Chapter 8: Between Gods and Mortals
((For those familiar with the lore of Danmachi and Sword Oratoria, this fanfic has the peculiar feature that Bell does not participate in the final incursion into Knossos, which affects several events, including the survival of Dionysus and his family, among other things. If you weren't aware of this, there's a brief summary from Loki's thoughts. With that said, thank you for reading this far))
In their first incursion into Knossos, they were completely caught off guard, and a large group from the Loki Familia was brutally tortured to death.
Deep down, Loki hated herself for allowing it to happen, but despite the immense sorrow that weighed on her, she gathered all her fury and channeled it into the hunt for those responsible.
Not long after, they obtained the keys left behind by Daedalus's descendants and, with a bit of help, planned the second assault on the man-made dungeon.
Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, but their efforts collapsed when the remnants of Evilus followers, the Dionisus Familia, and the goddess Penia were sacrificed in a spiritual ritual—one that nearly trapped them in the process. If it hadn't been for the unexpected intervention of Thanatos—betrayed by the one he thought was his ally— took his own life, opening a way out for them to escape...
During the third attack, when Loki finally believed the web of lies and deceit was nearing its end, she organized an assault in which Orario's heroes joined forces to put an end to this nightmare once and for all.
The six demi-spirits chanting the ritual of the super spell meant to destroy Orario were stopped, but she quickly realized that had never been the true objective.
Even that close to the finish line, she had fallen into Dionysus's cunning trap.
When the thunderous roar of a dragon echoed across the battlefield, she knew their mission had failed.
Despite all the help they had mustered, they lacked a critical piece—someone unbound by the laws of the gods, someone playing outside the board. Something neither she nor Dionisus could have predicted: a true hero, destined to end the dragon's reign before it could awaken.
If it hadn't been for Ottar, driven by a burning desire to protect his goddess's domain, fighting hand-to-hand with the dragon…
Untilsheburst onto the battlefield. The black storm tore through everything in its path. Ais, consumed by fury and haunted by her past, cloaked in the deepest darkness—her once warm and gentle wind had become the fiercest of hellfires.
Even levels seemed to lose meaning in her battle alongside the other adventurers against the Nidhogg.
She didn't regain her senses until the black dragon's head lay at her feet.
That day was celebrated as a victory for the guild, but to her, it was merely another entry in her growing list of defeats.
Dionysus, Filvis Challia, and the red-haired monster, Revis, had managed to escape the dungeon amidst the chaos, and the morale of her familia plummeted once again.
Finally, today, when the small god who owned a shabby pharmacy came to her with information about the future, her selfish desire to catch that rat who had caused her so much trouble clouded her judgment.
She didn't reveal the truth that so few knew: Evilus no longer existed, and its purpose had evolved into something far greater. Even her warning about the black dragon fell on deaf ears.
She knew Dionysus would strike again. When and where remained a mystery, so when she heard Miach's warnings, a surge of emotion welled up inside her.
If Dionysus wanted to bring more dragons into Orario, let him. If he wanted to attack her with fire, so be it. But she would be ready, waiting. When that time came, she wouldn't give him a chance to react. She would confront him and drag him down to answer for everything he had done.
She wouldn't show mercy. She was the trickster god who once shook the heavens and sparked conflicts for sport. She would not let that poorly played imitation mock her again.
That's why, when the sky split open anditstared directly into her divine soul, a wave of helplessness engulfed her. Almost unconsciously, she broke the treaty with the dungeon, unleashing her arcanum to strike at that abomination that gazed into her unguarded essence, unraveling her deepest fears and mocking the weaknesses that so few had ever seen in the light.
Steeling herself, she pushed that urge aside. The gaze had lasted only minutes, though it felt like hours—yet no one dared to violate the one rule that bound them in the mortal world: never use a god's powers.
When the sky healed and its natural colors returned, the collective sigh of relief was audible.
But it wasn't over. They had acted too soon.
The entrance to Babel cracked open—
And a horde of monsters poured out like water from a burst dam.
...
"Urgent mission for all Orario adventurers—report to Babel to stop the dungeon monsters!" blared the voice of a Guild worker through the loudspeakers, nearly drowned out by the creatures' deafening roars.
"Damn it, what's going on?!" shouted a level one adventurer, fending off a pack of lunging Kobolds.
The monster flow was intensifying, and with it, the struggle. At first, only first-floor monsters emerged—but within minutes, those from the second floor began to surface. After barely half an hour of fighting, creatures from the sixth and seventh floors were spilling out. The situation was spiraling into desperation.
Thanks to the swift response of the Ganesha Familia and the orders of a resolute Pallum coordinating from the rear, three lines of adventurers had formed to guard the entrance. At the front, level three adventurers were clearing out the bulk of the monsters, carving a path for those escaping the dungeon. Level twos dealt with stragglers slipping through the fray, while in the third row, level one adventurers stood ready to assist the dazed fighters emerging from below.
So when a group of monsters broke through to their position, alarm spread instantly—because it meant the number of monsters was so great, they were now overwhelming even the first two defensive lines.
It wasn't a matter of strength—a level three adventurer only needed one strike to dispatch monsters from the early floors. But even they had a limit to how many they could handle before their hands were too full.
If only the adventurers emerging from the dungeon could help stem the tide, the situation might turn around. But it was useless—each time someone was stopped and questioned, they collapsed on the spot, instantly unconscious and out of the fight.
The mysterious weakness affecting the returning adventurers made the battle against the swelling horde even more difficult.
Some healers tried using skills and potions on them, but even so, there was no response.
It was finally decided that, after being stopped, the unconscious adventurers would be taken either to the Guild headquarters or to the Ganesha Familia's base, which had begun gathering people in its underground facilities. Safety and mutual support had become critical amid the chaos.
Even some gods were dragged there—those who would normally linger near the battlefield, watching with fervent excitement. But now, they had lost all strength. Unlike the adventurers, who had recovered relatively quickly from their daze once the eye in the sky vanished, many gods had fallen into nervous breakdowns after the event.
Some trembled, eyes wide, staring up at the sky and murmuring words no one could understand—except the gods who listened. Only Orario's Pillars managed to retain their dignity amid the crisis.
Goddess Loki had been among the first to arrive, accompanied by the god Miach, carrying large quantities of medicine that were distributed among the adventurers. They were followed by Guild agents and blacksmiths from the Goibniu and Hephaestus familias, hauling sacks of magic weapons on their backs.
"Look out!"—a shout from one of the nearby residences startled an adventurer just before an arrow flew past his face, striking a goblin that had been sneaking up on him.
"Err… the monsters just keep coming," muttered Liliruca through clenched teeth.
She and her familia were perched on one of the rooftops, watching the scene below. They had arrived fairly quickly at the dungeon entrance, but aside from giving instructions to keep monsters from advancing and firing a few crossbow bolts to support other adventurers, none of them had done much more.
"We have to go help. Monsters from the tenth floor are starting to emerge," said Mikoto as she watched a group of orcs charging forward.
"No, it's not their turn yet. They need to conserve their strength as much as possible," came a voice from behind. Turning around, they saw a god in a hat watching the orcs with a somber expression.
"Hermes, you took your time," said Hestia, who—like the messenger god—radiated a rare seriousness. Even when she crossed paths with her rival Loki upon arriving, her expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Yeah… I was checking something on the city walls," the god whispered, offering no further explanation—but judging by the confused expression on Asfi, who stood close by, it wasn't anything good.
"Bell-sama, you should try to relax a little," said Haruhime, wearing a hood draped over her shoulders to conceal her appearance.
A quick glance around revealed many renowned adventurers and gods observing the stampede, yet none made a move, which only frustrated the young adventurer even more—his hand refusing to let go of the dagger at his side.
"Someone's waking up!"—a shout snapped the group to attention. All eyes turned toward the commotion.
Among the adventurers of the Dian Cecht Familia, one of them opened his eyes, dazed, struggling to stand.
Loki leapt in front of the adventurer, grabbing him by the chestplate. "What's happening in the dungeon?" she demanded in a tone that allowed no argument.
"E…" The adventurer flinched, wincing, before collapsing onto his rear.
Loki reached to grab him again, but was stopped by Hestia, who stepped in between them. "Get out of my sight, you runt. I'm not in the mood for this."
"I don't thinkanygod is in the mood for nonsense."
Letting go, Hestia left her be.
Loki clicked her tongue in irritation, returning to Riveria—who nodded apologetically on behalf of her goddess—and to the Dian Cecht Familia's camp.
"You can tell us what happened down there," Hestia asked gently, her voice carrying the question on everyone's mind.
Everyone already knew what had occurred on the surface; just thinking aboutthat eyemade them shudder. But the dungeon remained a mystery, and the need for answers had never been more urgent.
The strange behavior of the monsters—how they'd fallen into a frenzy—and the panic in the adventurers emerging from below was something none of them could understand.
Biting his tongue, the adventurer finally spoke a few words: "Fear. It felt like something was beneath us. I thought I was going to die—no… Ididdie down there," he said, tears welling in his eyes as he curled up, hugging his knees and burying his face between them.
Some looks were filled with pity, others with fear. The question remained: what could have instilled such terror in them, driving them to behave this way?
"A new calamity born in the abyss?" Hermes murmured, eyes to the sky, tipping his hat. The grim prediction filled everyone with unease.
"Some kind of dungeon defense… maybe that thing's presence triggered the creation of something to protect it," offered Hephaestus, sharing her thoughts.
A few gods nodded in agreement, as if they understood the dungeon's behavior. However, Loki shook her head. "Your child didn't fight the dungeon's guardian," she said, turning to Hestia, who could only nod and glance at Bell.
The rabbit lowered his gaze, deep in thought. "It's strange… Iwasafraid when I saw it—but this… this is on another scale entirely."
"Maybe it manifested like a black irregular on a deeper floor," Hestia added, trying to make sense of it.
At that, Ryuu, who stood nearby with the Hostess of Fertility members, clenched her fists in frustration, her memory of that monster flashing vividly through her mind.
"I don't think this is the dungeon's doing," Hermes cut in. "The dungeon can't create another calamity while the pact still holds. No god has broken the treaty, and the seals are still intact."
His voice grew darker. "Besides, outside of Orario…" he whispered, prompting Loki, who was nearby, to snap her eyes wide open.
"You—!"
Loki lunged forward, hostility radiating from her, but stopped in her tracks as a deafening crash erupted from the dungeon entrance.
A level three adventurer was hurled out like a sack of grain, slamming into a nearby structure with brutal force.
At the entrance, a towering figure—seven meters tall—rose before the adventurers' formation, their bodies trembling at its presence. The entrance had been utterly obliterated, chunks of rock and gravel blasting out like shrapnel, striking several adventurers and knocking them out on the spot.
The floor 17 Monster Rex, possessing power rivaling that of a level four adventurer, was completely out of control. Its furious roar tore through the air as it prepared to charge again. The eyes of every familia on standby narrowed at the terrifying sight.
The Goliath had surfaced.