Bell did not notice when they reached their home. He had barely closed the front door before Goddess Astraea pushed him against it, her lips finding his once more with awkward, inexperienced movements.
Their teeth clashed, a clumsy, frantic collision. Neither of them knew what to do with their hands, hesitating before awkwardly gripping shoulders and waist—fumbling through zero experience with desperate eagerness.
Bell turned, pressing her back against the door, and broke the kiss.
"Are you sure about this, Goddess?" he asked one last time, breathless, barely able to control himself.
She did not reply. Her lips found his again, her actions answering better than any words could.
Bell pulled back once more.
"Even if I'm a monster?" He breathed, his lips a hair's breadth from hers.
She silenced him with a fierce kiss, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes.
"Even if you stand against the gods." She whispered against his mouth.
Those words were enough. His singular abyssal eye flickered, then slowly dissolved into ruby red to match its twin.
"Enough talking about these things..." Goddess Astraea pushed him to the floor, her fingers working at his armour with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Now, take me." Her eyes soon turned blank and obsessive.
Bell folded.
Instantly.
...
..
.
Next morning.
Bell awoke in his bed, his arm buried between something soft and warm.
It took a moment for his unfocused eyes to regain awareness. Even he felt slightly drained.
Greeks were Greeks indeed.
Who said Virgin Goddesses were demure and graceful? Bell had experienced firsthand what it meant to be sucked dry to his very bones.
Countless red marks ran across his bare body—evidence of their tussle last night.
Bell glanced sideways at the sleeping Goddess Astraea, his arm still trapped between her breasts.
They had gone at it nonstop from night to morning, only falling asleep a few hours ago.
He lay like that for some time.
Goddess Astraea's lashes trembled as she finally awoke... and took in their current state.
She did not react adversely. Instead, she brought her hand to his bare chest and trailed a finger slowly downward.
"Good morning, Goddess." Bell's voice was soft. He pulled his arm free from her chest and began rubbing her scalp.
"Good morning, Bell." She replied absentmindedly.
"Goddess... we should probably greet Goddess Hestia and Haru—" Bell's voice cut off as her hand drifted further down.
"Oof..." A strangled exhale was all he could manage as Goddess Astraea grabbed little Bell and took it hostage.
"Tell me... who is that fox... and where did you find that vixen?" Her voice was perfectly blank.
Bell composed himself and, after a moment, started from the very beginning—telling her everything that had happened after he left home ten days ago.
When he reached the part where he, Mahoraga, Juggernaut, and Amphisbaena fell deep into the dungeon, her grip tightened.
"Ow—Goddess, you're suffocating me."
"Sorry. Continue."
Bell took a moment to compose himself and spoke.
"Then..."
Before he could continue, the door to his room was pushed open by Haruhime. The Renard had a broom and dustpan in her grip, which clattered to the floor at what she saw. Her face went red.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" She covered her eyes with her hands and slammed the door shut.
Both Bell and Goddess Astraea felt their faces heat up at being seen like this.
She pulled back her hand and let go of little Bell, making him sigh with relief.
At least his little bro was no longer in danger.
He watched as Goddess Astraea began donning her clothes with a slight tremble, and he started putting on his own armour.
She winced slightly as she moved. Any thoughts about more were wiped off his mind.
Whatever hunger had driven her last night, her body was still mortal in its limits.
He walked out while supporting Goddess Astraea, her steps unsteady and wobbling.
They had barely made it downstairs when the twin-tailed Goddess of Home headed straight for Bell.
He brought his leg up as Goddess Hestia collided with it. But who knew she would wrap her arms around that leg and cling to it.
"Waah... Do you know how worried I was about you, Bell?" Her words broke his line of thought.
"When your Falna's connection to me thinned so much that I could barely feel it, I felt like you had really died." Bell's eyes softened. One hand came to rest on her head.
Then she buried her face against his calf and rubbed her cheek against it like a cat marking territory.
...Leg fetish? He thought despite himself.
Meanwhile... Haruhime peeked at them from a corner.
Bell invited her over with a glance and spoke.
"Let's catch up. I missed...
Home."
...
..
.
Stench of charred flesh and melted stone thickened the air. Hermes stepped over the blackened, unrecognizable corpse of a Familia member he'd known for more than a decade, ash staining his boots as he walked through the ruins of his home.
Asfi Al Andromeda followed behind him, her gaze grave and furious.
Soon, he reached the floor. Stone had been violently gouged away, forming jagged, bloody letters:
It is war, Hermes.
- Evilus.
He traced the gouged letters with his eyes. Too clean. Too deliberate.
Evilus was a group of rabid dogs—they didn't leave calling cards with this kind of theatrical precision.
"He... hehe... hehehehe." A chuckle leaked from between Hermes' lips, his perfect smile slipping for the first time, twisting into something inhumane.
"Bravo! Bell Cranel. Well played. Well played." He clapped as if truly appreciating what had happened.
His hands came back to adjust his hat as he turned on his heel.
"Asfi... Notify Orario that Evilus attacked and destroyed 90% of the Hermes Familia. I'll go and have a personal talk with Ouranos."
Asfi gave a wordless nod, her fingers clenched into a fist.
Hermes walked away, his words echoing through the air.
"You might have won this time, might even win the next, or even further than that—but I only have to win once."
"After all... Your death became a certainty the moment you were born as a mortal."
"While I... no, we..." His steps were light.
"We cannot die. We are immortal." His smile was perfect. Too perfect.
"We are... inevitable."
...
..
.
***
[300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[8 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Authors Thoughts]
The last arc of this volume is going to start soon, and It's going to be one hell of a cinema. From fighting through an army to having a final fight between a mortal and god.
The only spoiler I'll give will be.
"Tell Him he is not safe while I walk the earth."
...
Note: Some people might think... Why does Hermes not feel scared of Bell even though he devoured Apollo's soul in front of him? Basically... you should notice, Hermes says 'We'. His mind basically goes like - How many gods can Bell Cranel oppose even with his monstrous nature? What about a God who has unsealed their Arcanum?
...
The main thing is... Bell considers himself Inevitable. Hermes considers gods Inevitable. Then, who among them is really Inevitable in the end?