- Hestia already went back to Orario, assisted by some of Othello's guards. You decided to stay to continue your research on the peculiar plants that started growing -
"So, what are your plans?" Raziel asked. Staring at you while you examine more of the strange plant.
"Well... we don't know anything about it rather than improving my powers. So, I guess I'll just do this!" You exclaimed. Plucking the flower and completely devouring it.
"What are you doing!?" Raziel asked. Surprised by your sudden actions. He watched in disgust as you chewed and swallowed.
- You stand there, waiting for any changes in your body. It was a stupid thing to do, but you thought that if those plants came from inside your body, wouldn't it be logical to put it back? -
"I guess it didn't affect me... or did it!" You shouted. Summoning Legion, a shadow went out your body, but its dark color is now joined by a fiery yellow.
"Woah! You summoned them in that state!" Raziel shouted. In awe, but still disturbed by Legion's look.
"Dismiss." You said. Legion was despawned, "I need to study these plants more, I need to take them back to Orario. Now that Vonika joined Rakia, we need to up our defense and offense. I'll take Ryuu here some other time. We need to train. But for now... I think I need to apologize and spend some time with my Familia." You said. Raziel nodded, and you started collecting the plants.
- You and Raziel started cutting the plants from the stems. It doesn't die out even if it's separated from its roots. After collecting all of it, he packed it all in a cloth sack and gave it to you. You thanked him and started heading back to Orario -
<Timeskip>
- You arrived at the broken-down church. It has been days since you were here, and you're glad that you finally get to go back home. The only problem now is with Bell, you're too afraid to confront him... but luckily, you didn't -
"(Y/N)!?" Bell shouted. Running out of the church and hugging you, "I'm so glad you're okay!" He exclaimed. His tears run down his face as he hugs you tighter.
"I-I'm sorry for earlier, Bell. And thank you for still trusting me." You said with a content smile. You returned the hug and let go.
"I'm sorry about Vonika." Bell said. His face, painted with a sorrowful expression. You pat him on the back.
"It's okay, Bell. None of this is your fault. Goddess already told me about Vonika, and I'm sure she'll return to our side someday... Hopefully." You said. Unsure of what will happen.
"Okay, enough of this drama. I've been away for quite a bit of time. I need to get some proper rest." You said. Bell nodded and went inside also.
- You saw Hestia, already asleep. You smiled, remembering the times she helped you. How many times have you made a problem, but she still stayed by your side. You yawned, dropped the sack full of the plants, and plopped down on the sofa -
<Timeskip>
- You wake up. The first thing you see is Bell smiling widely at you. You sit down and saw different kinds of food served out on the table. You scratched the back of your head, confused at what's happening -
"Umm, Goddess? What's all this for?" You asked. No occasion came to mind rather than you returning.
"Well, it's mostly you returning to the Familia. But while you were away. The Denatus was held." She explained. You weren't really familiar with the term, but it sounded important.
"Denatus?" You asked. Bell immediately beams with happiness making you almost jump out of the sofa.
"It's a meeting of the Gods! Where they give out aliases or titles to newly leveled up adventurers!" Bell explained. Giving you an excited smile.
"So, what'd you get?" You asked happily. Bell's cheery attitude was replaced with a gloomy one.
"Little Rookie." He said, laughing awkwardly. You looked at Hestia, trying to get some confirmation, and she nods.
"Don't look so down, Bell. Little Rookie isn't that bad." You comforted. Hestia scowled and sat down.
"Those Gods like to pick on the weak adventurers, giving them silly nicknames just for their own amusement." Hestia said. Clearly pissed about the title given to Bell.
"What is mine?" You asked. Wanting it to be as bad as Little Rookie just so Bell won't feel bad.
"This is what I've been waiting for! Hestia didn't want us to know your title until you come back." Bell said. The look of anticipation can be seen from his face.
"The denatus has dubbed thee..." Hestia proudly says. Bell imitates a drumroll sound, "The Entity!" She said. Bell's eyes sparkled at the name.
"Oh no... The Entity? What a bad alias..." You acted. Trying to make Bell feel better, but it didn't, and it made it like you were applying salt to the wound.
"Oh, I see how it is." Bell said, pouting. You immediately stopped the act and apologized, "Don't worry about it (Y/N). I'm starting to like Little Rookie." Bell claimed. Smiling at you.
"We're heading to the dungeon after this (Y/N). You wanna join us?" Bell asked. Picking up a Jagamarukun.
"I'll have to go to Ryuu first. She might be worried. I'll join you later." You said. Bell remembered something when you talked about Ryuu.
"Oh, I remember, that night after the Denatus! Someone tried to flirt with Ryuu." Bell said. Chewing on the Jagamarukun.
"WHAT!" You shouted. The anger is visibly seen on your face and tone. You tried to run out, but Hestia pulled you back.
"Let Bell finish. You keep running into things head-on. Why don't you stop for a second and think first?" Hestia said. You just laughed awkwardly, trying to dodge the question.
"Don't worry though, Ryuu fought back and almost broke the guy's hand.
Bell finished. You sighed in relief and thought proudly of Ryuu.
"Don't leave yet, (Y/N). I haven't checked your status for a long time." Hestia said. She checked your status and almost fainted. You chuckled as you remembered the first time she checked your status.
<><><>
(Y/N)'s Status
•Level: 22
•Strength: S 999
•Endurance: S 999
•Dexterity: S 999
•Agility: S 999
•Magic: S 999
•Scythe-Wielder: S
Magic:
•Entity's Grasp - Acquired As A Form Of Gift To A Poor Soul Suffering Or Longing For A Family
•User Can Take Souls And Merge Them Into A Being Of Power With Their Own Special Powers. User Cannot Level Up On Their Own
•Killers: (Each Killer Equals 1 Level)
•The Trapper •The Hag •The Pig •The Ghost Face
•The Wraith •The Doctor •The Clown •The Demogorgon
•The Hillbilly •The Huntress •The Spirit •The Oni
•The Nurse •The Cannibal •The Legion •The Deathslinger
•The Shape •The Nightmare •The Plague •The Executioner
•The Blight •The Twins
•Skill Borrow - User Can Borrow The Special Powers Of His Killers, Only 1 Can Be Used At A Time
•Spies From The Shadows - User Can Summon Crows To Find Enemies or Allies
Skills:
•Distressing - User Can Inflicts Stress And Fear To Those Fighting The User Or To Those Nearby
•Deerstalker - Able To Find And Pinpoint The Location Of An Injured Person Whether Friend or Foe
•Sloppy Butcher - Able To Locate Targets Weakest The The Most Painful Area To Hit
•Unrelenting - You Recuperate Faster From Missed Attacks And Also Boosts Your Attack Speed
Development Skills:
•Stone Hearted - User Can Toggle His Emotions On And Off, Preventing Stress, Fear, Rage To Overcome The User While Fighting
•Finally One - The Killers Are Now Part And Bound To The User's Soul. Expanding Their Power In Terms Of Control.
•Dark Connection - The User Can See Through The Eyes Of The Killers.
•Putrid Serum - User Can Now Summon Killers With Increased/Upgraded Powers In Terms Of Physical Strength, Speed, Durability As Well As Their Special Powers.
<><><>
"How did you reach level 22 in just a couple of months!" Hestia asked. Staring at the paper, with an unbelieving gaze.
"Well... I guess I nagged some couple of souls to turn into killers." You said, "Even though the last one was accidental." You muttered. Thinking of the conjoined twins.
"So... I guess I'll be heading out now!" You said hurriedly. Sprinting to the exit as fast as you can before Hestia can interrogate you about the killers added to your roster.
- You walked to the Hostess of Fertility and saw that it wasn't still open. But Ryuu was inside, setting up the tables. You knocked on the door, surprising the employees inside -
"(Y/N)!?" Ryuu said happily. The other employees were surprised to see Ryuu emit such happiness. She's usually stoic and spoke in a monotone voice.
- She opened the door and quickly jumped in for a hug. You hugged her and laughed as she gives you this beautiful smile. Immediately Kissing you on the lips. By now, the other employees are watching through the windows -
"Where were you!? I was so worried. You were gone for so long!" She exclaimed. Hugging you once again.
"Just fixed some of the problems with Ares and the Rakia Kingdom... and learned that Vonika was a spy." You said. You still felt a tinge of sadness but remembering what Hestia said, you calmed down.
"Oh, I'm sorry..." She said apologetically. You shushed her and told her it wasn't her fault. You wanted to take her on a date, but she still has her shift on the Hostess of Fertility.
- Luckily, Mia. Who somehow knew what you were thinking, walked out of the pub and put her hand on your shoulder -
"You two seem to miss each other a lot. Why don't you take the day off Ryuu, spend the rest of today with (Y/N)" She said. You stare in awe. Ryuu giggled and started pulling you away.
- As Ryuu pulled you away, you looked behind and saw Mia giving you a wide grin and a thumbs up. She looks beside her and sees her employees eavesdropping. She glares at them, and they all started working again. You chuckled at what you just saw -
"Ryuu? Where are we going?" You asked. Not knowing where Ryuu is pulling you to, she didn't answer but just gave you a smile that signified 'trust me.'.
- You let her drag you and stopped at Amor square. The colorful tiles, the garden, and the statue of the Goddess made this place the best place for couples to meet up -
"So, what're you planning on the date?" You asked. Ryuu sat down on a nearby bench.
"I don't need a fancy date, (Y/N). All I need is to spend time with you. You were gone for a week, and now that you're here, I want to make up for lost time." She said sincerely. You smiled and sat beside her.
"Are you sure? I mean, there's a nearby cafe we can talk..." You said. But she cut you off.
"No. No cafes, no gifts, no surprises. Just you with me here right now is enough." She said. Resting her head on your shoulder.
"Yeah, It's kind of nice just having you beside me. No troubles, no problems in mind, just us in each other's company." You said.
- The two of you just sat there, talking about what happened when you were gone, casually sharing jokes. This is the first time you saw Ryuu laugh. She usually just smile -
"So, what do you think is our next step in the defense against Rakia?" She asked. You gave her the 'really' look. And she giggles.
"Come on! What's more romantic than couples planning how to take down another kingdom?" She jokingly said, " Besides, we know already that we aren't the kind of people who would enjoy expensive dates." She continued. You laughed and agreed with her.
"Well... we better start training the people in Athello." You said. She nodded, "We don't know when Ares will attack, so we should be prepared." You said.
- The two of you wanted to prolong the date, but all good things must come to an end when a Guild employee ran towards you two. He was sweating and out of breath -
"Godkiller! Bell and his party members are in danger! Hestia asks you to go back to the church immediately!" He reported. You and Ryuu stood up and started running back to the church.
<Smol Timeskip>
- You arrived at the church and entered. You wanted Ryuu to go inside also, but she was opposed to the idea. Hestia was standing up, looking away. From everyone there besides Hestia, you only know Hephaestus, Miach, and Naaza. The others were strangers -
"I'm sorry, Hestia." The man on the far right said. He has long black hair that was tied to a ponytail and at the sides.
"So you're saying they dumped their monsters on Bell's party?" Miach said. You felt anger as the words register.
"They were desperate, but... I'm sorry." The black-haired man said. The people beside him all bowed.
"Desperate!? They left my party to die just because they were desperate!?" You shouted. Everyone looked at you in fear as you emitted a very dark aura. Hestia started to speak, so you decided to control your anger... for now.
"If Bell doesn't come back... I'll blame you until the day I die. But... I won't hate you. I promise." She said. You were taken aback by this. Hestia won't hate the people who caused Bell's early death?
- You gripped your scythe, your hands shaking in anger. Remembering what Hestia said back in Athello, you're afraid to lose family. You wanted to kill every single one of them. But in doing so, it will not help saving Bell. At least now you know your fears, you can start overcoming them -
"What the hell!?" You said as a sudden light almost blinded you. You looked up and saw the light coming off from the church window as Hestia put her hand out.
"So... please. Would you help me?" She said. The light behind her made it look so heavenly. You stared in awe, feeling the warmth and calmness overflow you as you continue to stare at Hestia.
- The six people in the middle all kneeled. You were surprised by their actions, but it still didn't make them your allies. They are responsible. You're just holding back since Bell might be alive -
"Just the thought of losing another member..." You mumbled as tears trickled down your face. You wiped them off, "No. I won't cry. There's nothing to be sad about. Bell is still alive. And I'll kill anyone who says otherwise." You continued.
- After the little drama between the Familias. Everyone huddled closer together, trying to formulate a plan on how to get Bell out of the dungeon. You called Ryuu, but she still refused to walk inside -
"Even if you want to put together a search party, most of our high-level members are out on the Loki Familia's expedition." Hephaestus said. Seeing the Loki Familia members head down to the dungeon earlier.
"The only ones I can send down to the middle floors are Ouka and Mikoto, and Chigusa to act as a supporter. The others, unfortunately, would just slow you down. But with just three people..." He added. Hestia interrupted him.
"Don't worry, Take. We have (Y/N) here. We'll have no problem getting down the dungeon and into the middle floors, but we can't just send him alone. We need to carry Bell and the others back up." Hestia said. Takemikazuchi nodded.
"I'll help too, Hestia." You heard someone say. A blonde man accompanied by an aqua-haired woman walked inside the church. You glared at both of them, examining if they're a threat or not.
"Hermes!" Hestia exclaimed. Walking towards the both of them.
"What are you doing here? When did you get back?" Takemikazuchi asked. Surprised that Hermes is back after quite some time.
"Oh, I heard one of my dear friends was in trouble, so I hurried over. I'll help too. With your quest to find Bell Cranel and his friends." He said, showing them the quest Hestia gave out. You softened your glare, knowing he's a close friend of Hestia.
"Dear friend?" Hephaestus asked, "You've barely spoken to Hestia since you cane down from Heaven." She reasoned.
"She's right." Takemikazuchi said, "Some 'dear friend.'" Miach followed.
"Oh, my. You guys are harsh." He said, slumping down. You put your hand on his shoulder and gripped it tightly.
"The Godkiller!? So the news was true!" He said. Surprised and scared at the same time.
"Are you really Hestia's friend? Or are you trying to manipulate her!?" You said, gripping tighter, causing Hermes to wince in pain. The girl grabbed your hand to remove it, but she's no match for your strength.
"Asfi don't! I'm fine." He said. Removing her hand. He looked at you and then at Hestia, "But it's true that I want to help Hestia." He said... it sounded forced because you were still inflicting pain onto him, you decided to let go so he can speak naturally.
"I want to save Bell, too." He said, putting his hand over Asfi's shoulder, " I'll take Asfi here." He said. Asfi gasped in surprise and stared at Hermes questioningly.
"She's our ace. Don't worry." He continued. Asfi wanted to oppose, but you glared at her and emitted a wave of bloodlust. She sighed and bowed to Hestia.
"What will you do, Hestia?" Takemikazuchi asked. Wanting to know Hestia's take on the plan since it's her children that are in danger.
"Finding Bell's party is my top priority now. I want as many people as I can get. I'm counting on you, Hermes." She said.
"Yeah. I'll handle this." Hermes said confidently while Asfi still looked at him questioningly.
- Everyone continued the planning. You saw Asfi drag Hermes and hid behind the back pew. You walked towards them and sat down quietly, wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation -
"Hey, what is it, Asfi?" Hermes asked. Rocking back and forth like a bored child.
"Hermes, you just said you'd take me, but... You can't mean..." Asfi said. Hermes seemed to catch on to what she's saying and interrupted.
"Yup. I'm going, too!" Hermes said. You found out their plan and beckoned Goddess to eavesdrop too. She walked to you silently and sat down.
"But it's against the rules for a God to enter the dungeon!" Asfi stated. Panicking that Hermes will break one of the many rules of the Gods in the human world.
"It'll be fine as long as nobody finds out. It just means I can't do anything stupid." Hermes reasoned. Asfi sighed in annoyance.
"This was your plan from the start, wasn't it." She said. Hermes put a hand on her head and laughed.
"I hope you can babysit me." He said. Patting Asfi on the head. Hestia put her face up the pew.
"Take me, too." She said shocking you, and the other two.
<><><>
Welp, this is chapter 36, bye!
Alright, guys! we're back on the Danmachi plot! And we're almost done with season 1! Yessss!! I've been itching to write about the War Game with Apollo Familia. It's going to be so cool! Once again, thank you for reading and voting on this story! Bye!