"Bell... tell us, where have you been? And what happened to Astraea?" Goddess Hestia asked. She sat propping her chin on her hand, her gaze shifting inquisitively between Bell and Astraea.
"Ahem... Goddess Astraea and I... how do I say this? We're a thing now." Bell felt a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck, but he forced the words out regardless.
"What!?" Hestia's eyes widened in shock.
Astraea had really gone and done it. She'd actually given away her virginity!
Her focus, however, quickly shifted to a far more devastating matter, her eyes growing glassy.
"Astraea! How could you? The least you could have done was warn me before you made a move!" Hestia whipped her head toward her, demanding an explanation from the satisfied smile Astraea wore.
"And pray tell, why would I do that?" Astraea asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.
"S-so I could stop you from stealing Bell's innocence!" Hestia straightened her spine, thumping her chest in a solemn vow, only to deflate a moment later.
"But you've already taken it..." She looked back and forth between Bell and Astraea, grinding her teeth hard enough to produce a faint crack.
"It's not fair." She whispered, the words barely escaping her lips.
Haruhime, meanwhile, stood off to the side. Her ears and tail shot straight up at phrases like taking away innocence and making a move. She quickly brought her hands to her flaming cheeks, overcome with shame.
"Anyway... it's time for introductions. Haruhime, come here." Bell called her over, gesturing to the empty space beside Hestia.
She timidly took the seat, keeping her eyes firmly glued to the floorboards to avoid his gaze.
"This is Haruhime. As for how we met... I suppose I should start with the Ishtar Familia."
Bell proceeded to tell them everything he knew about Ishtar—her motives, her plans, and exactly how he had dismantled her entire Familia with brute force.
"Bell, how do you know so much about Ishtar and her plans?" Hestia asked, drawing both Astraea's and Haruhime's focus back to him.
In response, Bell offered a mischievous smile. He brought a finger to his lips and winked.
"Secret."
"Why act so mysterious? Just say you don't want to tell us. Hmph." Hestia turned her face away with a pronounced pout.
"Alright, Hestia. Don't act like a child. Bell has his reasons; he wouldn't keep it under wraps otherwise." Astraea chided gently.
"Of course you're going to take his side now, considering the 'in-depth' talk the two of you just had." Hestia was having none of it, wearing an expression reminiscent of a betrayed wife.
Bell looked at Hestia, then looked a bit closer. Even with her face turned away, he caught her repeatedly stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye.
Heh...
Letting out a silent chuckle, he smoothly continued his story as if nothing had happened.
"Then... I brought Haruhime to Freya—"
"Wait... Wait... Wait. You went to see that shameless woman, Freya!?" Hestia's voice jumped an octave.
"Why am I just hearing about this, Bell?" Even Astraea's fingers found the skin of his arm, twisting it in a painful grip. Her voice was dangerously flat.
"Care to explain?"
Bell felt a sudden, phantom chill sweep through the room, despite every window being firmly shut.
"It's nothing serious, Goddesses. Freya spent an hour trying to use her charm on me, so I went to see what her deal was. I swear I didn't even touch her food or wine!" Bell clarified in a rushed breath, desperate to avoid being hounded for an explanation he didn't really have.
"Forget about her. Let me introduce ourselves to Haruhime instead." He changed the subject quickly, pulling their focus toward the Renard who was listening to his recount quietly.
"She's just a poor child. You did the right thing, Bell." Hestia softened as she turned her full attention to the girl.
Astraea nodded in silent agreement. As long as Haruhime didn't try to charm her Bell, peace would reign between them.
"So... I am Bell Cranel." He said, breathing an inward sigh of relief.
He pointed to the goddess beside him. "This is Goddess Astraea."
"And this is Goddess Hestia." He then gestured to the other.
"If you ever need anything, you can come to any one of us."
"We're family, after all." Hestia added warmly.
"Mm." Astraea hummed in agreement.
Haruhime took it all in—Bell's encouraging smile, Hestia's worried but soft expression, and Astraea's gentle gaze. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Thank... you."
...
..
.
Unknown location.
Ouranos sat upon his throne. His arm rested on the armrest exactly as it had before; he hadn't moved a fraction of an inch since their last meeting.
Hermes knelt before him, that ever-present, perfect smile on his face, his fingers resting lightly on the brim of his hat.
"Bell Cranel? Still alive?" Ouranos's voice held no fluctuation.
"I knew from the very beginning that even a Juggernaut and Amphisbaena wouldn't be enough to bury him." His leg tapped against the raised stone floor. Once.
"He is a monster capable of devouring a piece of a god's soul. I only wished to confirm the limits of his potential. It seems he is far more dangerous than we anticipated..."
.
"I can no longer feel his Falna and pinpoint his exact location."
Hermes felt his eyes widen imperceptibly, yet he kept his head bowed low.
"He might have survived, but now we know it took him nine days just to reach the surface." Fels's voice interjected from behind them.
"He might be a monster, but he is not unstoppable."
"Yet." Ouranos finished for her.
"What is our next move, then?" Hermes asked, trusting the ancient god's wisdom over his own.
Ouranos did not answer. Instead, his eyes drifted shut.
"Fels. Ares' invasion of Orario is imminent, if I am not mistaken?"
"Yes, Ouranos." Fels replied without hesitation.
"Reach out to him. Inform him that the time has finally come... to take off that mask of foolishness he always wears."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Hermes kept his head bowed, but his mind was reeling. Ares. The war god who stumbled into every conflict like a bumbling fool—acting?Since when? Since the beginning?
He swallowed that question down. Now was not the time.
"But Ouranos... what about the Freya and Loki Familias?" Fels questioned, knowing the god would never overlook something so glaringly obvious.
"The Freya Familia? We can leave them to Evilus. The Loki Familia? I will speak with Loki myself."
Hermes's perfect smile twitched for a fraction of a second.
An entire army? What could you possibly do against that... Bell Cranel?
"Hermes. Fels." Ouranos spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"As you will. It shall be done." Two voices overlapped in perfect unison.
...
The gods had finally played their hand.
Now... what would Bell choose?
...
..
.
***
[300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[8 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
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[Author's Thoughts]
Some chapters are still left before the last arc starts, basically a status update and Bell's appointment with Evilus.
After that... It'll be God of War time.
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Note: Bell has not yet told Goddess Astraea about Hermes' involvement with his fall. Only telling her that Evilus was responsible.
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Anyway... Thank you all for your continued support. Take care and have a nice day everyone!