The image above would be the new character.
================================
We see our team of trio walking through the forest.
"(Hmm, so this is the a boundary of a super natural.)"
Lefiya thought as she looks around the forest, other than the path they were walking at she couldn't find anything else.
They kept on walking until they found a torii gate, past the gate they could see a bunch of boxes and chest sitting there making it look more like the dungeon.
"Cranel!"
Filvis spoke catching the ghost's attention.
"Hm? "
"Nothing has come after us yet, I thought this spirit would come and fights us already."
"Ohh, is this your first time in a boundary? For shame Filvis-chan and here I thought you could exorcise me."
Poking the black haired elf, making the elf really wanting to exorcise him right here right now.
"Whelp to answer your question, where would the fun be if it ends so quickly?"
"Killing them slowly, taking your limbs very slowly that's the fun part."
Putting his hands in a creepy positions, and hearing him say about killing and limb taking, Lefiya mind raced getting more worried for Aki's safety.
"Your sick."
Filvis said giving him a disgust look.
"Whelp duh."
"We're one of the 7 biggest mysteries of Orario, as the pillars that governs super naturals and mortals in Orario, we have to be known to as much people as possible."
Bell said as he floats over to the top of the gate, making a dramatic point.
"That's why we frighten people."
"Think about it, who would leave you a memorable impression a nice spirit who does good thing, or a spirit who does scary things?"
Bell said giving them a smile, as he descends down to other side of the gate.
"But still, this is has gone to far this time, so we have to stop this."
Following his lead, they went past the gate and once they do, the gate and the whole forest disappear making it so no one can go back.
"Eto Bell-"
Lefiya was interrupted by a gust of wind.
*whisper*
They hear a sweet humming being carried by the wind, until the hum started talking.
"Hello, this is Hotaru and I used to be an adventurer here, in one of this sudden corridors of the dungeon. I was killed and torn into pieces...."
Lefiya was no stranger of the danger of the dungeon, but hearing a story of an adventure die is still hurts her.
"So could please find my body?"
================================
"First please, find my right arm, I used that arm to fight with my sword."
"Please do hurry, monsters could spawn anytime."
The whisper stopped, and after that a huge hourglass was seen in the sky and the sand started to fall.
"What just happened?"
Lefiya asked with a blank look, wondering what just happened.
"It seems this spirit wants us to play a game."
Filvis sighed as she said it.
"Hehe, sure seems like it, I'm guessing we look for this right arm inside these boxes."
Bell said as he opens a bunch of boxes
"Can't we just move on? and go straight towards them?"
Filvis said as she sees the next gate which seems to be locked, seeing it locked she prepares her staff to blast through.
"STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!"
Bell jumped in, blocking the gate
"We can't you see, we seven have our own domains, and where are at Corridor's domain basically making them unbeatable, In my case my domain would be in the 5th floor."
Bell explained, but then Orion suddenly light up and he floats towards Filvis.
"But if you want to fight an unbeatable spirit in their domain, I won't stop you, heh heh."
Making Filvis grimace at his closeness, Lefiya seeing their bickering, just sweat dropped and kept looking for this adventurer's right arm.
"Umm, you know you guys could search other than bicker right!"
"Yes, yes"
"Your right."
All three of them tried to search for a right arm, after some time all three of them found an arm.
We see Bell holding a skeleton arm Filvis holding a creatures arm while Lefiya was carrying a slender human arm giving the both of them a blank look.
"We're looking for a woman's right arm! Filvis-san that's just a monster's arm! Bell-kun that's a skeleton's arm!"
We see both Filvis and Bell sitting on their knees, getting a scold from Lefiya.
"I mean this could be a woman's arm."
Bell said in a quiet voice looking away from her.
"Umm, I'm sorry."
Filvis said as her ears started to go red.
"*sigh* It's fine, but can't you guys take this a bit more serious."
*Whisper
"TIME'S UP!"
The voice came back and kept of repeating those words.
And the walls of the dungeon, started opening spawning in monsters.
"FRESH BLOOD!""
"Stay back, Lefiya-san I'll take care of this."
As both Bell and Filvis grabbed their weapon, since Lefiya wasn't able to bring any of her weapons when she ran to find Bell.
"Lefiya go on and place the arm, we'll keep them distracted."
Bell instructed and Lefiya tried to ran towards the podium until Bell felt something.
"GET DOWN!"
Grabbing both Filvis and Lefiya's hand, he both makes them duck.
A swish of a giant sword nearly chopped their head off.
"RUN!!"
Bell said as all three of them started running towards the podium, while the huge sword and the monster rushed towards them, Bell stopped on his track and rushed in and kicked the sword making it disappear.
"You did it!"
"No, its just beginning."
"Filvis you take care of Lefiya, Themis you help them out, Orion your with me."
"You don't have to order me! I know Let's go Lefiya-san."
Grabbing her arm and run towards the podium.
Running towards the podium, monster soon spawned closer to them.
"You, wisp! fight it off."
Filvis ordered as she fights off the monster crawling on her back.
"Umm guys not to rush you or anything , but can you I don't know, HURRY UP!"
Bell screamed as he keeps dodging the blade.
"Umm right."
Lefiya said as she placed the arm, placing the arm the gate slowly opened.
"It's open, Bell-'
Lefiya said until she was grabbed like a bag by Bell who was also holding Filvis hand.
"Let's get out of here!"
================================
Managing from making it through, they found themselves at a what seems to be the streets of Orario, but it seemed like it was just the beginning of Orario, there were barely any stalls and only a few buildings.
"Is this Orario?"
"Seems like it, but it looks different."
They continued to look around, until they hear the voice again.
*Whisper*
"My left arm, can you please find it? Every morning I go to the streets of Orario and wave at my neighbors with my left arm, Please do hurry wild monster migh-"
"What's up Hayato! Been a long time since we last talk, you still remember little ol' me?"
Bell shouted at the air, which caused the voice to stop.
"Please do hurry wild monster might invade."
The voice disapeared once again.
"Hmm, since they don't want to talk."
"Do you know this ghost Bell-kun?"
"Hmm, well we are one of the special super naturals, it's only natural."
"Another hourglass appeared, we should hurry this time, but Cranel don't you know another way to defeat them?"
Filvis said as she looks for an a left arm.
"Hmm yeah."
Hearing those words both Lefiya and Filvis blankly stared at Bell, who gave a blank smile.
"That would be their yorishiro, those are what give us seven mysteries our power, there basically our mana if you destroy it we would be very weakened."
"You should have said this earlier Bell-kun!"
"So where do find this yorishiro?"
Filvis said.
"Hmmm.... It's in the innermost reaches of this boundary!"
"Innermost.."
"reaches?"
Both gave a confused look, they already had an idea on where it may be but wished they were wrong.
"So you probably guess it already, basically we have to finish this game!"
Bell said raising his fist, encouraging the two elves wearing a blank look.
"So let's find this arm, Hip hip HOORAY!"
Raising his fist up and down as he searches trough the houses, which was followed by Filvis and Lefiya sadly raising their fist and saying hooray.
================================
They kept on moving forward, finding for each body part that wind asked for, finding its legs, its head, torso, ears and etc.
"*sigh* Its finally over!."
They cheered holding their hands out together and jumped in unison.
Filvis realizing what she was doing, quickly turned away but it was in vain, when she hears Bell laughing from her redden ears.
"Heheh, you think they'll ask us to find their individual teeth?"
"I don't think they'll be that specific"
"It's opening."
They see the gate opening, when looking past at the game they saw nothing but pitch darkness,
"Whelp let's go in!"
Bell pushing the both of them to the gate.
"(We're coming Aki!)"
Walking in they return back at the forest, but this time they seemed to be in a floating island.
"Is this the innermost reaches?"
Lefiya said as she tries to look for a yorishiro.
"Hmm over there, there seems to be a person sitting!"
Filvis said pointing at the figure sitting near the end of the forest.
Going towards the figure they see... they see a messed up body.
"Ummm.... Is this the body we made?"
Filvis expressed in horror, of the creature they made it was so disturbing that I won't describe it, not because I'm too lazy to write a description for it, but to protect your mind.
"We shouldn't have rushed it."
Lefiya said as she eyes on the body, the legs were the worst part to look at for her.
Examining their creation, they hear footsteps getting nearer and nearer.
"You finally made it."
The voice that they heard from the wind, but it sounded a bit more deeper.
Looking towards the voice, they see a tall man, he had long green haired tied in a side pony tail, his eyes had swirl in them, he was wearing what seemed to look like what a bartender(If you know the reference, congrats you watch some good anime) would wear, with a flower in the side. Hayato of the Secret Passageways, one of the seven special super naturals.
Filvis seeing the spirit, prepared her staff.
But surprisingly he just walks past them and went straight to their creation.
"Ehh, we p-promise we tried our best with your request."
Lefiya said as she looks down at her feet, her ears turning a bit red.
"Yes, we really tried our best."
Filvis backed Lefiya up, also afraid of what he's going to them, for what they made.
Hayato looking at the creation, his eyes shone and turned to see the tree with a smile.
"What a wonderful body!"
The three of them gave a blank stare.
"Huh?"
He went towards Lefiya and said.
"I was so lost, I really had no idea what a mortal body is made of, I knew asking a mortal about mortal things was a good idea."
Looking at what was supposed to be a women body, he put his forehead to it.
"This isn't like the others, this should work."
As he summon a gust of wind in his palm.
"We can finally talk again Hotaru.:"
As he place the wind to the body.
Taking a step back, the body starts to rattle.
Seeing it rattle, both Lefiya and Filvis shake in fear, if that thing walks in talk, on the other hand Hayato eyes started shine brighter.
Until it fell, destroying it self, which to be honest for the greater good.
"*sigh* Another failure, what a shame."
He says as he picks up the head.
"Eto.. we're sorry that we failed your task, but have the other adventures been here?"
"The others? Oh you mean those who failed, in that case-"
As he was saying suddenly a huge pile of bodies appeared, and one of them was Aki, all of them didn't have their face, and all of them looked like a doll.
"Aki!"
Lefiya rushed toward to the cat girl doll, and trying to wake her up, [Don't know why waking up a doll would solve anything but hey I didn't know what else to do] her eyes turning dead.
"Truly a shame, whelp as for you three, you will be taken apart as the rumors have say."
When the giant sword from before was back, and ready to swing at Lefiya.
"Lefiya-san!"
Filvis rushed towards her, using her hand to guard Lefiya.
The sword swung at her hand and disappeared once Bell cut it with his knife.
"Filvis, Lefiya are you ok?"
"We're fine, wait what?!"
Filvis exclaimed as her arm turned into a doll's arm.
"Hmm, It seems if that sword cuts you, you turn into a doll."
Before Filvis could speak again, the sword reappeared again ready to swing again, before letting it swing Bell pushed the both of them to safe place and started to run once again grabbing Lefiya's arm.
"Cranel! Can't you just transform and beat him?"
"I can't!"
"Why not!"
"This is Hayto's domain, unless I have permission I can't use Orion and Themis."
"It would be different if we could destroy his yorishiro, but it looks like it's not here."
"Then what do we do?!"
"First you make me turn you into a doll!"
They were interrupted by Hayato who took the hilt and swung it at her.
"First you keep him busy, second still thinking about that one."
Dragging Lefiya, as Filvis starts chanting her duplication spell to fight off Hayato.
================================
After dragging Lefiya to a safe place near the edge of the forest, while Filvis distracted Hayato.
Lefiya still hasn't move her eyes looking dead.
"Ne, Lefiya are you giving up? Filvis is trying her best to distract Hayato and not only where at his domain and I've sealed his staff, she won't last long."
Lefiya kept quiet, holding her knees to her chest.
"She's still alive you know, they all are."
Hearing his words, she looked up to him.
"This world is on the boundary of life and death, nothing can come to life and but it also means nothing can die either."
Handing out his hand, he continued.
"In a place like this, the one with the most power are those who don't know when to give up."
Rubbing her away her tears, she accepting his hand.
"I-i'll do anything!"
Hearing her words, he smirked and had a gleam in his eys.
"Anything?"
"....eh"
Before she noticed it, Lefiya was getting tied up, and it looks like Bell was gonna make her do a bungee jump, she wondered where the rope came from.
"The yorishiro ain't here, meaning we're not in the innermost reaches."
Tying the rope as tight as possible, after securing the rope, he put his forehead to hers.
"So I had a thought, If it's not in the top then it's at the bottom."
Hearing him say her worst fear.
"Y-your joking right?"
Looking at the dark abyss.
"Good luck! We're counting on you!"
Pushing Lefiya to the abyss, waving at her.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
================================
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Lefiya continued screaming, and closing her eyes until she felt her head in the ground.
"Ugh, where am I?"
Looking around she noticed this was plain hill, and on top of it was just a single tree.
"Oww stupid Bell-kun, the rope isn't even here anymore!"
Lefiya shouted, as she goes to the hill, reaching at top of a hill, she sees a picnic blanket and a little shrine, and a book that has the title "Is It Wrong-(Just joking even I'm not that lazy to make every book with that title) the title of the book was "Top Secret" and below it says "Don't look, only Hotaru can".
"(Hotaru? According to Hayato she must be the adventurer who died from the corridor, and the one we tried to make a new body for.)"
Finding the book suspicious she opened it(It's not like she has any other choice it was the only thing she could find aside from the blanket, and shrine).
Turning a page from the book she read the first line,
"Just scarred some mortals, who we're bullying Hotaru. It was a lot of fun seeing them scream."
It was written like a newborn child, who just learned how to write, reading the text, Lefiya just stared blankly at.. looking at the bottom text, this time the handwriting seemed more elegant writing.
"Thank you Hayato-kun, but you shouldn't scare them off - Hotaru."
Turning to another page, Lefiya noticed the top handwriting was getting more eligible,
"Hotaru keeps on brushing and braiding my hair, it felt nice."
Reading the bottom one
"I'm glad you enjoyed it!"
Turning another page, Lefiya skimmed most of it trying to find a single clue, until she was already near the end of the book.
This time the Hayato's handwriting was almost identical to Hotaru's.
"Hotaru keeps on ignoring me, even though she's with me, she just stares and writes something in her book."
The bottom one read.
"Sorry, sorry but I making you a surprise."
Turning it once again.
"Hotaru showed me what she calls a drawing of me, saying that's why she kept on ignoring me before, I really love it I'm going to hide in the shrine so no one can steal it!"
The bottom one read.
"I'm glad you liked it."
Turning to the second to last page.
"Hotaru hasn't visit me in awhile, I had nothing to do so I left to go find her at the dungeon."
No bottom text from Hotaru, but what she could see was little texts of "Hotaru hasn't visit" it kept on repeating and repeating.
Finally turning to the last page.
"People have said Hotaru died in a new corridor of the dungeon, I wonder when Hotaru will come back for now I'll make some dolls for her."
And once again little texts of "Hotaru hasn't visit." repeated until.
"Hotaru is dead, mortals say when they die they can never come back. So I will make Hotaru, so we can have fun again."
That was the last thing written in the book.
"So your here."
Lefiya looked behind to see Hayato floating above her, the giant sword resting on his shoulder.
"... This is your book right?!"
"Yes."
He answers as he slowly descends down and started to walk slowly towards her.
"And the body you made us make for you, you were trying to make her righy?!"
Lefiya said as she backs away, hitting the tree behind her.
"Yes."
He answers again slowly getting closer and closer.
"Then why?"
"Hm?"
He stopped, wondering what she meant.
"You love her right?!"
"..."
"Yes."
"Then the things your doing make her happy!"
"... I know, Hotaru always took care for people, if she knew what I was doing she would get angry at me."
He said, giving Lefiya hoped the he would stop all of this.
"But, I would do anything to get her back!"
He said as he rushed with the giant sword, ready to swing until a white wisp knocked the sword off.
"That's-"
They hear heavy breathing coming from the side, turning around they see Bell walking towards them a bit wobbly.
================================
"Bell-kun!"
"Cranel? How did you find us?"
Hayato said as makes another sword appear.
"Orion, told me after I pushed Lefiya, I made Orion follow after her."
Bell smirked until he fell face first to the ground,
"Bell-kun!"
Seeing him fall, Lefiya rushed towards him.
"Lefiya I think I'm dying."
He said putting his hand to his forehead looking torwards the right side.
"But your already dead!"
Lefiya screamed, shaking our ghost.
"Heh, heh, heh, How weak you've gotten Cranel did our little spar take that much out of you?"
"tch, don't get too cocky, we are at your domain of course I'm at a disadvantage."
"What can I do? I didn't bring any weapons!"
Lefiya frantically worried, as she helps Bell stand up.
"Ok, here's the plan I distract him and you find his yorishiro, so have you gotten clue of what could it be, someone's yorishiro is always something special to us."
He whisper as summons two knives in his hand, readying his position, in which return Hayato readied himself as well
"(Something special, something special...)"
She continued to remember, until she recalled a protrait of him that Hotaru made for him.
"I think I know, in his book he said Hotaru gave him a portrait of himself and he keeps it at the shrine."
"Good job! Knew you could figure it out, problem that shrine is being guarded by him and it seems like he's summoning his little minions and more swords."
As he was saying a gust of wind keeps on howling and howling, summoning the previous monster they fought and 2 more flying giant swords.
"Ok, we have to get through that for the shrine, Me and Orion will distract them as much as possible and you and Themis will break the yorishiro, it will have a seal tag on it and all you have to do is peel it off, and here take this."
He explained and giving Lefiya one of his knives, nodding at his instructions they faced towards the army of monsters and giant swining swords.
"Hate to interrupt your plan, but I think it's time to end this."
Hayato appeared right infront of them and swung his sword, Bell used his knife to block it.
"Lefiya, Themis go!"
Hearing him they both bolted to go to the shrine, Themis clearing the path and Lefiya following after.
"Not in my watch- huh?"
Hayato couldn't finish, when he felt his body getting tied up by Orion.
"Cranel don't try to stop me!"
He saidas he tries to free himself from the bind, which Bell just got more rope.
"Not gonna happen buddy."
"Go Lefiya! Go!"
"I won't let you!"
He said spawning in more swords, in which Orion and Themis went towards to defend Lefiya.
While Themis was taking care of those swords, Lefiya had to rush in and defeat all the monster on her with Bell's knife, reaching the shrine she opens it, to see the drawing of Hayato sitting on the tree, having a tag on it.
Grabbing the portrait, she peels of the tag.
"Noooooo!"
He breaks free from the rope and summoned another sword and threw it at her, but it was soon deflected by Bell, who was wearing his cape.
"Hayato of the Corridors, you have abandoned your responsibilities, you must return your position!"
Bell says as he stabs Hayato in the chest, as that was going Lefiya saw the whole realm shatter into glasses, and time seemed to slow down, closing her eyes.
================================
"Hayato-kun! Hayato-kun!"
We see a beautiful blond haired girl, she had a simple white summer dress, and had a summer hat covering her face. we see her calling for Hayato at a lone hill.
"Hayato~ come out, I have a gift for you~"
Hearing the words gift a gust of wind suddenly appeared, with appearance of a small wisp in a couple of seconds tunred into Hayato.
"A gift? I thought you were angry at me."
He said looking down on the ground.
"What, why would I be angry at you?"
"You were ignoring me yesterday."
"Oh that? Didn't you read my note? I said I was preparing a surprise for you."
She giggled.
"So your not mad?"
"Of course not silly, here I hope you like it."
Handing over the gift to him.
".... Is this me?"
"Yep, sorry I was ignoring you, I was concentrating on drawing you."
"Drawing me?"
"Yep, you were looking so peacefully when you were sleeping, I wanted to draw you."
Looking at the drawing of himself, he smiled at her.
"Thank you so much, I'll cherish this forever."
Hugging her thightly, causing her to blush
"hehehe, your welcome."
The world began to shatter again.
================================
At the dungeon at the 18th floor, the same cave where they were at. We see Lefiya sleeping on Bell's lap, feeling Lefiya move around a bit, Bell tried to wake her up.
"Lefiya... pstt Lefiya"
Slowly shaking her up to wake up, Lefiya started to wake up.
"Bell-kun?"
"Heya."
"Are we back?"
"Yep."
"I see, .... what happened to Filvis-san and Aki and the rest of the adventures!"
"Hmm, oh Filvis, wait let me find her.."
He searched at his pocket and pulled out a Filvis doll, holding out her short sword and staff, handing out the doll to her.
"She fought so bravely."
Bell said as he magically has a handkerchief, slowly removing the tears in his eyes.
"She'll turn back right?"
"Oh, well of course her and the rest will turn back to normal, and don't worry everyone will remember them and everything is gonna be as if they never disappeared, I'll make sure he does it."
"He?"
Snapping his fingers, Orion and Themis appeared and seemed to be dragging another small spirit.
(Basically Venti's spirit form)
"Hayato's true form, a little ol' wind spirit."
"A wind spirit?"
"Go on, Hayato apologize."
Holding out the little wind spirit.
"Hmmph."
"...."
"I'm gonna cut you up and make you into spirit soup."
Bell said swishing his knife up and down, like he was cutting a carrot.
"Wait, wait don't do anything to him!"
"What would happen to the Filvis-san, Aki and the rest of adventures who turned into dolls?"
Getting away from Bell, Hayato went towards the exist and started talking.
"Like Cranel said, I'll turn all of them before morning."
"Thank goodness.."
Lefiya sighed in relief, as she see the wind spirit existing the cave.
"Spirit-san.."
Catching Hayato's attention, looking at her he see her carrying a hair comb.
"I found this in the shrine as well, this belonged to Hotaru right?"
"So here, it should belong to you, I-i still haven't forgiven you for what you've done yet, but I also destroyed something important to you, so for that I'm sorry."
Handing the spirit the comb and patting its head.
Which Hayato in return took the comb and blew her away messing up her hair, causing Bell to laugh at her new hair do.
"Don't touch me."
"Ehhh, I thought we were about to be friends?"
"I have no intention on being friends other than Hotaru!."
He said as he goes out of the cave, but he slowly turns around and said.
"And my name is Hayato! Next time you call me spirit I'll mess with your day, same goes for you Cranel!"
And with that he left.
"... I should have let you made him into spirit soup."
As she fixes her hair.
"Now, now.."
"hmm Lefiya?"
Bell asked when Lefiya suddenly hit the wall.
"I'm fine just a bit tired, I didn't eat dinner and I really need to rest."
"Hmm, I see whelp then you should go home now, I'll take care of Filvis until she turns back, and I'll send Orion to get you out the dungeon, but he does have to return after your out so hold still will ya."
"Eh? what?"
Lefiya got confused, when Bell suddenly put his hands near the wall doing a kabedon.
"Eh?"
Her face becoming a tomato, when he suddenly kissed her check.
"Your reward."
Bell smiled enjoying her reaction.
"Whelp toodles, Orion guard her until the entrance."
Bell walked out leaving Lefiya internally screaming about what just happened.
================================
Author's notes:
Like any other of my work, did not proof read
Originally I wanted to make Aki part of this, like they found her in the forest also wondering, and after pulling the yorishiro, Bell said Aki will have to forget what happened, but Aki wanted to be apart of this and decided to be Bell's assistant.
But I already pictured how tiring writing their conversation would be, that would be 5 people talking and just thinking about it made me want to sleep, so I didn't I'm really reconsidering not doing two assistants its so tiring to think about, but hey who knows, another reason why I didn't go for my original plan other than being lazy was I wanted to build the chemistry between Bell, Filvis and Lefiya more.
Also after the confession tree I don't know if I should follow the manga or anime, I'll think about it you can leave your opinion if you want.
Also around the time where Lefiya met Bell, the record holder from the hestia familia just leveled up a month ago, following danmachi timeline the apollo war game starts, Cause like I said this a THBK plot in danmachi setting, so I could either use the war game to introduce the record holder, or I just use them as a background character, you can leave your opinion on this too.