting her red ones with a nod.
"Good evening Fina, Bache." He responded right as the Amazoness walked up to him, putting her hands on her hips on instinct as she straightened her back.
"Where have you been?" Her question elicited blinks from both the deity and chienthrope.
"As blunt as ever I see. I was simply out on a stroll, is that so bad?" He responded without hesitation as he recovered.
"Normally no, but it's too much of a behavior change. How many times have you been out before seven days ago?" She asked, frowning as Erebus sighed, but refused to respond.
"Precisely. You could go months without leaving the house. I wouldn't think much of it if you decided to go out once for a walk. That isn't too much of a change, but you've gone out three times in seven days! That is not normal, which means you have a reason to go out." The silence spread around the room as Bache stared hard into Erebus' eyes, the two seemingly having a clash of wills as Fina stood between the two, not knowing what to do.
Moments felt like minutes before Erebus rubbed his temples in frustration before coming to a decision.
"Fine, I was meeting with Bell." Those words were something that caused Bache to almost stumble backward, her heart clenching at the feeling of betrayal. He'd been back… he'd been here, in the city, and hadn't even come to visit.
The knowledge of that fact only served to feed flammable substances to the fire of her anger as she felt like she would burst.
He had been here… He had been here three times without saying anything…
The thoughts repeated in Bache's head as Fina's ears drooped slightly.
"And you didn't bring him back…!" Bache eventually hissed as Erebus instantly gave her his best 'Are you stupid?' look.
"I couldn't even if I'd tried, besides, I am not against what he's trying to do, only in the execution. He's slowly destroying himself, and he needs help. The issue is that he won't accept it." Erebus reasoned, Bache slowly forcing her emotions down as she clenched her jaw.
"Fine. But you tell me next time you're going to be meeting him. Get that?" She told him sharply, shoving her finger into the god's chest, hard enough to push him backward roughly making it clear she was pissed off at him.
"Alright, though don't expect a warm welcome. He'll probably just leave."
Bache wanted so badly to refute that, saying she'd stop him, but she knew very well that if Bell wanted to disappear, no one could stop him. If he used everything at his disposal, she wouldn't be able to blink before he was gone.
"Yeah… but I have to try something!" Bache threw back, still unsure what to do if that happened.
It was frightening to know you were so powerless to stop something from happening. Over and over again, it was happening. Elora, Bell leaving, Celia… every time, her world fell apart around her, and every time she tried to stop it.
'Can I even stop it?' The thought came with vengeance, tearing at her resolve as she slowly deflated from the heated temper she'd just displayed. It was a valid question, as never, had she been able to.
A memory of Celia comforting her when she was younger after having first killed someone, the words she'd said to calm her down, the meaning behind them.
This world we live in is unpredictable and cruel. The best we can do, is to mitigate whatever it throws at us. But sometimes… there is no stopping it.
As her thoughts continued to run rampant like her emotions, she silently wondered what was wrong with her. She'd had this conversation with Erebus before, about him stopping Bell. Just yesterday in fact… so why can't she…
"I… I need some time to think" Bache said as Erebus moved to say something, but she gave him no chance and quickly left, leaving the god and the Chienthrope standing there, staring after her.
The god could understand to a point what she was feeling. She was similar to Bell in a way, only different in her reaction. He was the type to react, to try to save those he cared for. It came from a place of good, but good is a path that can easily lead to horrific actions.
One can slaughter entire cities in the name of protection, of ensuring safety for others. Bache and Bell wanted to do the same thing, but in doing it in separate ways, they walked separate paths, both moving towards the same goal.
Despite being a being with so much power, he too could understand the feeling of powerlessness. After all… no power is infinite, and currently. All he could do was watch as his children tried to piece together the fractured family.
"Erebus-sama… can I ask something?" Fina's question snapped Erebus out of his thoughts as he turned to her with a nod.
"Do you think Bell will return?"
Silence stretched across the room for the second time, the air feeling thick as he knew there was only one thing he could respond with.
"I don't know."
Well, things are getting close to heating up and Bell is starting to formulate a real, long-term plan. Wonder what happened to Ryuu… she couldn't possibly be planning to give up…? Right?
Anyway, enough of that. There isn't really much to say at the moment, so I won't keep you here long. Instead, we'll move straight into the reviews.
Mairsarmy321: Wow this was a good chapter. Worth the wait. Insane how Bell is going nuts against the empire. Although isn't his wife still alive but in a coma.
How come he reacted as though shes dead? Does he think she died despite the fact that the doctors said she was healed physically? Or us being in a coma the same as being dead in his eyes.
Anyways great chapter and hope to see the next one soon including Heroic Will when you finish this one
Author: He reacted that way as explained in the chapter. He's lost his family twice again, and he was deathly afraid of it happening again. Fear causes even the best of people to do illogical and horrible things, thus leading to the situation they are in.
Stevenpiskunov2: So this is like a reversal of what happened with Bell and Ryu in the Original story. Only... Much more brutal. I can only assume that the chaos has only begun.
I feel like the old Erebus would enjoy this but with how he is now, I don't think he does but I also do not think that this outcome surprised him either. That lady that just experimented on that man was the same girl that locked Bell's status that time right? At first I was thinking Bell is gonna do something for revenge that will make him lose things he loves but honestly after seeing this, its hard to say if it will be worth it or not.
But we will have to wait and see what you have in store for Bell for after he gets his revenge. That lady is evil and so is Kaius. Love and family can sometimes drive us to do more good but it can also drive us to make stupid decisions that we only regret after we do them.
Author: You… you kinda hit the nail on the head. On everything! Well done. Also, the chaos is only going to get worse when the war truly breaks out. It's gonna be five main perspectives to tell the story from. Kaius, Bell, and the three fronts… that's gonna be intense.
Though I am looking forward to telling the story to y'all.
BChuggs: OOF!
There's the over-the-edge Bell, and there's the right over-the-edge Bell. The second one is for sure!
The fact my man is over here eradicating camps left and right makes me imagine that one part in TLOU where Abby walks in on all the corpses that Tommy murdered when he's on the search for the woman.
Boy, oh boy!
With this ending, I wonder if we'll have an interpretation flashback of Zeus and Hera being monsters, strong adventurers that should have never been overlooked by the many in Orario. An extraordinary idea y'all could have is to split the memories apart, starting with Ryuu. Maybe retell it with Finn or someone else, and then notably end it with Ottar due to his encounters with them.
I wonder, though, how will Bell's massacre end. Will he annihilate everything involved with Elora's comatose— or will this end in a similar way but God Of War 3 style ending..?
Hm, only writing could tell! My inquiries can only do so much as scratch your surfaces.
Anyway, thank you for the chapter, and until next time! Stay safe, and take care!
Author: I honestly enjoy reading reviews like this. A nice change of pace of someone both retelling the events of the chapter and theorizing about it.
It never fails to put a smile on my face (No, that was not meant to be a Thanos reference).
Thanks for the review and both me and Chalister hope we don't disappoint.
Anyway, that's it for the reviews, and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and to see you all next time!