Hey, I am back! I am not dead! I do apologize for the unannounced hiatus. Been busy with life, work, work, and probably playing FGO, HSR and some. Finally got some more time to finish off the chapter.

RaidenStrayX, Bell won't need to be in his Bella form for any female Heroic Spirits, he will just use the weapons as he is.

Guest, I remember reading LB7 when it fully released, and I suppose it is possible to summon ORT, but we'll see.

Freddy8712, in general, Bell won't contract Divine Spirits. As far as I'm aware, a High Servant doesn't necessarily need to involve Divine Spirits, so those ones may be possible. I already have an idea on what Bell'll be using against the Juggernaut, sooo... And concerning Beast servants, it is possible, but it'll need Bell to be broken.

Fullmetalxdovepaw, I'll keep that ability in mind. But bear in mind, Bell isn't Shirou.

Beowolf43, making a Grail... is a can of worms I really don't wanna open right now hahaha.

Shinigami200, Artoria doesn't have Avalon in her Servant depictions, but she is known to have wielded it in life. Yes, I mean the right to use Avalon as Artoria. And I have never ever mentioned that he is inheriting a single class when he inherits a hero. In Fate (FGO, F/SN etc etc), the Servant Class system exists because a Heroic Spirit is too strong to manifest them fully with said system. Bell doesn't inherit or contract Servants, he inherits the Heroic Spirits themselves.

Alters are a totally different matter, but using Artoria as an example. If Bell inherits Artoria, when he Loads her, he gains access to all of her weapons and abilities. Whether he can use all of them at once depends on how strong he is. When he does, he will have access to Rhonghomyniad, Excalibur and Caliburn. But that doesn't mean he will be strong enough to fully manifest all three weapons and use them to their full potential all at once.

Back to the matter with Alters, it also depends on what Bell's mental state is. Taking the Apollo War game for example, Bell inherited Ushiwakamaru, but his anger and wrath allows him to manifest Ushiwakamaru as Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Taira no Kagekiyo. It'll be the same concept with Alters, if he is ever pushed to that end.

TheKaiserDrekkon, glad you liked my depiction of Gawain here, with how short it is. Richard the Lionheart is someone I will definitely include in the future, with one fight that I will definitely use him for. Hint hint. But yes, I agree that Bell and Richard are similar.

Arturwho, glad to hear you like it. As for Fate and Ghost, yeah it can fit. Honestly, I was considering an FGO/Kamen Rider fic, leaning towards Blade but Ghost is definitely a possibility.

AnimeFan13579, I see what you mean with the Alters, Artoria Alter is essentially Artoria as a tyrant, but still the same person, but Jeanne Alter is a totally alternate version. In that sense, I'm not 100% sure how it is in canon, but here let's consider them a part of the package. It will still depend on Bell's mental state, so if he is pushed to the point where he cannot maintain a mental state that can afform to that Heroic Spirit's normal form, he might use their Alter forms.

As for Artoria, oh yeah he would definitely inherit them all. But like I answered to Shinigami200, it will depend on how strong Bell's body is for if he can use all those abilities all at once.

To Gawain, in the dungeon it wouldn't matter because Gawain's Numeral of the Saints depends on the time and his exposure to sunlight. But let's say he does fight on the surface with Gawain, then yes that would be tricky.

ALPHA02FURY97, I hate to disappoint you but King Arthur will be a while.

Axcel Allen, Bell won't die to the Juggernaut. The flashback won't happen, just so you know. I tend to not include flashbacks for things we already know.

Persasseus2004, the status updates are not meant to be like Danmachi's... mainly because I always found the rankings of the abilities to always be funny. So what I've been doing here, is that the ranking (e.g. S, A, B, C...) are like a level, a grade. The numbers are more like exp points for that rank.

pokemoarya, I could've skipped Lili's arc, but well...

ivan0061509, glad to see you like it. Here's a new chapter.

Jo, glad you liked the kintoki part.


Anyways, here's the newest chapter!

XXX

Back on the surface, in the Hostess of Fertility, Lunoire was carrying a stack of plates, and she asked as she walked past Chloe and Anya, "Has Ryuu been back yet?"

Chloe shook her head, "Not at all-nya. Where do you think she's gone?"

Anya sighed, "No idea-nya. This is the worst… Bell-nya's gone for at least a week, and now Ryuu-nya's left too."

Lunoire looked at the piece of paper on the desk, "She left us a note too… I know she's gone off randomly sometimes, but she always comes back, and she never left a note before."

Anya placed a few chairs in place at the tables, "Nya don't think she got into some trouble?"

Chloe shrugged as she wiped the tables, "I don't know-nya… I'm worried something from her past has come up."

Lunoire nodded, "Possibly."

The shorter cat-person stretched her arms after placing a few more chairs in place, "Maybe she might've even gone into the dungeon-nya."

"If she has, I hope the brat finds her. Gods know how much good our resident crossdresser can do on that end."

Mia's voice reached their ears, earning a few flinches from the three waitresses, and they all turned to see the dwarf walking in.

The dwarf glared at them, "Also, just be aware of what you're saying."

As if on cue, the three spotted Syr walking in, and they quickly understood.

Lunoire let out a short breath, "Let's get back to work."

The three went back to work, but all of them gave the grey haired girl looks regularly.

Syr sighed to herself, both in worry and exasperation at her best friend's sudden disappearance.

(Linebreak)


Some time later that day, Hestia and most of the other gods were in the meeting room in the tower of Babel.

Hestia had a determined expression on her face, and Takemikazuchi looked at her curiously, "What's got her so worked up?"

"The naming part of this meeting, that's what it is."

The Japanese god turned to see Artemis walking past him to sit next to Hestia, "Makes sense."

The goddess of the hearth gripped the parchment in her hand tightly, "It's everyone's second title! I need to make sure they get good ones!"

The goddess of the hunt sighed, "Relax, Hestia. The children will accept most of their titles."

"True, I'd say it's us gods that take those names more seriously."

The three turned to see Hephaestus walking to them, followed by Miach and Hermes.

The god of messengers raised an eyebrow, "Oh, is Freya not with you?"

Artemis shook her head, "No, unfortunately we've got no idea where she is at the moment."

Hermes nodded, "And I'm guessing Ishtar doesn't have any interest in attending this time too."

Hestia snorted, "What do you think? None of her children are getting new names. Besides, I'm sure she'd rather stay holed up in her home."

Miach smiled dryly, "I suppose you're not wrong."

"Alright! Settle down, everyone! I am your host today, I AM… GANESHA!"

And so the meeting of the gods began.


After a while, the naming ceremony had begun, and Ganesha nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, it is settled then. Welf Crozzo from the Hestia Familia will be now known as Ignis."

The Hindu god of wisdom grinned at Hestia, a grin that the Greek goddess of the hearth knew she didn't like, "Now, the next one is a big one! We have Bell Cranel from the Hestia Familia, also known as the Heir to the Throne of Heroes!"

Almost immediately, everyone exploded.

"WHITE CHEATER!"

Hestia immediately exploded, "HE'S NOT A CHEATER DAMMIT!"

"MARRY ME BELL-KUN! WEDDING BELLS!"

"Marron Cream!"

"Hey! Take this a bit more seriously!"

"King of Heroes!"

"Rejected! That name is too fast for him!"

Hermes chuckled as he raised his hand, "I've got a suggestion, if I may."

Everyone quieted down as they looked at the god of messengers, and Artemis raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"

Hermes smiled, "Ghost Liner. Bell-kun is the heir to the Throne of Heroes, no? Plus, it also fits the color of his hair."

Hephaestus hummed, "That is true. It is very fitting considering his abilities and status."

Everyone muttered in agreement, and Ganesha chuckled, "I guess we are in agreement then. Bell Cranel will henceforth be known as Ghost Liner."

(Linebreak)


Meanwhile, back in the dungeon on the 18th floor.

The Hestia Familia members were camping outside of the adventurer's town with equipment summoned from Bell's treasury.

Welf sighed in satisfaction as he downed a glass of juice from a golden mug, "By the gods, we need to do this more!"

Daphne sighed in exasperation, "The powers of a great king, reduced to being used to summon drinks and living equipment."

Cassandra smiled awkwardly, but none of them were not enjoying the comfort from the summoned items.

Bell chuckled, "Hey, we have access to all these things, might as well put them to use. I'd rather not have Babylonia's treasures go to waste when it can be put to use."

Lili nodded in agreement, "Agreed, and it'll save us on our funds too. Rivira is not the best when it comes to prices."

Aisha snorted, "Of course not. Normally we'd come down prepared, but thanks to what happened before, well…."

Haruhime looked at Bell, "Speaking of which, Cranel-sama, how are Luvis-sama, Dormul-sama and the others?"

Mikoto nodded, "I'm curious as well."

The captain of the Familia nodded, "Pretty sure they're being treated at the infirmary in Rivira, I'm planning to visit them again later."

The Amazoness nodded in understanding, "Okay, I'll probably hit the bar too while we're here."

Aisha looked at him, "But before we do, I want to get something out of the way."

Everyone looked at her, and Lili asked, "What is it, Aisha-sama?"

The Amazoness spoke, "I know we just came back from a pretty annoying expedition, but all things considered, we're not that worse off. In fact, I think we came back with nearly zero losses."

Welf nodded, "True, we only used like maybe two or three magic swords in total, and we didn't have to use too many potions."

Lili nodded, "That is true. Our supplies are still good."

Aisha nodded, "That's right. So where I'm going with this, are we going to keep pushing?"

Bell hummed, "I see…"

Mikoto nodded in understanding, "Right, Bell-dono wanted to challenge the Amphisbaena before."

The Amazoness nodded, "Exactly, by all means, if everyone is up for it. We're good for a boss raid, and if my estimations are right, we'll make it right when it respawns."

The boy nodded in understanding, "I definitely want to try my hand at fighting the Amphisbaena. It'll be a good chance to test out using Gawain's powers."

Daphne nodded, "I don't think it is a bad idea too. Personally, I'd like to see how much our Familia can go, but given what happened recently..."

Mikoto spoke up, "I think it'll be a good idea."

Welf hummed, "Then it's settled, yeah? We'll rest up, then head on down to the 27th floor, and we'll have a go at the floor boss."

Bell nodded, "If everyone is good and rested, we'll go tomorrow evening."


Later that day, Bell was in the infirmary, and he stood in front of Luvis' bed, "How are you feeling, Luvis-san?"

The elf smiled, "Much better, thanks to your help."

Bell looked at the other beds, where Dormul was sitting while most of his party members were asleep.

Dormul grinned, "The nurse said we're well on our way to full recovery. Most of us anyways."

The boy nodded, "I'm sorry for the ones we couldn't save."

Luvis snorted, "Don't be. It's… unfortunate, that we couldn't save everyone. But it is in no way your fault, Bell Cranel."

Dormul nodded, "Agreed. We lost a few men here too, but damn am I glad we didn't lose more!"

The elf nodded in agreement, "We all signed up for this. Matter of fact, I consider ourselves lucky to have encountered your Familia when all that happened."

Luvis looked at his party members, "There will always be risks when seeking the unknown. It is how the dungeon is, it is what adventuring means. So do not feel responsible for what happened."

Bell looked at him, "In that case, I shall not say more."

Luvis smiled, "On that note, I must thank you, Bell Cranel."

The boy raised an eyebrow, "Oh? But I didn't do that much, it was my Familia members that did most of the work."

The elf nodded, "If you are referring to assisting us on the way back, perhaps. But in the face of that Moss Huge, none of us would've stood a chance. Without you, all of us would have perished."

Dormul laughed, "I still cannot believe what I saw! That magic of yours was incredible!"

Bell smiled, "Thank you."

The dwarf leaned back in his bed, "So, what do you plan to do now?"

The boy looked at Dormul, "We'll continue down to the 27th floor and challenge the Amphisbaena. That will be the end of our expedition. If you'd like, we can come back and bring all of you back to the surface too."

Luvis shook his head, "No need, but thank you for your offer. We've already chartered a group to assist us in returning to the surface with the Ganesha Familia."

Dormul grinned dryly, "But I suppose the Hestia Familia is aiming higher, to think you'd consider challenging a floor boss after all that. I suppose we still have ways to go."

Bell smiled, "It was something we were considering doing, but we weren't sure if our supplies would hold out. Now that we've gone to the 25th and more, I'm confident we can make it there."

The elf nodded, "Then I pray for your victory."

The dwarf laughed, "We can't repay you if you're dead now, can we?"

The boy chuckled, "We'll do our best."

Bell looked at the door, before back at the pair, "I should get going then. We're departing in a few hours, I'd rather we go there before the Amphisbaena fully respawns."

Dormul and Luvis nodded, and the dwarf spoke again, "Good hunting."

The boy walked to the door and smiled, "Thank you, I'll see you on the surface."

With that said, Bell left the room, leaving Dormul and Luvis to rest with their companions.

(Linebreak)


A while later, Bell and the rest of the Hestia Familia were back on the 26th Floor, having gone through the 25th floor quickly.

Now, Aisha and Mikoto were at the front, while Bell brought up the rear, with Welf, Daphne, Cassandra, Lili and Haruhime in the middle.

The Amazoness and samurai slaughtered monster after monster, and they made their way quickly through the hallways.

Aisha thinned her lips as she shouldered her sword, 'Still not enough.'

She didn't look back, but she could easily picture Bell tearing through the monsters in half the time it took her and Mikoto.

No, Aisha needed to do more.

Mikoto sheathed her blade, noticing the look on her friend's face, "Aisha-dono?"

The Amazoness didn't respond, instead seemingly glaring at the darkness in front of them.

Mikoto patted Aisha's shoulder, "Aisha-dono, are you okay?"

That snapped the Amazoness out of her musings, and the woman nodded, "Yeah, I'm here."

The samurai asked, with worry evident in her eyes, "Should we swap to the back or the middle?

Aisha shook her head, "No, no need. Let's keep going. I want everyone to get as much rest as we can. We can't have our captain tire himself out before the main event."

Mikoto nodded slowly, "Fair enough. But don't push yourself too far."

The Amazoness snorted, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Aisha took a breath, "Let's keep going."

Mikoto studied the Amazoness for a brief moment, before she nodded, "Understood."

The samurai looked back at the others and gave them a thumbs up, before they all continued moving through the dungeon floor.

Soon, they neared the exit of the caverns back to the Great Falls.

As they walked out of the caverns back to the cliffs, Lili spoke, "Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, we'll be entering the entrance to the 27th floor, the bottom of the Great Falls."

Everyone nodded, and Daphne looked at Bell, "How do we want to do this? The Amphisbaena, from what I've heard, can move between floors. That means we can technically stay on the edge of the 26th and fight it here."

Aisha shook her head, "Don't. The Amphisbaena only ever stays in the water, but it tends to use that to flood adventurers."

The Amazoness looked at Bell, "We'll most likely need either range attacks or ice magic to create footholds."

Welf nodded, "I have that covered."

The boy stared at the cliffs, "Yeah, that'll be a good idea."

As they neared the cliffs, the floor started to tremble as if in response to their presence.

Aisha clicked her teeth in annoyance, "Guess we're out of time."

Daphne looked at Bell, "How do we wanna do this, Bell?"

Bell looked down the cliffs, as the water level on the bottom started to rise, "Welf, can you make some space for me?"

The blacksmith drew an ice magic sword, "Whenever you're ready."

Bell nodded, "Aisha, can you keep the others safe? Just in case other monsters appear."

Lili asked, "Are you going to fight it alone, Bell-sama?"

The boy nodded, "I want to test the waters, see how much I can do alone."

Mikoto nodded, "Very well. We'll keep our distance for now."

The floors shook vigorously, as the water surged out from the bottom, and they saw it.

The giant two-headed serpent at the bottom of the 27th floor.

Crystals shone on its back, and the twin headed reptile gave a mighty roar.

Bell took a deep breath, "Alright… here goes."

The boy dashed for the cliffs, "I'm counting on you, Welf!"

The blacksmith nodded, "Gotcha! HIYO!"

Welf swung the magic sword at the bottom, unleashing a wave of cold air that froze a good amount of the water surface.

Bell kept his gaze trained on the Amphisbaena, "Load: Gawain."

Excalibur Galatine appeared in his hands as Bell landed on the frozen surface, the holy sword of revolving victory glowing with power.

Bell kicked at the frozen surface, pushing himself forward as he enveloped his body with the light of Excalibur Galatine.

The Amphisbaena roared as it saw the lone adventurer charging it, and it flailed, its left head unleashing a huge blast of blue flames at the white hero.

Bell tightened his grip on the Galatine, bringing forth more of its powers, and with a mighty yell, swung the sword.

A blast of energy shot out from the slash, cleaving an opening in the flames as Bell continued forward.

The boy leaped up from the ice, and encased the holy sword in flames, before swinging it at the Monster Rex, sending a wave of flames.

In response, the right head of the Amphisbaena breathed out red mist, and the flames quickly dissipated within.

Bell landed on the ice, "So that's its mist…"

The Amphisbaena didn't let up and unleashed another wave of flames, forcing Bell to leap away as his foothold was destroyed.

The boy stayed in the air for a brief moment, weighing his options.

Swapping to Gilgamesh or EMIYA would certainly cut the fight shorter, but he still wanted to see how much he could do with Gawain's powers.

Bell landed on one of the floating icebergs, noting that the Aphisbaena's movements and flames had destroyed a portion of the frozen surface.

The boy took a short breath, "Let's try close range then."

Eina had told him before that adventurers usually relied on ranged attacks or coordinated attacks from land to take down the boss.

But with Welf's ice magic sword, the Hestia Familia had another option open for them.

Bell dashed forward once more, leaping across the icy footholds as he closed in on the Amphisbaena.

The reptile bellowed as it flailed around wildly once more, creating massive waves that knocked the icebergs around.

The boy quickly leaped into the air before the waves could reach him, and Excalibur Galatine exploded with flames.

Bell neared the heads of the Amphisbaena, and the right head shot out with its jaws wide open.

Skillfully maneuvering himself in the air, Bell swung his sword at the reptile's head, landing a devastating slash.

The Amphisbaena howled in pain, and the second head quickly came in with its jaws open to chomp down on the adventurer.

The white rabbit easily saw it coming and kicked at the Amphisbaena's head, moving out of harm's way.


As Bell fought the Monster Rex, the other members of his Familia watched from the cliff of the 26th floor.

Daphne kept her gaze trained on Bell's figure, "Amazing as ever. I never would've thought I'd see a Level 4 solo the Amphisbaena."

Aisha nodded, her face betraying none of her thoughts, "...Yeah, the Ishtar Familia's fought it a few times, but that was with Phryne leading the raids."

The Antianeira had participated in those raids, and even then they had always relied on Phryne's monstrous strength and their numbers, never just Phryne alone.

The Amazoness let out a deep breath, "Bell… He's already in the league of a first class adventurer."

Cassandra watched as Bell batted the Amphisbaena's head aside with his sword once more, "But why is he just using that one sword? And he's not using that large magic blast from before."

Mikoto studied their captain, "He's testing himself, to see how far he can go with that one hero."

Lili nodded, "Bell-sama did say that. But the Amphisbaena's mist attack is forcing him to fight up close."

Welf snorted, "I doubt it. That sword is one hell of a masterpiece, the mist might work against normal blasts, but if he uses the one he did with the Moss Huge…"

Haruhime asked, "Will it overwhelm the mist?"

The blacksmith shook his head, "To be honest, I don't know."

He stared at the magic sword in his hand, and he thought to himself, 'My magic swords definitely won't be of much help here…'

Daphne watched their captain, "You know, no one ever said it before, but I always thought Bell's skills were absurd."

Everyone looked at her, and Haruhime asked, "How so?"

The redhead studied their captain's movements, "Bell has always had such a wide range of abilities. He could fight up close like a vanguard, or he could dash around for hit and run tactics. Hell, he even qualifies for a top tier long ranged mage."

Daphne watched as Bell smashed the Amphisbaena into the water, sending massive waves rolling at the edges of the floor, "But now, now that he's using only one hero, it feels more… normal, like what you'd expect from an adventurer."

Aisha chuckled, "Ah, I see, that's what you mean."

The redhead nodded, "Yeah."

Lili asked, "What are you two talking about?"

The Amazoness explained, "Us adventurers, we usually have a limited number of skills and abilities. To say nothing of Level 5s and above, a normal adventurer would normally be limited to their weapons. If you're lucky, or you're an elf, you get to use magic. Otherwise, you use skills, which would usually be limited to your weapon of choice or personal traits."

Everyone nodded in understanding as Aisha continued, "Take me for example. I've been at this for a few years now, but aside from my development abilities and Hell Kaios, all I have is my experience and technique."

Mikoto quickly understood, "I see, everyone else would be similar. But Bell-dono has so many, I can't even keep track."

Daphne nodded, "Exactly, and it's frightening because I can already think of a few ways Bell can end this fight."


Back with Bell, the boy landed on one of the few remaining icebergs in the lake.

He watched as the Amphisbaena dove into the water, noting the numerous gashes and burns he'd inflicted on the Monster Rex.

The boy leaped up just in time to avoid the floor boss' jaws once more, "Alright, I think this is enough."

Bell had gotten used to using Gawain's powers already, and he had a pretty good idea of how much he could do.

The boy threw the Galatine into the air, "This sword is a reflection of the sun, its flames burn away all that is impure!"

The Galatine exploded into a miniature sun, before rapidly shrinking back into the broadsword, falling straight into Bell's hands.

Bell dashed forward as flames exploded around his blade, "Excalibur…"

The Amphisbaena roared as it felt the magical energy from Bell, and it blasted its mist and flames at the white haired adventurer.

Bell simply leaped upwards, avoiding the flames and the mist as he came down at the Amphisbaena, "GALATINE!"

The beast reared both of its heads, jaws wide open to chomp down on the boy, but it was too late.

The boy swung his sword, unleashing a concentrated wave of flames and magical energy the moment the blade met the monster.

Instead of how Bell used the Galatine against the Moss Huge, Bell was using it just like how he would with Arondight Overload.

All the energy from the Noble Phantasm surged out in an instant, blasting right through the body of the Amphisbaena.

Bell landed on one of the remaining icebergs as the Amphisbaena gave a final cry before exploding into ash.

The boy brandished his sword, before letting it fade away as the powers of Gawain left his body.

"Well done, Bell-sama!"

Bell turned to see the rest of his Familia members on the shore, and the boy quickly made his way to them.

Welf grinned, "Holy shit dude, at this point we don't even need to be here."

Aisha sighed with an exasperated smile, "Here I thought it was bad enough that you took down the Moss Huge on your own, but this is just something else."

Mikoto smiled, "All things considered, I'm not surprised."

Bell laughed softly, "Hey, stop it, I'll let you guys take the Amphisbaena next time."

Daphne snorted, "Next time."

"OOOOOH!"

Everyone turned when they heard Lili's voice, and Haruhime asked, "What's wrong, Lili-sama?"

The prum giggled giddily as she held up a piece of flesh, "This! It's a Dragon Liver! We got a DROP ITEM!"

Aisha chuckled, "Ah, that one will fetch a much better price than the Under Coral, easily double the amount."

Lili's eyes gleamed with greed, "DOUBLE!"

Daphne chuckled, "You had to say it."

The Amazoness shrugged, "What? She'll find out eventually."

Bell chuckled, "Alright, that's it for today. Let's head back up to the 18th floor and resupply, and we'll call it for our expedition."

The boy glanced back at their supporter, "That is… once Lili is finished."

Welf chuckled, "I'll go help her."

The blacksmith jogged over to help Lili look for more drop items, while the rest just kept watch.

(Linebreak)


A short moment later, Bell and his Familia were on their way back to the 18th floor.

They were taking it easy now that they'd finished their expedition, and Bell was in the back bringing up the rear, with Aisha and Mikoto on the front.

As the two swordswomen cleared off the monsters, the group was about to head up to the 21st floor.

But before they could, they were met with a large group of adventurers.

Bell quickly recognized Bors at the front, "You… Bors-san?"

Bors' eyes lit up with recognition, "Ah, Little-no, Ghost Liner, good to see you."

Bell blinked in confusion and recognition at the name, "Ghost…Liner? Do you mean me?"

The head of Rivira nodded, "Ahh, right, you've been down here, so you wouldn't know. That's your new alias, Bell Cranel. You're no longer the Little Hero, but Ghost Liner now."

Lili oh'd, "Ghost Liner! That sounds cool, Bell-sama!"

The boy smiled dryly, knowing full well that they wouldn't know the true meaning of the name, "I suppose so."

A werewolf with grey hair stepped forward with a scowl, "Bors! We can't waste any more time!"

Bors gave the werewolf a glance, "Relax, Turk. We should ask them for help, the Ghost Liner here is a powerhouse, we could definitely use his help."

Aisha narrowed her eyes, "And just what are you doing, Bors? I never thought you'd come down here, much less lead such a huge party."

The Amazoness gave the group a brief look, and she estimated there were easily 40 adventurers here, although they were mostly level 2s, with a few level 3s in the mix.

Turk scowled, "These people? Are you sure, Bors?"

Bors nodded, "Definitely. Bell Cranel here is a Level 4, and so is Antianeira. It'll be good if we had their help. Not to mention, the Ghost Liner here solo'd the Apollo Familia."

Bell asked, "What is it you need help with, Bors-san?"

The man grinned, "We're hunting the Gale Wind, she killed Jean on the 18th floor, so we're getting revenge. Not to mention, there's a pretty big bounty on her head."

The boy narrowed his eyes, "The Gale Wind… you say?"

The Hestia Familia immediately knew who the man was referring to, and they didn't like what they were hearing.

Bors nodded, "That's right, Turk here saw her killing Jean, but he couldn't stop her before she left. That's why we're here."

Bell thinned his lips, "I see… Are you sure it's her?"

Lili nodded, "Do you have proof that it is her?"

Turk scowled, "Are you calling me a liar?!"

Bell glanced at him and the werewolf flinched when he saw the look in Bell's eyes, "Are you? The Gale Wind shouldn't be in the dungeon in the first place, and I'm sure she would have no reason to kill an innocent person."

Bors raised an eyebrow, "Oh, you say it like you know her. I've been an adventurer for years, but even I don't know her personally."

The boy nodded, "I do. I met her outside Orario before, when we defeated Antares and saved Artemis-sama."

Welf nodded, "That's right, the Gale Wind helped a lot in saving the people from Antares. She wouldn't go around killing people randomly."

Turk glared at him, "And I'm saying I saw her leaving the place where Jean was attacked! From the way you're talking, you might even be involved in his death!"

That put the Hestia Familia on edge, and Aisha narrowed her eyes at the werewolf, but before she could say anything, everyone except the Hestia Familia suddenly felt like they couldn't breathe.

The Amazoness glanced at Bell, whose eyes gleamed dangerously as he spoke, "Watch your tone, mongrel."

Gilgamesh's powers started leaking through in response to his annoyance, as Bell stared at Turk coldly, "You said you saw her leave the place, but you don't even know if it was her. The way I see it, all of you are here because of the bounty."

More of the king's powers leaked through, as Bell looked at Bors, "As it happens, the Gale Wind is a dear friend of mine."

Bors started sweating, "L-look, Ghost Liner, you gotta be reasonable, okay? She killed one of ours-"

Aisha spoke up, "What happened to your own life being number one, Bors?"

Turk growled, "I don't care what you say, she killed one of ours! There's no way we're letting that slide!"

Bell looked at the werewolf, "Is that so?"

The werewolf reached for his sword, "If you want to get in our way, we'll butcher all of you!"

"Load: Gilgamesh."

Turk froze when the full pressure of the King of Uruk hit him, and all of the adventurers watched in horror as countless golden portals appeared behind the Hestia Familia, with countless weapons protruding out of those same portals.

Bell stared at the group of adventurers, "If the Gale Wind killed one of your friends, then she would've had good reason. I might as well finish the job."

Bors panicked, "Wait wait wait! Calm down, Bell Cranel! Hold on a second!"

The boy paused, giving him a look, and the man breathed, "Look, we're not a hundred percent sure it is the Gale Wind, yes. But what is happening is that the killer is definitely here in the dungeon."

Bors stared Bell in the eye despite the countless blades aimed at them, "We just want to find who killed Jean, that's all. If it's really the Gale Wind, then the bounty-"

Bell narrowed his eyes, "The bounty?"

Bors quickly shook his head, "No bounty! But we do want justice for our fallen comrade! But the killer might be a Level 4, that's why we thought it'd be the Gale Wind!"

The boy fell silent, before he spoke, "Fine. We'll tag along to find this killer. But if it happens to be the Gale Wind…"

Bell trailed off, and he gave all the adventurers before him a stare.

Bors nodded quickly, "S-sure, you got it."

The representative of Rivira looked at the people behind him, "So that's how it is… We probably won't be bounty hunting, all of you."

Turk scowled, "What the hell, Bors?! Just a word from some no-name asshole like him, and you're backing out?!"

Bors glared at the werewolf, "Shut up you idiot! He ain't some no name asshole like you! The Gale Wind solo'd a few Familias on her own, Bell Cranel is the same, and he did it as a Level 2 in a head on fight! We're down here already, so I might as well see it through, but I ain't risking my life for that bit of cash, even if it is a hefty bounty!"

The werewolf snarled, "When did you become so spineless?!"

The head of Rivira narrowed his eyes at Turk, "Watch it. We're doing this because Jean was one of us, and because you insisted. But between you and Bell Cranel, I don't need to even think once to know who to side with."

Bors glanced at Bell, "The Ghost Liner single handedly took down the Apollo Familia, has good relations with the fucking Loki and Freya Familia. Not to mention, he was the one who dealt the final blow to the abnormal Goliath we fought not long ago, or have you forgotten already, Turk?"

Turk grinded his teeth, but the glare from Bors, Bell and the looks from the Hestia Familia kept him silent.

Bors nodded in satisfaction, "We'll still look for this killer, but if you want to pick a fight with the Hestia Familia, leave me out of it."

The man looked at the others, "That is the case right now. Those of you who want to help us find who killed Jean, you're more than welcome to stay. But if you feel like this ain't worth your time, it's fine if you want to head back up."

The adventurers all muttered amongst themselves.

"If there's no bounty, I'm out of here."

"What a joke…"

"Alright, guess we're heading back."

Soon, approximately half of the hunting party left the dungeon floor, leaving half with them.

Turk scowled, "What the fuck?! Are they all just gonna let Jean's killer go free like that?!"

Bors sighed, "That's how it is. Turk, you're not some greenhorn, for fuck's sake. You should've seen this coming."

The werewolf glared at Bell and his group, but didn't say a thing when he saw the divinity behind Bell's eyes.

Bell looked at Bors, "Alright, you want to find this killer, yes?"

The eye-patched man nodded, "O-of course."

(Linebreak)


A short while later, the group of adventurers reached the end of the 24th floor.

Welf sighed, "I doubt we'll find this killer at all. Didn't we just come up from the 27th floor? We didn't see anyone else."

Aisha snorted, "Well to be fair, the dungeon floors are huge. We only took the main routes, they probably knew the dungeon well enough to avoid them."

Lili looked ahead of them, "At this rate, we'll have to go back further down."

Mikoto nodded, "But it doesn't matter, even if it's just a dozen adventurers, I don't feel comfortable letting them take on Ryuu-dono… if it's even her in the first place."

Haruhime nodded, "Is it wise to just follow this party though?"

Daphne nodded, "It'll be fine. We're stronger, and Bell was the only one who fought the Amphisbaena, all of us are pretty much in top condition."

Cassandra pursed her lips as she studied the other adventurers, "I don't know why, but something just doesn't feel right…"

Bell looked at her, "You think so too?"

The healer nodded, "It just feels very suspicious."

The white haired rabbit nodded, "Exactly-"

Before he could continue, the ground shook, and a loud boom reached their ears.

The shaking continued for quite a while, and Turk panicked, "Bors! It must be her!"

A random adventurer yelled, "That came from below us!"

Bors clicked his teeth in annoyance, "Alright, we better hurry then!"

The group of adventurers rushed for the entrance to the 25th floor, and Bell narrowed his eyes as he watched them run.

The boy took a deep breath, "Guys, can I ask all of you something?"

The members of the Hestia Familia looked at him, and Lili asked, "What is it, Bell-sama?"

Bell looked at them, "I want all of you to keep watch here at the entrance."

Aisha raised an eyebrow, "Here? All of us?"

The boy nodded, "Yes. This shaking… it's not normal, if anything, the ones responsible will probably be running soon. I want all of you to be here in case someone comes running."

Welf furrowed his brows, "But what about you? That means you'll be going down alone with them…"

Bell looked at him, "I'll be fine. But… if it is Ryuu-san, if it's really her…"

Daphne sighed, "We know… You'll probably have to fight them, won't you?"

The boy nodded, "Bors-san and the others aside, that werewolf was suspicious, and I don't know if he'll have allies down there."

Aisha sighed, "Alright, we'll keep watch. If that elf is indeed down there, just be careful. We might be close, but you never know what can happen."

Bell nodded again, "I understand."

The boy turned to see the group of adventurers vanishing down towards the 25th floor, and he took a breath, "Alright, let's go."

(Linebreak)


After catching up to the rest of the group, Bell spotted Bors and his group gathered near the cliffs leading to the Great Falls.

The boy asked, "Bors-san, what's wrong?"

The eye-patched man noticed him, "Ghost Liner, there you are."

Bell approached them, noting that Turk and a few men were watching him, "Is something wrong?"

Bors hummed, "Those tremors we felt earlier, we heard them, and it sounds like they're coming from the 27th floor."

The white haired hero raised an eyebrow, "The 27th floor?"

Bors nodded, "At least that's what we're guessing. Unfortunately, the floors from here are great if you want to hide, so we were thinking of splitting into two or three groups."

Turk spoke up, "We should have at least a few people stay back and watch this route, in case she does come up."

Bell spoke up, "We have that covered. I'll be joining you on the way down, but the rest of my party will watch this place."

The werewolf scowled, but nodded begrudgingly, "... That works, we can have more people join the hunt then."

Bors nodded, "Good, then we'll split into two groups. I don't care who goes with who, as long as we have even numbers."

He paused, before adding, "On that note, Ghost Liner, I'm coming with your group!"

A few adventurers looked at the man in exasperation, but Bell didn't care much, "That's fine."

Soon, the group of adventurers were split evenly into two groups, and Bell glanced at his Familia members who stayed near the exit.

The boy took a deep breath and turned back to the group, before joining them to enter the lower floors once more.

XXX


That's it for the chapter. So Bell has now joined the hunt to look for Ryuu, and we'll be seeing the Juggernaut really soon.

Until then, read and review please.