Hestia Familia -Sacred Ash Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter! Hestia is helping Hephaestus forge Bell a new weapon! Yay! But that means that Bell can’t get a Status Update until Hestia returns, so his overall strength won’t grow for a short time. However, the annual Monsterphilia Festival is upon Orario, bringing tens of thousands of people to the ‘Center of the World’ to see it. But, just perhaps, a certain someone might want to truly test Bell’s character and strength for their own reasons.

If you’d like to become a patron and get access to these chapters earlier, just head on over to Pat re on and add a /Kairomaru after the com.

Make sure to thank the patrons that make these stories possible by checking out the Patron Plaque on my profile!

So, without further delay, please enjoy.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 4 – Monsterphilia, Divine Weapon, and Test

“Hmm, Hestia said she’d be gone at least two or three days,” Bell mused as he looked over the letter that a member of Hephaestus Familia had delivered to him early in the morning. Having woken up in bed alone for the first time in a while, Bell could definitely say he preferred cuddling up with Hestia at night. “I guess I’ll see about getting some new armor today and restocking my potions.” He got dressed in his regular outfit and had a simple breakfast before heading out. When he left the abandoned church, Bell made sure to lock the front door, even though no one really came around this area.

Bell made his way to the Blue Pharmacy first to restock his Potions. Naaza was happy to see him again and sold him another five Low Potions for 2,000 Valis. Bell was fast becoming their most regular customer, which was a boon for the debt-ridden Miach Familia. After securing the potions into the side pocket of his backpack, he bid Naaza a good day and headed for Babel Tower. Anna had recommended a shop on the Eighth Floor that was run by Hephaestus Familia where he could find armor in his price range.

-Hephaestus Familia Shop ~ Eighth Floor of Babel Tower-

“Welcome!” The shopkeeper behind the counter greeted Bell as the Adventurer walked through the door. He was a fairly average-looking man with black hair, dressed in the store apron over his regular clothes. “Let me know if you need help with anything.”

“Thank you,” Bell nodded as he headed over to the area where various armors were on display. “Let’s see… Which one would be the best?” He perused the selection looking at the various styles and sets of armor, some hung up on display posts and a few set on counter. Bell picked up a few of the pieces, testing their weight and even strapping on a set of greaves from one set before finding them a bit heavier than he’d like.

It was when he spotted a bunch of small crates near the back of the shop that Bell’s eye was caught by a white metal.

Bell moved over to the crate, picking up the white breastplate with a red line on the left side. “It’s light.” He marveled at the light armor and held it up to his chest, finding that it fit his frame very well. Pulling out the other parts and trying on what he could, Bell’s eyes widened with each piece. “It fits me so well that it’s almost eerie.” He looked for the name of the smith that made the armor and found it on the inside of the breastplate. “Welf Crozzo…” Looking at the price on the wooden crate, Bell smiled finding it within his price range. “A full set of armor for only 9,900 Valis? That’s a good deal!” He put the armor pieces back into the crate and then took the crate up to the counter.

“Did you find everything you needed, sir?” The man asked politely as Bell set the crate on the counter.

“Yes, sir.” Bell nodded as the man checked the price and then marked down something in the ledger behind the counter.

“Thank you for your patronage,” The man behind the counter took Bell’s Valis and motioned to a changing room in the corner of the shop. “If you’d like to wear your armor out, you can put it on over there.”

Bell smiled as he did want to wear his new armor and headed over to the changing room to put it on. After securing his new armor on, finding out where each piece went, Bell looked at himself in the mirror with a small smile. “I’m really looking like an Adventurer now.” He left the changing room and headed towards the door with a smile.

“Please, come again.” The shopkeeper smiled and waved as Bell left.

Bell took the elevator down to the ground floor and, seeing the number of Adventurers entering the Dungeon, followed the crowd and descended into the Dungeon for another day of work. ‘While Hestia is gone, I’ll keep doing my best in the Dungeon and make as much money as I can for the Familia!’

-Dungeon Sixth Floor-

“This new armor is much better than the beginner armor.” Bell grinned after slaying a group of War Shadows. One of the golem-like Monsters had managed to land a blow against his breastplate, but it had only ended with a slight scratch on the metal. He cut open the War Shadows and retrieved their Magic Stones easily. Until Hestia returned and could give him a Status Update, Bell knew he wouldn’t be able to grow stronger, so he was planning to focus on his self-taught skills and his Magic, hoping to improve them as much as possible.

The rubellite-eyed Adventurer made his way further into the Sixth Floor. He’d spend the day thoroughly exploring this Floor, honing his skills against all the Monsters he found. As the Monsters got stronger the lower you went and the spawn rate increased as well, it invariably led to an increased rate of Drop Items. The tiny Hestia Familia could use all the extra Valis that they could get, so Bell continued on, taking a turn into a corridor, he headed down the tunnel until he entered a slightly large cavern.

“Gero?”

“Kero!”

“Ribbit!”

“Gero!”

A group of Frog Shooters awaited the young man as he entered the cavern. Bell brandished his shortsword and held his left hand at the ready as the large, green Frog Monsters rushed towards him.

“Remnants of the Sacred Flame, alight on the wind and scatter!” Bell chanted and black ashes poured forth from his left hand.

“Kero!” The first Frog Shooter launched its tongue at Bell.

Bell sliced the tongue as it got close to him, sending blood flying through the air. A second later and a black blade of compressed ash pierced straight through the single eye of the Frog Shooter, killing it instantly.

“Gero!” The other Frog Shooters launched their tongues at Bell, forcing him to dodge and backstep over and over as the long tongues lashed at him repeatedly.

“Hup!” Bell swept his ash cloud towards the closest Frog Shooter as the black ashes heated up rapidly, becoming an orange-yellow burning cloud that engulfed the Monster, killing it almost instantly. With a leap and then a kick off the wall, bell brought his shortsword down on the head of another Frog Shooter, splitting its soft head easily.

“Gero!” Another Frog Shooter tried to catch Bell with its tongue.

Bell dodged the tongue, barely, and then sliced it off with his shortsword. Conjuring more ashes into a large burning cloud, Bell focused. “Cinder shot!” The cloud compressed noticeably and a barrage of burning hot hardened ashes raced down the corridor and shredded a group of the Frog Shooters. Two long tongues grabbed Bell from behind and started dragging him towards the opened mouth of the last two Frog Shooters. “Blade of Ember!” Bell brought his ashes into a solid form that quickly heated up to a burning orange-yellow glow. With a grunt and a twist of his body, Bell stabbed both of the Frog Shooters through the roof of their mouths and straight out the tops of their heads, finishing them off. As the lifeless tongues fell off Bell and hit the ground, he took a deep breath to ease himself down from the battle.

“Lost track of those two.” Bell noted as he began collecting the Magic Stones from the bodies. “I need to learn to keep better track of all the Monsters.” He mumbled to himself as he put another Magic Stone into his backpack. “But that would require training… Or I could hire a Supporter…if I can actually afford one.” Bell considered his options, knowing that both would cost him money regardless.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon-

“Your total value from Magic Stones is 14,348 Valis, and your Drop Items were worth 8,350 Valis. Your total exchange today comes out to 22,698 Valis. Have a nice evening.” The Hume Bunny woman behind the window pushed the drawer onto Bell’s side with a polite smile.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bell smiled back as he placed his Valis into his backpack. With this much money he could afford to eat at the Hostess of Fertility tonight and still have plenty to put into the Familia’s savings. Since Hestia wouldn’t be at home, he’d probably get bored just sitting around by himself anyway.

After giving Anna his report for the day, Bell smiled at his Dungeon Advisor. “Have a good night, Anna.”

“Have a good night, Bell.” Anna smiled back as she watched Bell head out of the Guild Building.

-Hostess of Fertility ~ Evening-

“Mr. Cranel, welcome back.” Ryu greeted the young man with a nod as he walked into the tavern. “One now seating!” She raised her voice to be heard over the din in the busy establishment. Bell followed her to the same seat that he’d sat at the last time he’d been at the Hostess. He placed his drink order with the lovely Elf and in only a few moments had a drink placed in front of him by Mama Mia.

“Good to see you back, boy.” Mia grinned at the young man. “Looking a little stronger since last time.”

Bell rubbed the back of his head with a grin. “Thank you, Mama Mia.”

“Bell!” Syr was all smiles when she walked over to him. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon! Thank you for dining with us!”

“The food is good.” Bell said with a chuckle while giving a friendly smile to Syr. “My Goddess is also going to be gone tonight, so I figured I’d eat here.”

Ryu, paper pad in hand, asked Bell about his order. “Do you know what you’d like, or would you prefer to look over the menu, Mr. Cranel?”

“I’ll need a minute to decide on my meal, I think.” Bell said and accepted the menu from Ryu with a smile.

“I’ll return in a few minutes.” Ryu said with a polite nod before walking over to another table to check on more customers.

Bell looked through the menu and wondered what he should get tonight. “All of the food at the Hostess is good…makes it hard to choose.”

“The big party with the reservation is here!” Anya announced loudly as she led in a large group of people. Bell looked towards the door and almost gaped as he caught sight of a trio of familiar young women. Then his eyes registered everyone that made up the group.

‘Miss Tione and Miss Tiona… So, is this all of Loki Familia?’ Bell’s eyes were wide as he watched the Familia enter. He’d only gotten a brief glimpse when Tiona and Tione had separated from him after the Minotaur incident. After a moment to observe the large group, Bell was able to tell that the group seemed to be mostly the well-known Executives, but a few other members were there as well. The Loki Familia were all quickly seated between two large tables and drinks were brought to them in short order. Bell’s eyes followed the Familia, more specifically his eyes focused on Tiona and Tione, who were sitting next to each other. The two lovely Amazons women were still as beautiful as Bell remembered.

“Nice work in the Dungeon! Tonight we live it up! Drink!” A slender woman with long, light-red hair tied into a simple ponytail raised a flagon into the air along with a few members of the Loki Familia. She wore dark-blue boots, black thigh-high stockings, black short shorts, a dark-blue tube top that matched her boots, and black sleeves.

The Divine Aura radiating off of her let everyone know that she was a Goddess. It wasn’t hard for Bell to figure out that this was Goddess Loki. She was the head of one of the Top Two Familias in all of Orario. There was quite some debate about which Familia was the true number one between Freya Familia and Loki Familia. But most in the Dungeon City didn’t want a war to break out between the two Familias to find out for sure.

“Loki Familia caught your eye, eh?” Syr’s teasing voice asked from behind Bell. “Goddess Loki took an interest in our place, so they’re regulars here.”

Bell jumped slightly in surprise. “Miss Syr!”

“Hi, Bell!” Syr giggled at his reaction behind her hand.

Ryu returned and asked Bell if he’d decided on his meal. “Do you know what you’d like for your meal tonight, Mr. Cranel?”

“Yes, Miss Ryu.” Bell nodded to Ryu with a smile as he pointed at the menu. “I’d like the steak, with sautéed vegetables, and roasted potatoes; please.”

“How would you like that cooked?” Ryu had written down the order as Bell spoke it.

“Medium, please.” Bell could do Medium Rare or Medium Well too, but Medium was his preference.

Ryu nodded to Bell after she finished writing. “It will be out shortly, Mr. Cranel.”

“I think Bell’s eyes are straying from you, Ryu~” Syr teased playfully, looking between Ryu and Bell. “He was looking at Loki Familia.”

“They’re regulars here, just like Mr. Cranel, it’s not uncommon for people to look at the Loki Familia when they dine here.” Ryu replied evenly, clearly used to Syr’s jokes.

“Ryu…” Syr’s cheeks puffed up cutely as she pouted at Ryu, noticing the tiniest smirk on the Elf woman’s lips. “Ruining my fun.”

‘I can see them just by eating at the Hostess like I do, huh?’ Bell mused as he watched the Loki Familia enjoy themselves for a moment.

“So… Which girl caught your eye, Bell?” Syr asked with a grin. “Was it Lady Riveria, the High Elf? She’s very beautiful. Or maybe Miss Sharon is your preference? She’s quite blessed when it comes to her chest~” The waitress teased Bell a little.

Bell looked over his shoulder at Syr and made sure she could see when he rolled his eyes at her. “It’s not like that, Miss Syr.”

Syr only giggled as Bell once more proved his character. She practically skipped away to continue her work, but an approving little smile was on her lips the entire time.

A few minutes later and Ryu came back with his dinner. “The steak meal with sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes, Mr. Cranel.” She set the large plate down and checked his flagon by eye. “I’ll have your drink refilled.” She made a quick motion with her hand to Mama Mia and saw the Dwarf woman nod to her in confirmation.

“Thank you, Miss Ryu.” Bell smiled at her and was happy to see that Ryu gave him a small smile in return before heading off to continue her work. As Bell cut into his steak, Mia refilled his ale and Bell got to enjoy his dinner.

It was after finishing his meal that Bell noticed the Loki Familia getting a bit louder. Looking over, it was easy to see why. Drinks had been brought out a few times already, so a couple members were getting a bit buzzed for sure.

What Bell didn’t expect was for his gaze to meet the eyes of Tiona Hyrute across the pub.

“Eh?” Tiona perked up, having already had a couple drinks, but she was nowhere close to drunk. Seeing Bell (and his distinctive white hair and rubellite eyes) made her break out into a big smile that was like sunshine. She surprised Tione as she quickly stood up and trotted across the pub to hug another patron. “BELL!”

“T-Tiona?!” Bell hadn’t been expecting Tiona to come over to him, and he especially didn’t see the hug coming. Not that he minded or anything like that. ‘Toned, but soft…and she smells nice too.’ He thought as Tiona pressed her body against him.

“Bell!” Tiona giggled happily. “I didn’t think I’d see you here!”

“Good evening, Tiona.” Bell couldn’t help but smile at Tiona, the Amazon was too happy for Bell not to smile while in her presence. “I’ve just started coming here recently.”

Tiona tilted her head with a smile. “That’s great! Do you wanna come sit with us for a bit, Bell?” She looked at him with her eyes nearly sparkling.

“Oh, um, isn’t your Familia celebrating right now?” Bell questioned, having overhead Loki earlier. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”

“It’s fine!” Tiona laughed it off. “Celebrations are more fun with more people, right?”

“I guess…whoa!” Bell barely got his reply out before Tiona was happily dragging him back over to the Loki Familia’s tables.

“Is Mr. Cranel going to be alright?” Ryu asked Syr, seeing Bell being taken by the Amazon.

“I’m sure he’ll be just fine.” Syr grinned at Ryu teasingly. “You might just need to learn to share is all, Ryu~”

Ryu deadpanned at Syr. “Must you?”

Syr giggled cutely, her hand over her mouth. “Oh come on, Ryu. Bell seems like he’d want a big family.”

‘Family.’ Ryu thought somberly, remembering the loss of her Familia vividly to this day. A part of her yearned to have that again…but another part whispered to her that she didn’t deserve it; not after what she’d done.

Over at the Loki Familia table, Bell found himself sitting between Tione and Tiona. He wouldn’t lie about being a little starstruck, but also nervous, as the eyes of various members of one of the top Familias in Orario looked at him.

“Hmm? Who is this?” Finn questioned with a polite smile after finishing his drink.

Tiona grinned brightly; her arms still wrapped around Bell’s left arm as she pressed herself against him. “This is Bell, Captain!”

“The one ya said injured a Minotaur at Level 1?” Gareth looked Bell over. “He doesn’t look like he’d have the strength for that…no offense meant, lad.”

“None taken, sir.” Bell shook his head. ‘I’m talking to Elgarm, Gareth Landrock!’ He marveled at having a conversation with one of the few Level 6 Adventurers in Orario.

Tione was leaning into Bell’s opposite side with a little smirk on her lips. “His Magic helped.”

“Ah, the dust explosion magic?” Riveria asked, clearly a little curious, while looking at Bell.

“Y-Yes, ma’am.” Bell nodded to the High Elf, trying not to look at her for too long and come off as rude. ‘The rumors are true though; her beauty really does rival a Goddess.’

“No need to be so formal, this is a celebration.” Riveria actually smiled slightly at Bell, seeing him trying to be respectful and not stare at her, while also being clearly distracted by Tiona and Tione’s interest in him.

“Injuring a Minotaur at Level 1 is an impressive feat.” Finn complimented Bell with a grin. “As Captain, I do apologize for the incident though.” He bowed his head for a moment. “We were lax in our handling of the Minotaur horde and that put others, like yourself, in danger.”

“It’s alright!” Bell waved his free hand in front of him (Tiona refused to let go of his left arm). “Tione and Tiona saved me after my last ditch effort failed to take down the Minotaur. I’m grateful for that.”

Tiona giggled brightly, lightly squeezing his arm against her body. “But you had that Minotaur on death’s door, Bell!”

“You nearly killed a Minotaur at Level 1, Bell. You should be proud of that.” Tione told him with a smile as she leaned against him with a grin, her large breasts pressing against his arm and shoulder.

“R-Right…” Bell felt his face get a bit heated since both Amazons were pressing themselves against him now.

Tiona laughed brightly, raising her flagon into the air. “Let’s drink!”

“Yeah!” The entire Loki Familia raised their drinks with a cheer. A few, like Riveria and Ais, were notably quieter than some of the others.

“Who’s this guy?” Bete Loga, a Werewolf and Executive of Loki Familia, questioned as he left the other table and moved over to the one that Bell had been brought to. “Looks like a weakling to me.” He narrowed his eyes at Bell, but the redness in his face showed that the man was probably already a bit drunk.

“Go away, you mangy mutt!” Tione shooed Bete away with her left hand, her right arm wrapped around Bell’s arm.

Bete waved off her trying to shoo him away. “Tsk, who asked you, Amazon?”

“Hey, back off of Bell, Bete!” Tiona was now wrapping her arms around Bell’s arm again. “He’s the one that injured that last Minotaur on the Fifth Floor!”

“Bullshit!” Bete didn’t believe that for a second. “This guy wounded a Minotaur? You expect me to believe that?”

“He’s drunk, isn’t he?” Finn remarked, looking over at Bete.

Gareth nodded after a second to look over the Werewolf man. “Aye.”

“Make sure to stop him before he does anything too bad, please.” Riveria sighed a little.

“What was so good about this guy needing to be saved?” Bete questioned, his sharp eyes looking between Bell, Tiona, and Tione.

“Bell did great!” Tiona shot back at Bete.

Bell felt like his heart had just skipped a beat at the strong defense that Tiona was putting up for him.

“Not many Level 1 Adventurers could have punched above their Level like Bell did, you damn wolf!” Tione also defended Bell, her words cracking like a whip against Bete’s derogatory remarks.

Bete scoffed before speaking again. “Fine, different question then.” He glanced over at Ais Wallenstein with a smirk. “Hey, Ais, who’re you taking home, him…” He waved in Bell’s direction. “Or me?”

Bam

Gareth’s fist came down on top of Bete’s head from behind, laying the drunk Werewolf out. “Sorry about that. The lad gets a bit mouthy when he drinks too much.” The Dwarf apologized to Bell before dragging Bete away by one leg.

“N-No problem…” Bell was just going to let the drunken words roll off of his back. He was a little preoccupied trying not to look at the famous ‘Kenki’ Ais Wallenstein, since the two had caught each other’s eyes when Bete had asked who Ais would take home.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem that Ais had any intention of answering the crass question.

“Aww, look at him blush~!” Tiona laughed brightly, pressing herself into Bell’s side even more.

“Don’t worry, Bell. We all know who we’d choose, right, Tiona?” Tione asked her sister with a smirk. Her arm now over Bell’s shoulder, her grin becoming an approving grin when his arm wrapped around her waist.

“I know who I’d choose~” Tiona agreed with her sister, a grin on her face as she leaned into Bell’s side. That grin became almost sensual as Bell’s free hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her a little closer.

-Later-

The Loki Familia’s party wound down and they began to leave the Hostess of Fertility after paying their large bill. Bell bid Tiona and Tione farewell, but he was surprised when Tione asked him a question.

“Hey, Bell…” Tione looked into Bell’s rubellite eyes. “You said that you were still new to being an Adventurer, right?” The three had been chatting for most of the evening since Tiona had brought Bell over, getting to know each other better.

“Yeah, I’ve only been at it for just over two weeks.” Bell nodded and then rubbed the back of his head. “I’m entirely self-taught, but I’m learning as fast as I can in the Dungeon every day.”

“Would you like me to teach you how to use a blade?” Tione offered with a smile, her cheeks heating up a little as this was practically the Amazon equivalent of asking Bell on a date.

“Eh?!” Bell nearly gaped at the sudden offer.

“Hey, I want to help Bell too!” Tiona exclaimed, pointing at Tione like her sister had tried to sneakily swipe something from her.

Tione got into Tiona’s face. “I asked him first! What would you teach Bell?”

“Hand-to-hand! Or how to fight against large weapons!” Tiona shot back instantly.

Bell mumbled something as he saw a potential argument about to break out, but Tione and Tiona only barely heard him speak.

“What was that, Bell?” Tione and Tiona asked at the same time, their argument temporarily forgotten.

Bell’s face went a bit red under the eyes of both Tiona and Tione. “Both.”

“Both?” Tiona cocked her head a little.

“Both?” Tione tilted her head in the opposite direction of Tiona’s.

It was kind of adorable, really.

“I… I’d like to learn from you both, if you think I’m worth your time.” Bell explained with a small smile.

Tione and Tiona looked at each other, back at Bell, and then back to each other. Matching grins spread across the sisters’ faces as they leaned in close to Bell, their faces only a handful of centimeters from Bell’s. “Okay!”

Bell’s stunned expression made Tiona and Tione giggle slightly.

“I didn’t know you were such a…voracious man, Bell~” Tione nearly purred at Bell with a sexy smirk.

Tiona’s half-lidded eyes and cute smile were no less sexy. “You want both of us, huh, Bell~?”

Bell’s felt his face start to heat up. “I-If you’re okay with it.”

“Sure thing!” Tiona said with a bright laugh as she pulled back from Bell’s face.

“Meet us on top of the north wall the day after Monsterphilia, okay?” Tione whispered to Bell, so no one would know where they were training someone from another Familia.

Bell nodded to both Tione and Tiona. “I’ll be there.”

“See you then, Bell~” Tiona and Tione said at the same time, making a thrum run up Bell’s spine and into his brain as he watched the two leave the Hostess of Fertility, following after the rest of the Loki Familia.

A moment of Bell standing there trying to process what had just happened made Ryu come check on him.

“are you alright, Mr. Cranel?” Ryu asked gently.

“Huh? Oh!” Bell shook himself once and then smiled gently at Ryu. “Yes, I’m alright, Miss Ryu. Thank you for looking out for me.”

Ryu nodded once and gave Bell a short bow. “It’s no trouble, Mr. Cranel. We hope to serve you again.”

Bell’s smile brightened up. “I’ll definitely be back, Miss Ryu.”

Bell headed out, not noticing that Ryu watched him go until he was lost in the crowd.

-Abandoned Church-

After bidding Ryu a good night, Bell had walked back to the abandoned church with a smile on his face.

It had been a good night for him. Seeing Miss Ryu, enjoying a good meal, and even getting dragged over to the Loki Familia’s celebration by Tiona. He certainly felt a bit closer to Tione and Tiona after spending a good amount of time with his arms around their waists, both sisters giving him approving gazes throughout the evening.

He'd even gotten offered to be trained by both of the Hyrute Sisters! There was no way he’d ever turn down such an offer! Learning how to use his weapons and fight hand-to-hand from two of the most famous (or infamous depending on who you asked) Adventurers in Orario was amazing. Bell promised himself that he’d give it his all to learn everything that he could from the two Level 5 women. No matter how brutal the training, he’d do it, he’d make sure they weren’t wasting their time on him!

-Two Days Later ~ Hephaestus’s Private Smithy-

Hestia ran her finger along the black shortsword that she’d spent the last couple of days helping Hephaestus forge. The hieroglyphs on both sides of the blade lit up with a soft glow after her finger passed over them. The glyphs shone an ethereal white-blue for a few moments before the light faded away.

“And we’re done.” Hephaestus smiled as she looked at the completed knife. The weapon was made of Mithril, Hestia’s hair and blood, and was finished by her aunt’s blessing.

“We’re done?” Hestia’s beautiful smile of joy nearly lit up the smithy. Her blue-eyes were sparkling and Hephaestus couldn’t stop herself from smiling at that sight.

Hephaestus grinned as Hestia looked over the completed knife. “Does it meet your expectations?”

“Absolutely! No complaints at all!” Hestia beamed as she looked up from the black blade. “Oh yeah, this weapon needs a name! Hmm…I’ve got it! It was born from the love that Bell and I share: Love Sword!”

“Please don’t!” Hephaestus held out her hand towards her aunt at the horrible name. “That makes it sound like a piece of junk!” With a sigh, Hephaestus picked up the xiphos and held it before Hestia’s eyes. “This sword…it can’t be described as anything but a Divine Weapon. So how about ‘Hestia Xiphos’ instead?” Seeing Hestia’s eyes light up and practically sparkle, Hephaestus sighed in relief. “Listen closely, Hestia. This sword is alive; it has your Blessing. Right now it’s about as strong as tissue paper, but once it reaches the hands of Bell Cranel, it will take its first breath and grow. However, it can only be used by a child that has your Falna; that is also its defect. It grows with its wielder. It will never be too strong or too weak. A weapon that can instantly become more powerful is like cheating to us smiths, so I won’t be making one like this again.”

Hestia smiled as she wrapped her arms around the redhead in a warm hug. “Thank you, Hephaestus!”

“Let me repeat myself,” Hephaestus smiled as she returned the hug. “Do not go back on this loan.”

“Okay!” Hestia squeezed her slightly and smiled when Hephaestus did the same. Their Pantheon was a mess sometimes, especially the family relations because of Zeus, but she very much adored her niece.

Hephaestus blinked as Hestia slipped her flip-flops on. “Leaving already?”

“Yep, I want to give this to Bell right away!” Hestia grinned as she looked for something to carry the xiphos in.

“It was a long night, shouldn’t you rest?” Hephaestus sighed even as she wrapped the sheathed shortsword in a cloth and then tied the cloth over Hestia’s left shoulder and under her right arm.

“Thank you, Hephaestus!” Hestia beamed as she hugged the Goddess of the Forge again before heading out in a rush. The redhead could only sigh as she undid her ponytail and let her locks cascade down her back. At least she could rest now…and she did as she flopped down into her cushioned chair.

-Bell-

It had been three days since Bell had last seen Hestia. He had gone into the Dungeon every day and had made good progress through the Sixth Floor. He’d also made some good money and felt like he’d made some progress on getting stronger. His desire to grow and catch up to the Tione and Tiona continued to burn as he pushed himself just a bit more each day. He was planning on checking out the Monsterphilia Festival today as he headed for the large colosseum that was connected to East Main Street.

“Nya! Wait up white-hair!” A female voice called out and Bell stopped instinctively. He knew his hair color was pretty rare outside of older people normally. Looking towards the source of the voice he spotted one of the waitresses standing outside of the Hostess of Fertility.

“Miss Anya?” Bell blinked at the brunette Cat Girl. “Good morning, did you need something?”

“Good morning, sorry for calling out to you like that, nya!” Anya smiled at him brightly. “Here.” She placed a fairly heavy coin purse in Bell’s hands. “Give this to that scatterbrain, okay?”

“Um…?” Bell looked at her confused, wondering what she was talking about.

Ryu walked up to the pair. “Anya, that’s not enough information, Mr. Cranel is confused.”

“You’re so silly, Ryu!” Anya held up both hands with a shrug. “Syr went to Monsterphilia and forgot her wallet. So, I want Bell to take it to her, nya. He knows that much without me saying it.”

“That’s how it is. Sorry for the insufficient explanation the first time.” Ryu gave a slight bow to Bell. “Would you please accept our request? We are busy with preparations and unable to go ourselves.”

“Sure, I don’t mind. I was actually headed there myself.” Bell smiled at the waitresses. “Monsterphilia is where the Ganesha Familia slays Monsters in the big colosseum, right?”

“Adventurers from the Ganesha Familia also tame Monsters taken from the Dungeon, nya!” Anya explained to the new Orario resident.

Bell blinked at the word. “Did you say…tame?”

“What’s so weird about that, nya?” Anya looked at him as if he’d said something odd. “Surely you’ve experienced it before, white-hair? That moment when a defeated Monster wants to become your friend…”

“Not even once,” Bell shook his head slowly. “I’ve sliced off Monsters’ limbs before and all they did was try to hit me with a different limb or bite me.”

“Taming has been recognized as a Skill.” Ryu informed Bell and he turned his attention towards the lovely Elf. “It depends heavily on the strength of the user, however.”

Bell wanted to be sure that he understood the event. “So they make Monsters behave with the Taming Skill?”

Anya smiled at him. “Yep, it’s kinda like a circus, but with Monsters, nya!”

“The greatest feat of Taming is when a Monster reaches the level of intelligence required to speak.” Ryu continued the explanation after seeing that Anya wasn’t going to. “Once a Monster reaches that point, it is given the designation of Xenos and becomes a partner of the Ganesha Familia.”

“Monsters that can speak?” Bell was absolutely shocked by such a thing. “They can be taught that?”

“Not all, but several of them have been shown in the past few years at Monsterphilia.” Ryu informed Bell with a nod. “Mock battles between the Xenos are a crowd favorite nowadays. Seeing tamed Monsters up close helps the citizens lose their fear of them. All Xenos are given clothing with the Ganesha Familia emblem on it to identify them. To attack one of them is considered an attack on the Familia.”

“That’s crazy…” Bell looked amazed. To think that some Adventurers had the strength to use a Skill to tame Monsters and make them into companions. ‘Is there anything the Blessing of the Gods can’t help the people of Gekai do?’ He wondered to himself.

“If you ever run into a Monster that can speak in the Dungeon, it’s probably a lost Xenos. They can apparently become confused when separated from a Tamer for too long. If you bring them back to the surface and reunite them with the Ganesha Familia, they’ll give you a reward.” Ryu explained the Xenos situation to Bell. “If you look up in the sky, you’ll occasionally see a Xenos flying between the Guild and the Ganesha Familia, especially if there’s some kind of emergency.” She stopped speaking for a second as Bell immediately looked up to try and see a flying Xenos. Ryu started speaking again once Bell’s eyes met hers. “The Guild has granted the Xenos permission to live on the surface within Orario’s territory as well. So, people are slowly getting used to the idea of Tamed Monsters being friendly. Even just ten years ago the very idea would’ve been ludicrous to anyone in the city.”

“Can they ever go back to being regular Monsters?” Bell questioned, wondering if the Taming could wear off.

“Not that anyone has ever seen before, nya.” Anya shook her head. “But some people worry that a Tamer with bad intentions could raise a Monster Horde on the surface and cause a lot of damage.”

“That’s why the Guild heavily monitors those that acquire the Taming Skill. It’s a matter of safety. So far, only a few members of the Ganesha Familia have acquired it. It has been classified as a Rare Skill because of it.” Ryu informed Bell of the current situation as it was known to the public.

“Anyway,” Anya waved off the whole conversation they’d just had easily. “Syr said she’d buy souvenirs, but then forgot her money. Careless kitty!”

“Was buying souvenirs not at your request, Anya?” Ryu reminded the Cat Girl with a blank expression.

Anya pretended not to hear what Ryu had said. “Anyway, Syr just left, so you should be able to find her.”

Ryu gave a half bow to Bell. “We’ll leave her wallet with you, Mr. Cranel.”

“Leave it to me.” Bell smiled at both waitresses before heading off towards the stadium. He really wanted to see these Xenos now!

-Hestia-

‘Now where would Bell be?’ Hestia wondered as she walked down the street away from Hephaestus’s place with a bright grin. She almost walked past a large flier advertising Monsterphilia before she remembered Bell’s interest in the festival. “That’s probably where he is!” Hestia nodded to herself before raising her hand. “Taxi!” A man in a one-horse wagon noticed her and directed the horse to take him closer to the Goddess. “To East Main please!”

“Monsterphilia is it?” The old man with the bushy, white beard chuckled. “I’ll get you there!” He nodded as Hestia sat on one of the benches in the wagon. The old man directed the horse forwards and Hestia couldn’t wait to see Bell again.

The ride was quick until they got near the colosseum. The crowds had gotten so heavy that the horse-drawn wagon couldn’t go any further. Monsterphilia was one of the biggest draws in Orario each year. Tens of thousands of people from outside the city came to see the festival. So it was little surprise to either the taxi driver or Hestia that they couldn’t get any closer.

“My goodness…” The old man shook his head. “I do apologize, Honorable Goddess, but this is as far as I can take you.”

“This is close enough, Mr. Driver! I’ll walk from here.” Hestia waved off his apology.

“Sorry for the trouble,” The old man pointed to a backstreet. “If you follow that backstreet, you’ll end up on East Main.”

Hestia smiled at the driver. “Thanks! How much do I owe you?”

“It’s 90 Valis.” The old man held out his hand. Hestia opened her coin purse and deposited a small stack of Valis into the old man’s hand.

“Keep the change, that’s your tip!” Hestia waved to him with a smile as she headed towards the backstreet.

“Thank you kindly, Honorable Goddess.” The old man chuckled as he counted out the Valis and came up with 150. Hestia’s tip would buy him an extra drink at the pub when his shift ended, which brought a little smile to the old man. He noticed another person flagging him down and moved to continue his work.

Hestia was lightly jogging down the backstreet when someone came around the corner suddenly. Both of them jerked to a stop to avoid a collision. After a second, Hestia realized she knew the person wrapped up in the black cloak.

Hestia smiled at the other Goddess. “Wait, is that you, Freya?”

“Hestia?” Freya grinned back at the shorter Goddess.

“Going to Monsterphilia too?” Hestia questioned with a tilt of her head. “You must be in a hurry if you’re using back alleys.”

“Yes… I can’t walk around openly in such crowded spaces.” Freya shook her head slightly.

“Ah, must me tough being a Goddess of Beauty.” Hestia commiserated with her fellow Goddess. “Oh yeah! Have you seen the young man in my Familia? He’s got white-hair and red-eyes…looks a bit like a rabbit!” Hestia closed her eyes and lifted her hands up to her head in an imitation of rabbit ears. She missed Freya’s mischievous grin because of it.

“Now that you mention it, I believe I have.” Freya pointed down the back alley. “Just down this path on East Main.”

Hestia beamed at Freya and waved goodbye before taking off. “Thank you!”

Freya stood still for a moment before turning and continuing on her path. ‘This should make testing Bell even easier.’ She thought to herself with a little giggle.

-East Main Street-

“Bell!” Hestia called out happily when she saw her lover amongst the crowd. She headed towards him with a glowing smile.

“Hestia?” Bell blinked at seeing his Goddess for the first time in three days. “What are you doing at Monsterphilia?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hestia smiled at him. “I wanted to see you!” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I like your new armor.” She eyed up the white and red armor approvingly.

“I wanted to see you too.” Bell returned the hug warmly. “Thanks, I got it from the Hephaestus shop on the Eighth Floor of Babel Tower.” He accepted the compliment with a smile. “But it has been three days. I was starting to get worried.” Bell said as the two gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment before their lips met in a gentle kiss. “You’re in a very good mood, did something good happen at the Banquet?”

“I have a present for you, Bell!” Hestia smiled at him as she finally left his embrace. “But to make it as good as possible, let’s find somewhere private and update your Status.”

Bell blinked in confusion. “What does my Status have to do with the gift?”

Hestia giggled as she took his hand and they walked off towards a backstreet together. “You’ll see!”

Once they were secluded, Bell removed his breastplate and then pulled up the back of his shirt to expose his Falna. Hestia borrowed Bell’s knife to prick the tip of her right index finger. A single drop of her blood and the hieroglyphs began to glow. Hestia looked through Bell’s Excelia, seeing his experiences over the past three days. She moved the Excelia into the Falna and let it grow. Her eyes widened at the numbers rising so much. With a bright smile that Bell’s hard work had clearly paid off, she reached into her pocket and took out a folded up piece of blank paper that she’d borrowed from Hephaestus and placed it against his back to transfer the updated numbers.

“You’ve been working so hard, Bell.” Hestia pulled his shirt down after removing the paper. She leaned against his back happily. “You’re getting stronger and stronger~”

Bell turned his head to look at her over his shoulder and smiled at Hestia. “Thank you, Hestia.”

Hestia handed Bell the Status Update with a warm smile.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – F 392 > C 640

Endurance – F 389 > C 638

Dexterity – E 403 > C 662

Agility – F 387 > C 636

Magic – E 404 > C 653

-Magic-

Sacred Ash – Incantation: “Remnants of the Sacred Flame, alight on the wind and scatter.” This Magic allows the user to conjure and manipulate ashes, ember, and smoke. They can control the temperature and form constructs with it. The user can change the effect of the spell to provide mild healing and remove Charms, Curses, and Anti-Status conditions by chanting Chari.

-Skills-

Liaris Freese – Fast growth as long as feelings last. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user’s feelings. As a side effect it makes the user immune to Charms and Magics that alter the mind.

-Status-

“Th-That’s a lot…” Bell nearly gaped at how much he’d grown in the three days that he hadn’t seen Hestia. An increase of 1,254 points in just three days seemed impossible, even though he’d been working hard and staying a bit later in the Dungeon each day, since Hestia wouldn’t be at home waiting for him. He’d also ben hunting and exploring the Sixth Floor, so the Monsters were of significant strength for his stats. ‘But over 1,250 points is crazy growth, right?’ Bell questioned himself internally, his eyes glancing down at Liaris Freese on his Status Update.

“Here’s the present I mentioned, Bell.” Hestia smiled lovingly at him as she undid the cloth around her body. She pulled the cloth off the xiphos and its black scabbard. She heard Bell’s sharp intake of breath and her smile widened slightly.

“Goddess…this…is this?” Bell took the sheathed shortsword in hand. He pulled the black blade out of the scabbard and his eyes briefly saw the hieroglyphs on the metal glow. He could feel the power in this blade! It had to be a Skillful Grade or maybe even a High Grade weapon!

“This xiphos is yours, Bell.” Hestia told him warmly. “It’s the only one like it in the whole world. It’s alive, and as you grow stronger, so will it. It’s called the ‘Hestia Xiphos’ and I want you to have it.”

“Hestia!” Bell sheathed the xiphos and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her with all of the love and affection he had for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her body flush against his. Hestia eagerly reciprocated as she straddled Bell and their kiss deepened. “I love you, Hestia.” Bell told her once they finally separated for air.

Hestia snuggled close and just enjoyed the warmth of being held by him. “I love you too, Bell.”

A short time later the two released each other and stood up. Bell put his black shirt and breastplate back on and the two walked out of the backstreet hand in hand. The Status Update paper was tossed into a food stall’s grill and burned to nothing. It was never a good idea for anyone outside of your Familia to know your Status. So, burning the papers with the Status updates on them was common practice.

“So, you’re looking for this Syr girl to give her wallet back to her?” Hestia asked as they walked around the festival looking for the waitress.

“Yeah, I said I’d help the other waitresses out.” Bell replied as he looked for Syr’s waitress outfit, or her distinctive silver-blue locks.

-Colosseum Holding Area-

“Hey! What’s the hold up?! Why isn’t the next Monster up there yet?” A female Adventurer of the Ganesha Familia demanded as she opened the large wooden doors. She gasped when she saw the other members of her Familia all lying on the ground or against something. They all looked completely out of it with strange smiles on their faces. ‘Monster venom? No, that’s not it. What is this?’ She wondered as she looked at one of her Familia members.

“Don’t move now.” Two gloved hands covered her eyes. Before she could reach for her weapon and overwhelming pleasure filled her body, making her tremble and her mind become hazy. “And those keys.” The Adventurer shakily reached for the keys on her belt as she trembled in ecstasy. The key ring was plucked from her fingers and she was dropped to the ground insensate. “Thank you.”

Freya tossed off her cloak and let her Divine Charm fill the entire holding area. All of the previously snarling Monsters quieted down as the Goddess passed them. When she came to a specific cage, she smiled at the beast within. Using the keys she’d taken, she unlocked the cage and the restraints keeping the Monster inside the steel bars.

“You’ll do, come on out.” Freya beckoned the Monster forward.

The beast was almost two and a half meters tall, an ape-like body covered in silver-white fur, and gleaming red-eyes. On each wrist were shackles and attached to each shackle was a length of thick, steel chain. The ape-like Monster stepped out of the steel cage at the Goddess’s beckoning. This was a Monster that spawned on the Eleventh and Twelfth Floors of the Dungeon, a Silverback. However this particular one was larger than normal, marking it as some kind of irregular.

‘Bell should be just outside. Let’s see how he reacts to a danger to those he cares for.’ Freya placed her hands on each side of the Silverback’s face. “Chase the little Goddess for me, won’t you?” She giggled as the Silverback nodded involuntarily. Now, she just needed to release a few more to make sure this one had a proper distraction so it could chase after its target.

-Outside of the Colosseum-

“Hah…” Anna sighed from her position outside of the large colosseum. “It’s Monsterphilia, I get that. Still, putting people in potential danger for entertainment should come to an end soon.” She crossed her arms, as she looked up at the high walls as a loud cheer rang out from inside. “I hope nothing bad happens.”

“You say something?” Sophie, a silver-haired Elf woman that worked at the Guild, questioned her friend. Neither of them was thrilled about their current assignment as guides. They couldn’t leave the area they were assigned and all questions from visitors to the festival were relegated to them.

Anna shook her head. “Nothing at all.”

“Not here either…should we check inside the stadium?” Bell asked Hestia as they still hadn’t found Syr.

“Bell?” Anna smiled a little as she saw one of her favorite Adventurers.

Bell smiled at seeing his Dungeon Advisor. “Miss Anna? What’re you doing here?”

Anna gave a lopsided smile. “Guiding people and answering questions. Did you come to see the show too, Bell?”

“Sort of, but I’m actually looking for a girl named Syr right now.” Bell informed his Dungeon Advisor. “She has grey-blue hair and might be wearing a green waitress uniform.”

“Anna? Ah, you’re Bell’s Dungeon Advisor, right?” Hestia brightened up as she recalled who Anna was and gave the young woman a gentle smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Goddess Hestia.” Anna smiled at the short Goddess. “Yes, I’m Anna Claes, Bell’s Dungeon Advisor.” She bowed at the waist to the Goddess.

“Ah, thanks for taking care of Bell and teaching him what he needs to know.” Hestia thanked the woman while waving her to stop bowing.

Anna smiled as she stood up straight. “It’s my pleasure. Bell is polite and actually listens to me.”

Bell rubbed the back of his head at Anna’s praise.

“As for the girl that you’re looking for, I can’t say that I’ve seen anyone like that today.” Anna shook her head once.

Bell looked back towards East Main Street. “Hmm, maybe she noticed that she forgot her wallet and headed back?”

“If I see a girl that matches the description you gave me, then I’ll speak to her.” Anna promised and Bell nodded in thanks as he turned to head back towards East Main Street with Hestia.

-East Main Street-

“The festival is so busy, I’m not sure that we’ll be able to find Miss Syr.” Bell was starting to realize just how hard it was to find a single person in a crowd this massive.

“Well, worst case scenario, we’ll return her wallet to the tavern and apologize for being unable to find her.” Hestia reassured him with a smile. “I’m sure they’ll understand, given how huge of an event Monsterphilia is.”

Bell turned his head when he thought he heard something from a distance. “Was that a scream?”

“Huh?” Hestia blinked at him. She hadn’t heard anything.

A much louder scream tore through the air and the crowd stilled in fear. “It’s a Monster!”

A stack of crates off to one side of the street were smashed to pieces sending broken wood flying everywhere. Citizens ran screaming in any direction away from the Monster. Bell instantly moved in front of Hestia to protect her from whatever the Monster was. He felt his heart rate spike and his eyes widened when he actually saw what the beast was.

“A Silverback…” Bell felt sweat break out on his forehead. The Monster had clearly escaped, judging by the shackles and chains still attached to its wrists. This was a Monster of the Eleventh and Twelfth Floors. Silverbacks were one of the Large Category Monsters, like the Minotaur that had almost killed him on the Fifth Floor.

“GROAAAHHH!” The Silverback roared as people fled from it in terror. Its bright red-eyes locked onto Hestia and the Goddess stared in shock at the beast.

“Bell?” Hestia noticed that Bell seemed to be shaking as the Monster stared them down.

‘This feeling….’ Bell shook his head as he realized that this wasn’t the same as the Minotaur. Even as the Silverback snarled at the pair, Bell didn’t feel the same threat that he’d felt when facing down the Minotaur. ‘This thing isn’t as strong as the Minotaur! I can take it on!’ Bell drew the Hestia Xiphos and held it at the ready. He wouldn’t let the Silverback anywhere near Hestia!

-Stadium ~ Ganesha’s Private Booth-

“Lord Ganesha! We have a major problem! It’s an emergency!” A Ganesha Familia member burst into the booth in a panic.

Ganesha posed with one hand on his chest and the other raised into the air. “In point of fact, I am indeed Ganesha!”

“I know that, sir!” The young man waved off his God’s eccentricity. “Captured Monsters are on the loose!”

“…Oh.” Ganesha actually flinched in shock. “Wouldn’t that be really bad?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, sir!” The young man explained. “Our guards in the holding area have all collapsed! Even the Guild Members that were helping us! It appears that someone from the outside has infiltrated!”

“That’s not important right now!” Ganesha’s voice easily silenced his child’s. “Our first priority is the safety of the masses!” The elephant masked God declared strongly. “How many Monsters have escaped?”

“N-Nine, sir! Some that even experienced Adventurers could have problems taking down!” The man explained the situation further.

“After them immediately!” Ganesha ordered his child. “Request assistance from nearby Familias and other Adventurers in the area!”

“But Lord Ganesha! This is all our fault! If we request help from other Familias then our reputation will…” He was cut off as Ganesha seemed to exude a pressure into the very air around him.

“I am the God of the Masses, Ganesha! I will not allow harm to come to my people! To hell with ambition and reputation!” Ganesha declared powerfully. “Have the Xenos put on another mock battle to keep the crowd entertained. No one leaves the colosseum! Don’t do anything that will cause a panic!”

“Yes, Lord Ganesha!” The young man bolted out of the private booth to relay the God’s orders to the rest of the Familia.

-East Main Street-

“Why is it coming this way?!” Hestia cried out as the Silverback leapt towards her and Bell.

“Hestia, run!” Bell pushed her away and skipped back to avoid the Silverback’s fist. The paved road cracked under the force of the Monster’s strike and Bell began to chant. “Remnants of the Scared Flame, alight on the wind and scatter!” It was only when the Silverback turned to focus on Hestia, completely ignoring the black ashes that began to pour off of Bell’s left arm, that he realized the Monster’s true target ‘It’s after Hestia?!’

“Huh?!” Hestia’s eyes widened in panic and fear as the Silverback closed in on her.

“Goddess!” Bell was at her side and shoving her out of the Silverback’s reach before she realized it. The Monster swung its fist, only to be engulfed in a massive cloud of burning ashes. “Don’t touch my Goddess!” He roared as the black ashes swirled around his arm before compressing down. Bell’s left arm nearly blurred a second later.

Thunk

Thunk

Thunk

Three black blades were lodged in the large Silverback’s chest.

“Grah!” The Silverback snarled at Bell before trying to go after Hestia again.

Bell moved as fast as he ever had, reaching out to stop the Silverback.

“Grrah?” The Silverback felt resistance on its left arm as it tried to get to its target. Looking back, the Monster saw the human that had attacked it before. Bell was holding onto the chain connected to the shackle around the Silverback’s left wrist.

“Hestia, get back!” Bell struggled against the Silverback’s strength as it tried to pull against the shackle to get to Hestia.

Hestia ran a good distance from the Silverback at Bell’s words. When she was a safe distance away, Bell let go of the chain suddenly. The sudden loss of resistance sent the Silverback stumbling forward and crashing into the paved road face first.

“Hestia, stay way behind me!” Bell had rushed around the staggered Silverback and put himself between the Monster and his Goddess again. He wasn’t scared for himself, but he was terrified for Hestia. The Gods weren’t any stronger than a regular person without their Arcanum. Monsters wouldn’t stop attacking them if they unleashed their Divinity either. Hestia was nothing more than a young woman in front of the Silverback. With his desire to protect Hestia in his heart, Bell focused on his magic as he tightened his grip on the Hestia Xiphos.

“GRRROOOAAAHHH!!!” The Silverback rushed towards Bell with a powerful roar, tearing up parts of the street as it charged.

Bell saw the left hand punch coming as the Silverback telegraphed its attack. He ducked under the swing, also avoiding the chain that followed the blow. He lashed out with the Hestia Xiphos. Even in the heat of the moment, Bell was amazed when it not only cut the Monster, but also severed the Silverback’s arm below the elbow!

“AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!” The Silverback howled in pain at the loss of its left arm. It staggered backwards as the stump spilled blood all over the street.

‘I won’t let you touch her!’ Bell roared in his mind as he rushed forward, his black ash cloud turning a blistering orange-yellow. “Cinder shot!” The hardened bullets of burning hot ash slammed into the Silverback over and over, staggering the injured Monster as it tried to guard its face from the hail of burning projectiles.

“Go, Bell!” Hestia cheered from near a stall close to the end of the block.

With the Silverback’s vision obscured, Bell had the burning ashes swirl into another group of blades which he grabbed, and threw as fast as he could. The burning blades felt hot to the touch, but Bell ignored that as he threw another blade while running.

“GROOUUAAGGHHH!!!” The Silverback roared in rage and pain as the burning blades stabbed into its raised arms, its torso and both of its legs. With a grunt of pain, the large Monster stumbled to one knee but whipped its right arm forward, sending the large steel chain swinging towards the charging Bell.

Ching

The Hestia Xiphos sliced through the steel and the majority of the chain clattered to the cobblestones behind Bell.

“Blade of Ember!” Bell’s remaining burning ashes compressed into a replica of his xiphos and he dual wielded the two shortswords as he reached the Silverback. “Hyah!” He slashed the burning blade through the Silverback’s hastily raised right arm, nearly slicing it off at mid forearm. “Nnngh!” Bell growled as he brought the Hestia Xiphos around and sliced through the Silverback’s abdomen, a waterfall of blood splashed onto the cobblestones as the Silverback’s injured leg prevented it from retreating.

“GRROOOAAAHHH!!!” The Silverback roared and lunged forward to try and bite Bell.

Bell pivoted to the side, burying his ‘Blade of Ember’ into the Silverback’s chest before slicing sideways with the burning ash blade, cauterizing the wound almost as soon as it was made. The ‘Hestia Xiphos’ came around to slice through both of the Silverback’s eyes, blinding the Monster. Bell was moving faster and faster as he slashed and stabbed the Silverback over and over again until it fell backwards after Bell nearly decapitated it with the ‘Hestia Xiphos’, its head hanging onto its neck by only its spinal cord.

Bam

The amount of damage was too much and the Silverback’s body exploded into black ashes, leaving behind the steel shackles and a fist-sized Magic Stone that had swirling lights of magical energy with the purple crystal.

There was total silence on the street for a moment.

“That was awesome!” Hestia exclaimed as she rushed towards Bell and hugged him from behind.

The crowd began to clap and cheer for the takedown of the Monster. Calls of thanks and whistles of appreciation rang out. The people were already beginning to talk about the amazing display that they’d just witnessed. The story would be all over Orario by nightfall without a doubt. Bell cleaned off the Hestia Xiphos as he let the ‘Blade of Ember’ crumble away into colling ashes. In a bit of a daze he returned Hestia’s hug.

“Well…damn.” Loki blinked at what she had just seen. Ais had been making quick work of the other escaped Monsters. They’d come here to finish off the Silverback and be done with the emergency. But what they’d found was Hestia’s little rabbit carving the beast up with two shortswords, one black as night and the other a burning yellow-orange with a black core. “Is that kid really a newbie?”

“That was awesome!” Tiona cheered, unintentionally mimicking Hestia, having arrived with Tione, Ais and Loki a short time ago and gotten to see the majority of the fight.

Both Tione and Tiona felt like their Amazonian blood was as hot as Bell’s strange burning sword.

“Tione! Tiona!” Bell greeted the two as they approached him. He wasn’t expecting to be sandwiched between the Hyrute Sisters as both Tione and Tiona pressed themselves against him with eyes that burned with desire. Their hands ran over his chest and stomach, both seemingly annoyed by his armor, and their hands began to pull up his black shirt as if they were planning to take it off of him along with his armor. “Eh?!”

“Down girls!” Loki clapped her hands twice. When that didn’t get any reaction from the two Amazons, Loki spoke up louder. “I will get a hose!” She threatened to spray the amorous twins with water like cats in heat.

Tione and Tiona both grumbled at Loki, shooting their Goddess a glare as they took a step back from Bell and tried to cool their blood.

“Ya can’t just go doing things like that in the streets!” Loki said to the two, nearly pouting, Amazons.

Hestia pulled Bell away from Tione and Tiona with a pout. “My Bell!” She said loudly, wrapping her arms around Bell’s right arm, burying his bicep between her large breasts. “You can’t take him!”

Ais blinked and looked between Loki and Hestia, seeing some similarities between the two Goddesses. Not that she would voice that, of course.

“Share?” Tiona asked Hestia with a bright smile.

Hestia sputtered at Tiona’s one-word question.

“Please?” Tione requested, her eyes locking with Bell’s.

Bell felt that familiar thrum of something travel up his spine as he and Tione held each other’s gaze.

“Stop trying to seduce my girls, you ash bunny!” Loki pointed at Bell accusingly.

Hestia immediately bristled at Loki’s insinuation. “What’d you say about my Bell?!”

The Ganesha Familia members and Guild staff that had come to figure out what had happened hear could only stare as the two Goddesses bickered while Bell was quickly about to become the filling of a Hyrute Sister sandwich.

-Rooftop-

“I’ve wronged Hestia…” Freya sighed, her right arm was below her breasts and her left hand was touching her lips. “But I have to test his character and his strength for my fairy with a scarred heart~” The Goddess of Beauty mumbled out with a gentle smile. She’d watched the whole fight and had been shocked when Bell hadn’t run from the Silverback, but instead threw himself between the Monster and Hestia without hesitation. “Congratulations…” She smiled down at Bell. “Although you still have a long way to go… But yes, that was very good. We’ll have to do this again, but I must be sure that you’re the right one for her, Bell.” Freya giggled as she gazed at the boy whose soul was such an interesting color…or lack of color…given its transparency.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

That’s similar…and yet different.

Bell’s choice to use a shortsword instead of a knife upon becoming an Adventurer has altered the Divine Weapon that he receives!

The Hestia Xiphos is longer and wider than a knife, meaning it can slay Large Category Monsters easier. Which might mean that certain other events won’t be able to happen in the future. It as similar specs to the Canon ‘Hestia Knife’, but with more weight and size, it’s stronger overall.

With his Ash Magic, the Hestia Xiphos, and his incredible growth (from actually knowing about Liaris Freese from the beginning and being able to directly work with it), the Silverback didn’t have much of a chance. So many people saw Bell take down a large Silverback singlehandedly in order to protect his Goddess that the story will be all over Orario by nightfall!

That may or may not have some effects within the city.

But this time around, Tione and Tiona saw the fight and their Amazon Blood burns for Bell even to the point that they want to strip him right then and there!

Loki has to threaten to get the hose! Kek!

Hestia understands that more women are interested in Bell! Will she allow such a thing? Or will she fight against it?

What comes next for the Ash Rabbit?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!