The heavy scent of jasmine and exotic incense hung thick in the corridors of the Belit Babili, the home manor of the Ishtar Familia.
Aisha Belka stepped down the hallway, her bare feet making no sound against the polished marble.
"So..." Arriving before the towering double doors leading to her goddess's private chambers, Aisha crossed her arms, a mocking brow raised.
A single figure stood guard before the entrance.
Tammuz Belili. The Level 4 was perfectly still, his unwavering devotion to the Goddess of Beauty radiating from him like an aura.
Aisha tilted her head, leaning casually against the marble wall.
"Is he awake yet, Tammuz?" she asked, a smirk playing on her lips. "Or are you standing out here role-playing the loyal hound while they're busy tangling the sheets?"
Tammuz glared at her, his expression tightening with a mix of reverence and open disdain. "Ishtar-sama is inside. I haven't heard a sound. Though why she wastes so many resources on a broken stray is beyond me."
"That 'stray' turned three of Freya's Level 5s into ground meat and walked away from a direct hit by Ottar, moron," Aisha corrected dryly. Her Amazonian instincts were itching with a bizarre mix of anticipation and caution.
A true apex predator was resting behind those doors. Who knows what will happen when he finally awakens? "If he wakes up cranky, don't do anything stupid. I don't want to be the one scrubbing your brains out of the rugs."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the doors, the sensation of ridiculously expensive, suffocatingly soft silk pressed against Toji Fushiguro's skin.
Then came the slow, rhythmic tracing of a fingernail dragging down the center of his chest.
Toji opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was that the room was expensive.
Gold decorations. Elaborate paintings. A bed large enough for several people, surrounded by crimson curtains.
Doing a quick diagnostic, Toji felt that his ribs, which had practically been turned to powder by Ottar's blow, were intact.
He shifted his gaze down.
A woman was leaning over him. She was stunning by any conventional metric, possessing flawless caramel skin, long purple hair framing a face that radiated pure lust, and eyes the color of amethyst. She wore absolutely nothing, save for the heavy golden jewelry adorning her wrists and neck.
"And the sleeping beast awakens," she purred, her lips curling into a deep smile. She leaned up, pressing her heavy chest against his arm. "I was beginning to wonder if my girls had brought me a corpse. Though, I must admit, you look far better without all that blood covering this magnificent body."
Toji stared at her with uninterested eyes. "Who the hell are you?" he rasped out.
The woman blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her flawless features before it melted back into a sultry grin.
"I am Ishtar," she declared, her voice dripping with absolute authority. "Goddess of Beauty, ruler of the Pleasure Quarter, and your savior, mortal." She leaned in closer, cooing, "My girls found you under the rubble, coughing up your own lungs. It took three of my elixirs just to keep your heart beating."
Ishtar leaned in closer, her breath brushing over his lips, her eyes beginning to glow with a soft, hypnotic light.
"So," she whispered, "tell me...why does that frigid silver bitch, Freya, want you dead so badly?"
Toji had no intention of answering. It wasn't her business, and he couldn't care less what this goddess wanted to know.
But a strange warmth suddenly seeped through the back of his mind.
It was as if something was gently prying apart the walls of his thoughts, heavily urging him to speak, telling him there was no reason to hide something so insignificant from the beautiful woman in front of him.
"That bitch thinks I'm a bad influence on a brat she's eyeing."
Toji's eyes twitched. He hadn't wanted to say that. His brain had explicitly given the order to stay silent, yet his vocal cords had moved entirely on their own.
So this was Divine Charm? What a pain.
Ishtar smiled, enjoying the revelation that Freya's petty obsession had cost her so much. "A brat? That's all it took? How pathet—"
"Move."
Ishtar blinked.
Toji sat up, the sweet fog in his mind was instantly obliterated. His Heavenly Restriction snapped the Goddess's absolute charm like a dry twig.
His body was a closed domain. Nothing forced its way in or out so easily. He was just caught off guard for a second.
He looked down at the naked Goddess with an expression of deadpan boredom.
"If I wanted a cheap Freya knockoff, I'd have gone to the nearest brothel for a silver haired chick," Toji deadpanned, shoving her off him with a lazy push. "Get off me. You're heavy."
"Eek!" Ishtar tumbled onto the mattress. For a full second, her brain completely short-circuited.
Did this man just...resist her charm? Did he just call her Freya's knockoff!?
And called her heavy!!!???
Her flawless face morphed into an ugly snarl.
"How dare you!" Ishtar shrieked, her aura flaring wildly into the room. "I am a Goddess! I saved your miserable life! You should be on your knees, crawling like a dog to kiss my feet for my generosity! Tammuz! Get in here and teach this filthy trash some respect!"
BANG!
The heavy bedroom doors were suddenly kicked open. Aisha and Tammuz burst into the room, weapons drawn and eyes scanning for a threat.
"Get him, you two! Right now!" Ishtar ordered, her face red with indignation.
Tammuz's gaze immediately locked onto Ishtar's furious form, and his charmed loyalty overrode whatever meager rational thought he possessed.
"How dare you insult Ishtar-sama!" Tammuz lunged directly at the naked man sitting on the bed.
'Are you retarded?!' Aisha's breath hitched, her mind screaming at Tammuz. The guy literally survived Ottar!
"I don't have time for this." Toji didn't even fully turn his head.
He moved with blinding, utterly silent speed. Before Tammuz could even swing, Toji caught the Level 4 by the face, slamming him into the marble floor with enough force to shake the building.
"Ghah—!" Tammuz's eyes instantly rolled back into his head. Toji casually let him go, stepping over the unconscious elite like a sack of garbage.
"Fast..." Aisha gripped her heavy blade tightly. That speed was something else, she'd better overwhelm him before he recovers even more!
With a burst, she stepped forward, closing the distance in a fraction of a second, swinging the steel in a vertical arc aimed right at his collarbone.
Aisha saw the opening perfectly, there was no blocking this strike: it was a guaranteed hit—!
Toji casually raised an arm, catching the falling heavy steel against his bare palm, the force cracking the marble beneath his feet.
Toji looked at her, entirely unimpressed. "Dumb bitch."
"Shit—!" Aisha panicked. She planted her feet and yanked with all her Level 3 strength.
Toji yanked her forward. A brutal, skull-crushing headbutt carrying the strength of a Level 6 connected directly with her forehead.
"Agh...!" Blinding pain exploded through Aisha's skull. Her knees hit the floor before she even realized she'd fallen, blood streaming down her brow as her head rang.
Ignoring her groaning form, Toji's gaze shifted back to Ishtar, giving her the same blank, hollow stare he used when looking at a bug he was about to crush.
Ishtar's divine aura shattered. She shrank back instinctively, pulling a silk sheet tightly over her chest.
"Listen, slut." Toji's voice was low. "Get me some clothes before I commit the first case of divine domestic abuse."
"Who the hell...are you ordering around...fucker?!" Aisha snarled from the floor. Her fierce pride flared. She gritted her teeth, trying to force herself up onto her hands and knees. "Gh—!"
Toji casually planted his foot flat against Aisha's face, slamming her head back into the marble. The sheer weight felt like a dungeon wall had collapsed on her skull.
"I have a score to settle with Freya Familia," Toji continued, completely ignoring the struggling Amazon beneath his heel. "So hurry the fuck up, or I'll make your Familia my warm-up."
"Wait!" Ishtar breathed, her anger evaporating into sharp calculation. A weapon like him couldn't be allowed to slip through her fingers, not when Freya still stood above her.
Ishtar slowly let the sheet drop, crawling across the mattress on her hands and knees until she stopped right at the edge of the bed, looking up at him.
"You want to destroy Freya," she whispered, her voice calm, completely abandoning the entitled goddess act. "So do I. But if you walk out that door alone, you will die. Ottar will not miss twice."
Toji didn't move. He let her talk.
"Join me," Ishtar leaned forward. She slowly released her charm into the air again, unaware that Toji's body had already built up a resistance. "My Familia has eyes everywhere. We have the resources, the territory, and the perfect plan already in motion to destroy the Freya Familia. You have proven your worth. I will give you whatever you desire. Weapons. Money. Rare items..."
She smiled, utterly confident. "Or perhaps you'd rather have me."
"Don't negotiate...with this bastard, Ishtar-sama—!" Aisha's protest was cut off as Toji casually applied a fraction more pressure to her skull.
"Quiet, girl," Toji muttered down at Aisha. "I'm doing math."
Toji's mercenary brain immediately began to run the numbers.
To put it in words: things had gone to shit.
His Inventory Curse had been blasted off somewhere during the fight, its fate unknown. His identity was exposed, and Freya was almost certainly watching the Hestia Familia now, waiting for him to show his face.
He was effectively homeless, being hunted by a Level 7, and running low on cursed tools to tip the scales in his favor.
Ishtar's offer was tempting.
A secure base. Money. Information. A whole Familia he could throw into the meat grinder if necessary.
And if it went south, he could cut his losses and disappear.
Strategically, it was the obvious choice.
"Fine..." Toji lifted his foot from Aisha's face, allowing the Amazon to drag in a breath. He dropped back onto the plush bed, staring at the goddess before him.
Ishtar noticed the change immediately. The terrifying killing intent that had filled the room vanished, replaced by a quiet, almost casual compliance.
A wave of triumph washed over her. Her charm had finally got him! What else could explain such a sudden change?
She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Aisha forced herself onto her knees. Her body was overwhelmed by the sheer pressure of Ishtar's charm filling the room.
A strange heat crawled up Aisha's neck. Humiliation burned through her veins, but beneath the anger was something far more frustrating—the instinctive acknowledgment of Toji's strength.
She hated it.
Ishtar didn't spare her guards a glance. "Aisha. Take Tammuz and leave."
"Right...away," Aisha managed to force out, her face burning.
She grabbed the unconscious Tammuz by his feet and dragged the Level 4 into the hallway, slamming the doors shut behind her before she does something she might regret.
"What the hell was that..." Aisha muttered, sliding her back against the cold doorframe until she hit the floor. Blood stinging her eyes.
"It's just the charm..." Aisha reasoned, wiping the blood from her eyes. There was no way she was feeling anything for that fucker.
"That bastard...I'll kill him!" Her pride still burned. He had defeated both her and Tammuz effortlessly—barehanded, unarmed, and without even bothering to cover himself!
Just what kind of monster was he!?
༻❁༺
The morning sun had barely risen over Orario's towering walls, yet the streets were already full of clanking armor and tense adventurers preparing to descend into the abyss.
Standing near the entrance of the Dungeon, Hestia was vibrating with nervousness.
She fussed with the collar of Bell's new light armor, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles for the third time.
"I'm just saying, Bell-kun, you don't have to push yourself too hard," Hestia said, her blue eyes scanning him up and down. "You only just hit Level 2 two weeks ago! It's okay to take it slow. Have you checked your boots? Are your laces tight?"
"Goddess, I'm fine, really," Bell laughed softly, a flush creeping across his face at being mothered so openly in front of the morning crowds. He gently caught her hands to stop her from adjusting his chest plate again. "You need to relax. I'm not going alone. I have Welf with me."
Standing a few paces away, leaning casually against a stone pillar with a massive greatsword strapped to his back, Welf Crozzo offered a confident, easygoing grin.
The shift from blacksmith and customer to official party members had happened surprisingly fast.
Between helping him win a bar fight, then spending a night in the same cell, and Welf realizing that tackling the Dungeon alone for a rank-up was little more than suicide, the decision had come naturally. After Bell's explosive rise to Level Two, Welf had swallowed his pride and simply asked if they could start diving together.
Bell was a little hesitant, but eventually accepted, and the fact that Welf had sweetened the deal with exclusive discounts and free armor maintenance was just a bonus. He never said it out loud, but Bell was beginning to feel happy to have what he believed to be a real friend watching his back.
"She's just looking out for you, Bell," Welf chuckled, stepping beside the white haired boy. "But don't worry, Goddess. We're a solid team, and we're only scratching the surface of the middle floors today. Nothing too crazy."
Welf ruffled Bell's white hair, his grin turning teasing. "If he gets reckless again and tries to play the lone wolf like that other day, I'll drag him back up by his ear myself."
Bell coughed, his face turning red. "I was just testing my new skill..."
"Uh-huh," Hestia crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at her child before letting out a long sigh. "Just...did you at least bring enough potions?"
"Packed," Bell patted the bag strapped to his belt. "I stopped by the Miach Familia before coming here. Naaza-san stocked me up."
Hestia visibly relaxed at the mention of their trusted friends. "Good. Alright then..." She stepped back, giving them both a stern point of her finger. "I am holding you both to that! No unnecessary risks, or you are going to be in big trouble, mister!"
"Of course. See you tonight, Goddess!" Bell waved before turning away.
Welf offered a slight bow before turning as well, both of them disappearing into Babel.
Hestia stood there for a long moment, watching the spot where they had vanished. She couldn't help but smile.
"Bell...has gotten better," she whispered, seeing the way he smiled again and carried himself. That darkness he tried to hide from her was finally loosening up, which made her happy.
"They grow up so fast, don't they?"
"Waah!" Hestia jumped slightly, spinning around to see Takemikazuchi standing a few feet away.
"Oh, Takemikazuchi," Hestia breathed out, placing a hand over her heart. "Don't sneak up on me like that. Were you seeing your kids off too?"
"I was," Takemikazuchi nodded, falling into step beside her as they began to walk away from the plaza, heading toward the commercial district. "Mikoto, Ouka, and the rest just went down. I won't lie to you, Hestia, my stomach is in knots today. It's their first time pushing for the middle floors."
"Huh? Bell-kun is going there too." Hestia raised an eyebrow at the coincidence. "That's a big step. But they're a large, disciplined party, right? They'll be fine."
"I hope so," Takemikazuchi chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Since you were seeing Bell off. Was the other one...Toji, wasn't it? Was that him?"
At the mention of the name, Hestia's smile evaporated, her shoulders slumping dramatically as she let out a groan of pure stress.
"Bell went with his new party member, Welf, one of Hephaestus's kids," Hestia said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "As for Toji...I have absolutely no idea where that deadbeat is. It's been two weeks! No letters, no visits, nothing! I'm starting to get anxious."
She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide with legitimate concern. "What if something bad happened to him?"
Takemikazuchi offered a sympathetic smile. He had heard the wild rumors about the Ruinous Gigolo, so he couldn't help but try to lighten the mood.
"Come now, Hestia, don't assume the worst," Takemikazuchi reasoned, a playful glint in his eye. "The man is a record breaker. He's probably fine, spending his time buried somewhere in the Pleasure Quarter."
The concern in Hestia's eyes shattered, instantly replaced by a terrifying divine fury.
"I hate how you might be right!" Hestia said in anger. "That no-good, money-grubbing, womanizing bum! He leaves me to deal with his pet while he's off playing around with prostitutes?!"
Takemikazuchi blinked, slightly taken aback by the sheer volume of her rage.
"I'm going to strangle him!" Hestia stomped her foot on the cobblestone, her face burning red. "Just wait until he shows his stupid face at home!"
༻❁༺
The toes of Kong's expensive leather shoes shredded across the cobblestones of the Pleasure Quarter.
"Ladies! Ladies, please, let's be reasonable here!" Kong wheezed, his arms pinned in the vice-like grips of two towering Amazon warriors. They were hauling him through the perfume-choked streets like a misbehaving toddler. "I'm a businessman! A very cooperative one! You want a cut of my high-end brothels outside the district? Done! You want me to fall to my knees and kiss Ishtar-sama's feet? Just point me to her toes! Listen to me, babes!"
"Shut it, pig," the Amazon on his left spat, her grip tightening until Kong felt his shoulder joint pop in protest. "Gods, you underworld rats are all the same. Absolutely pathetic the second you don't have meat shields standing in front of you."
Kong swallowed hard. This was bad. This was exceptionally, remarkably bad.
Where the fuck was Fushiguro?!
The man had practically vanished into thin air for two whole weeks without a single trace. Kong had been operating in a state of high-alert paranoia, waiting for either an assassin to barge in while he was bathing, or for Fushiguro himself to show up and cut loose ends.
All that paranoia had led to this: getting snatched by Ishtar's muscle while checking his business books in his own brothel.
The Amazons suddenly veered off the main streets, dragging Kong into a quieter sector of the district. They stopped in front of a small, Far Eastern-style pavilion nestled between two larger manors.
One of the Amazons practically kicked the sliding door open, and they hauled Kong inside, tossing him onto the mats like a sack of cheap flour.
Kong groaned, rubbing his bruised shoulders as the door snapped shut behind him.
This was it. The rumors were true. Ishtar's Familia took people they didn't like and threw them into the deepest, darkest pits of the Pleasure Quarter.
He was going to end up a chained sex dungeon slave until his pelvis shattered and he died of exhaustion.
...Wait, that actually didn't sound entirely terrible—
"Good job. He's the one."
Kong's head snapped up at the familiar voice.
Sitting in a low, cushioned wooden chair at the center of the room was Toji Fushiguro.
He was dressed in a loose, dark grey yukata that hung casually off his shoulders, looking entirely in his Far Eastern element. A bowl of grapes rested on his stomach, and Toji was lazily tossing them into his mouth as he looked down at Kong with an amused smirk.
"Thanks, ladies," Toji added, swallowing a bite.
The two Amazons, who had just been treating Kong like garbage, immediately straightened up. A heavy, visible blush spread across both of their faces. They shifted their weight, their Amazonian pride melting into something ridiculously eager.
"We brought him exactly as you asked, Toji," the taller Amazon purred, practically batting her eyelashes. "Now...about what we were promised?"
Toji sighed, scratching the back of his neck like it was a tedious chore. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. I'll make the reservations. You two, me, a private room for the whole night. Gonna be a long night, so make sure you rest up."
The Amazons practically vibrated with excitement. "We won't let you down!" they chimed together, giving him deeply lustful looks before seeing themselves out, sliding the paper door shut gently.
Silence fell over the room.
Kong remained on the floor, his jaw hanging open in absolute bafflement. He looked at the door, then back at Toji, his brain struggling to process what he had just witnessed.
Slowly, the shock gave way to a sense of professional betrayal.
"Where the hell have you been, Fushiguro?!" Kong scrambled to his feet, furiously dusting off his suit.
He pointed an accusing finger at the assassin. "Two whole damn weeks of radio silence while I'm sweating bullets! And what the hell is this?! Did you take over the Pleasure Quarter without telling me? We were supposed to be partners! You can't just cut me out like this!"
Toji let out a short laugh, tossing another grape into his mouth. "Relax. I'm not in charge. I just secured myself a powerful Sugar Mommy while I lay low."
"Bullshit!" Kong snapped, gesturing wildly at the door. "Those Amazons were ready to bark like dogs for you! Ishtar's girls don't submit to anyone so easily! What did you do to them?"
Toji leaned back, his expression utterly deadpan. "Huh? Oh, them. I just go around the district, find a pair of 'em acting tough, and beat them to a pulp."
Kong blinked. "You...beat them up."
"Badly," Toji stated casually, like he was explaining how to make tea. "Amazons are wired to submit to the strong. Beating the shit out of them spikes their breeding hormones. Once they're flushed and begging, I tell them to do my chores, like fetching you, in exchange for a night together."
Kong's jaw dropped open again. He stared at Toji in awe. "Do you...actually go through with it?"
Toji chuckled, a deeply entertained sound. "Nah. I just book 'em all for the exact same room on the exact same night. When they show up and realize they have to share, their pride kicks in. I just lock the door and let them piss each other off enough until they start fighting. Last Amazon standing gets the prize." Toji smirked, throwing a final grape into his mouth. "None of them have won yet."
"You know," Kong took a long breath, running a hand down his face as he took in the sheer, sociopathic genius of the man in front of him. "The gods really nailed your new title. Ruinous Gigolo."
Toji's eye twitched.
"You might want to stick to Sorcerer Killer," Toji said, his voice completely devoid of humor. "For your own safety."
"Heh, of course." Kong said, raising his hands in surrender. "Anyway, why am I here? Don't tell me you dragged me all the way here just to brag about your new harem."
"Not even close." Toji leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "You heard what happened to Freya Familia?"
Kong scoffed, adjusting his collar to regain some dignity. "Heard about it? The whole underworld is talking about—" Kong froze. His eyes slowly widened to the size of an apple as the puzzle pieces clicked together. "Wait...the Gulliver brothers. That was you?!"
"Who else?" Toji smirked.
Kong let out a low whistle. "You absolute maniac. Do you have any idea what the Guild's offering for the killer's identity right now?"
Toji's smirk disappeared. "Those four midgets and that giant slab of bacon jumped me out of nowhere. And the Guild puts a bounty on my head instead of theirs? Talk about a rigged system."
Kong sighed. "To be fair, the Guild didn't let Freya Familia walk away clean. They got hammered with fines. Last I heard, they're stuck assisting Ganesha Familia with city security."
Toji scoffed, entirely unimpressed. "Fines and public service. Might as well slap them on the wrist."
Kong held up a hand, a glint in his eyes. "It's not all bad, Fushiguro. The underworld has had standing bounties on Freya's elites for years. Since you're laying low, I can quietly claim the kill confirmation on your behalf."
Toji stared at him for a moment. "I like where your head's at. But before that, I have a job for you."
Kong crossed his arms, intrigued. "I'm listening."
Toji reached into the sleeve of his yukata and pulled out a folded piece of paper, tossing it at Kong's feet.
"I need you personally to deliver this message to a shorty with twin tails. She runs a potato stall up north of the city, near the main gate. Hand this to her directly, and do it carefully without being seen. She's probably got eyes on her right now."
Kong picked up the message. "Twin tails...Jagamarukun stall...You mean that goddess, the short one with big tits?"
Toji gave a nod. "When you're done, forget you ever saw her again."
Kong's mind went through the logistics. Getting between Ishtar, Freya, and now this new goddess was the kind of geopolitical landmine that usually ended with a broker's head on a spike.
"Hmmm. This is a tough one, Fushiguro. Trying to slip past Freya's surveillance without getting my throat slit?" Kong sighed dramatically, slipping the parchment into his pocket. "Fine. But I'm getting my fee doubled for this. This is a high-risk courier mission."
"Yeah, yeah. Triple fee for all I care. Take it out of my cut from the bounty," Toji dismissed with a wave of his hand.
"Pleasure doing business," Kong grinned, standing up and heading for the door. "I just realized, somehow I ended up working for the guy I hired."
Toji shrugged. "Sounds like a you problem."
Kong stopped at the door. "Speaking of problems..."
He glanced back over his shoulder. "You might want to pay Lord Soma a visit when you get the chance. The man is getting impatient. He's already threatening to cut off our booze operation because you've been skipping your weekly taste tests."
Toji let out a sigh. Just what he needed.
༻❁༺
"Fresh, hot Jagamarukun! Get your butter cream and red bean snacks right here!"
Hestia's voice rang out cheerfully over the bustling commercial district. Dressed in her simple shopkeeper's apron, she wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her forearm, turning a batch of golden, deep fried potato bites on the iron cooker.
She handed a paper bag to a smiling animal-person child with a bright grin. "Enjoy! Come back soon!"
Despite her morning worry for Bell and her rage over her deadbeat captain, working her stall always brought a bit of peace back to her divine mind. It was honest, simple work.
"My, my...what a tragic waste of heavenly beauty."
Hestia blinked, freezing mid-potato turn.
Leaning heavily against the side of her wooden cart was a man in a crisp, slightly rumpled suit. He had sharp eyes and an absurdly dramatic posture.
"To think a true Goddess is forced to sweat over a vat of boiling oil," the man sighed, placing a hand over his chest and shaking his head in mock agony. "Where are your servants? Where is your sedan chair? The world is truly a cruel place!"
Hestia stared at him, her cheeks instantly flushing a bright crimson—half out of sheer embarrassment, half out of utter bafflement.
"I—what?!" she stammered, holding the wooden tongs up like a weapon. "I like working here, thank you very much!"
"Ah, modest too. A rare gem," he sighed dreamily, leaning in closer until Hestia instinctively took a step back. "Please, allow me to ease your heavy burden, if only for a moment. Give me your absolute finest, most expensive, deluxe double-sauce set."
He slapped a heavy pouch onto the counter.
Hestia opened the pouch slightly, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. A thousand valis!? For potatoes!?
"I-Is this a joke?" she asked carefully, wondering if she was being pranked by one of the other deities.
"Consider it a modest tribute to your hard work, my lady," the man replied, his words smooth as silk as he winked at her.
Sensing easy money and wanting this bizarre, overly dramatic man gone as fast as possible, Hestia quickly packed a large box with her premium Jagamarukun, slathering it in extra sauce and wrapping it in oil paper.
"One deluxe set...Thank you for your order." Hestia practically shoved the box across the counter, lacking all the cheerfulness she used with other customers.
"No, thank you. Really," the man said softly, reaching out to take the food.
But as his fingers brushed hers, he seamlessly pressed a tiny, tightly folded square of paper into her palm. He folded her fingers over it, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and flashing another flirtatious wink.
"Keep the change, beautiful," he whispered, turning on his heel with a theatrical swoop.
Hestia stood paralyzed behind the counter, looking disgustedly down at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand as if it were a dead spider.
Meanwhile, the man—none other than Kong—quickly ducked into a narrow, dark alleyway between two buildings.
The moment he was out of sight, his suave, confident posture completely shattered.
Kong slammed his back against the stone wall, his knees buckling slightly as he clutched his chest.
"Fuck. Fuck me sideways!" he muttered frantically.
Carefully, Kong tilted his eyes toward the distant city skyline. High atop a watchtower near the Northern Wall, almost invisible against the evening glare, sat a silent figure clad in white uniform.
A Freya Familia scout. One of the poor bastards assigned to Ganesha Familia after the Guild's punishment. Leave it to Freya to turn a penalty into free surveillance.
Kong sighed tiredly. If he had dropped that note normally, or even looked suspicious for a second, those freaks would have gotten him the moment he stepped out of the Goddess's range.
Playing the part of a sleazy, horny mortal making a fool of himself in front of a deity was the least suspicious cover he could think of.
"Oh man, that was intense," Kong muttered under his breath, his hands still trembling as he opened the warm box of Jagamarukun.
He shoved a hot potato bite into his mouth, chewing to calm his nerves. "Definitely going straight to see one of the girls."
Back at the potato stall, Hestia was still staring in utter disgust at the tiny, folded square of paper sitting on her counter.
"A love letter. From a complete stranger," she muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at it. "The nerve of some people! I am a proud virgin Goddess! I don't have time for some random guy's poetry!"
She picked up a pair of wooden tongs, intending to drop the paper straight into the trash bin beneath the cart.
But curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to check it out. It wasn't every day people gave her love letters, okay!? She was just curious!
Opening the folded paper, she quickly realized it was no love letter. The handwriting was crude, ugly, unpolished, and completely lacking in any form of respect.
There were only three short sentences written in rough Koine inside:
༻❁༺
Shortstack.
This bitch named Freya is eyeing the brat and me. Don't do any fucking stupid shit like trying to find me.
I'm taking care of it.
༻❁༺
Hestia's eyes twitched.
Shortstack.
There was only one person in Orario who called her that horrible name.
"Toji..." she whispered, her voice low.
The pieces instantly slammed together in her mind with clarity.
The weeks-long disappearance. His pet crawling home covered in blood. Not a single word from him since.
Freya had targeted her captain, and now Toji was hiding from her.
"Freya..." Hestia almost spat. That's why the Goddess of Beauty had been pressing her for Toji's location at the Denatus!
"No, no, no!" She couldn't let Freya take her Bell-kun!
SLAM!
Hestia aggressively pulled the wooden shutters of her stall down, startling the two customers who had just walked up.
"Sorry! Closed for the day! Family emergency!" Hestia yelled as she vaulted the counter and raced toward Babel.
༻❁༺
The sound of boots echoing up the grand staircase of Babel was only interrupted by the groans of bruised and bloodied adventurers.
Bell Cranel and Welf Crozzo ascended the final steps into the evening light, both looking as though they had been chewed up and spat out by the Dungeon itself.
Bell's new white armor was heavily dented, scorched, and stained with dried monster blood. His eyes were entirely hollow, staring fixedly ahead with an empty gaze.
Welf was in equally terrible shape. His left arm was heavily bandaged in torn, soaked fabric, and he hissed in pain with every step.
"Hey, Bell," Welf grunted, his voice tight with pain. "Give me another one of those useless potions, will you? My arm is fucking with my vision."
Bell didn't say a word. He silently reached into his pouch, uncorked a small vial with his thumb, and handed it over.
Welf grabbed it with his good hand, drinking it all in one bitter gulp. "It's like drinking literal tap water. Unbelievable. Just leave stocking the potions to me from now on, yeah? Never hitting that pharmacy again."
Bell simply nodded, a slow, mechanical movement.
They finally stepped completely out of Babel's entrance, then stopped dead in their tracks once in the safety of the plaza.
A few yards ahead of them, the Takemikazuchi Familia had also just cleared the entrance. Ouka, Mikoto, Chigusa, and the rest were covered in ash and fresh wounds, panting heavily.
At the sight of Bell and Welf, the Takemikazuchi members immediately stiffened. Mikoto and Chigusa violently averted their gazes, staring at the floor in overwhelming shame. Ouka, however, forced himself to look forward, meeting Welf's glare head-on.
"Here we are..." Ouka muttered, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Finally on the surface..."
Welf gritted his teeth, his grip on his greatsword tightening. "Yeah. And we could have made it here without half our blood missing if it wasn't for your lot."
Before Ouka could respond, a frantic voice pierced through the plaza.
"Bell-kun!" Hestia's voice cut through the bustle of the plaza as she hurried toward them. The closer she got, the more her relieved smile faltered.
"W-what happened!?" Her hands hovered over Bell's battered armor, terrified to touch him and cause him pain.
"Goddess..." Bell looked down at her. His eyes were tired, devoid of the healed warmth she had just seen this morning.
"We had it rough down there," Welf answered for him. He shot a piercing glare at the group standing a few feet away. "Thanks to these folk."
Hestia blinked, turning to follow Welf's gaze. Her expression softened in recognition.
"Oh! It's Takemikazuchi's children!" Hestia said, recognizing Mikoto and Ouka.
At the sound of Hestia addressing them so casually, the Takemikazuchi Familia members seemed to shrink into themselves even further.
The fact that this Goddess was close with their patron made their actions in the Dungeon feel a thousand times more dishonorable.
Hestia, entirely misreading the suffocating tension in the air, clapped her hands together with a relieved smile.
"Oh, I see!" Hestia chirped. "You must have been adventuring together down there! I'm so glad. You must have all become friends!"
Bell's breath hitched. The dead look in his eyes shattered instantly. A small, violent spark ignited deep within his crimson irises.
"Friends...?" Bell repeated, his voice dangerously quiet.
Hestia paused, tilting her head slightly, her smile faltering as she noticed the shift in her boy's demeanor. "Y-yes...? Or am I wrong?"
"This piece of shit party tried to do a Pass Parade on us!" Bell snapped, pointing a blood-stained finger directly at Ouka. "You dumped a swarm of Hellhounds on a two-man party and ran like a coward!"
Hestia's eyes widened. The naive relief she had felt moments ago vanished entirely.
"We didn't have a choice!" Ouka said, his face flushing defensively. "You were in the way! It was a life-or-death situation!"
"So your bright idea was to make it our death instead?!" Bell snarled. The sheer anger radiating off the fourteen-year-old boy was so intense that Hestia physically flinched back.
"I offered you potions!" Ouka yelled, gesturing to the empty vials on his waist. "And we returned to fight beside you! We didn't leave you to die!"
"Returned?" Welf spat, a bitter laugh escaping his throat. "Don't pretend you had some change of heart. You hit a dead end. If that path had led to the surface, you'd have left us to die."
Hestia's shock quickly turned into anger. She stepped forward, glaring at Ouka. "You used them as bait?! How could you! They could have died!"
"Well, they didn't," Ouka said, his pride taking over as the surrounding adventurers began to glare at him with absolute disgust. "We survived! You, Rabid Rookie, killed half the swarm by yourself! We all made it out alive, didn't we?"
Bell looked at Ouka as if the man had entirely lost his mind. "My friend almost died, you dragged a horde onto us, and you think that doesn't matter because we survived?"
The crowd around them began to buzz with harsh, judgmental murmurs.
"A Pass Parade? Seriously? Cowardly bastards..." a heavily armored dwarf spat.
"Hey, isn't that the new record holder? Rabid Rookie?" one adventurer pointed out.
"A thousand valis on Rabid Rookie," a beastman snickered from the back. "Look at his eyes. He's living up to his title."
"Ouka! Enough!"
A booming voice cut through the noise with divine authority.
Takemikazuchi shoved his way to the front of the crowd. He had just arrived at the plaza, drawn by the shouting.
Ouka, Mikoto, and the rest of his Familia visibly flinched, turning to look at their God.
Hestia moved, stepping in front of Bell and placing a hand on his chest to hold him back. "Bell-kun, please, stop!" she pleaded, her voice laced with worry.
This wasn't her sweet, gentle boy. The anger radiating from him was nothing like the boy she knew! She thought he was healing, but she was wrong. "Let the gods handle this, please..."
"Goddess, stay behind me," Bell said, his arm gently but firmly moving her away, his eyes never leaving Ouka.
Takemikazuchi stepped into the space between the two groups. He looked at Bell, feeling the anger and exhaustion radiating off the boy. Then, he looked at Welf's mangled arm.
"Is this true, Ouka?" Takemikazuchi asked, his voice quiet. "Did you execute a Pass Parade on these adventurers?"
Ouka swallowed hard, looking away. "Takemikazuchi-sama...we were overwhelmed. I had to ensure the survival of our party."
Mikoto looked down at the cobblestones, too ashamed to look up. "It...it is true, Takemikazuchi-sama. We wronged them terribly."
Takemikazuchi closed his eyes, his expression heavy with disappointment. He had taught his children many things.
Strength. Courage. Perseverance. Honor.
But never this.
The god stepped forward and bowed deeply toward Bell and Welf. "I have no excuse for what happened."
His voice was calm, but the shame behind it was obvious. "My children violated the trust that adventurers must have for one another in the Dungeon. Regardless of the circumstances, their actions were wrong. As their god, I accept responsibility. I will make this right."
The plaza went dead silent. A God bowing to mortals was a rare sight.
Bell gritted his teeth, his jaw visibly ticking.
The bow meant nothing to him. Money and apologies couldn't erase the moment he saw Welf nearly burn alive because someone else decided their lives were expendable.
Hestia gently squeezed Bell's arm, trying to reach him. "Bell-kun, it's okay now," she said softly, attempting to take the heavy burden off his shoulders. "I'm here. Let me handle this—"
"Keep your apologies and your compensations," Bell hissed, completely ignoring his goddess.
"Don't push your luck, Rabid Rookie." Ouka stepped forward aggressively, his fists clenched. "Calling yourself a record breaker? Today I learned you're just a sensitive, unreasonable little kid!"
Bell felt his blood boil.
Caring about his only friend not dying now counted as "sensitive"? Calling them out for what they were planning to do was "unreasonable"? Being angry that he was treated as disposable bait was being a "little kid"?
Why is it always like this with you, Bell Cranel? Why are you always the one expected to understand everyone else? Why does nobody ever stop and try to understand you for once?!
"That's it!" Bell lunged directly at Ouka. His bloodied fist pulled back, aiming a punch squarely at the larger man's jaw.
The crowd erupted. "Oh, shit!"
"Break his jaw, Rabid Rookie!" Adventurers whistled and cheered, fully expecting a bloody brawl to kick off right there in the plaza.
"Whoa! Bell!" Welf threw his good arm around Bell's waist from behind, digging his heels into the stone to stop his friend.
"Don't, Bell-kun!" Hestia threw herself directly into Bell's path. She wrapped her arms tightly around him from the front, burying her face into his chest and using her entire divine weight to ground him.
"Say it!" Bell thrashed wildly in their combined grip, entirely abandoning all reason. "Say that again, bastard!"
On the other side, Takemikazuchi delivered a resounding, brutal slap to the back of his captain's head.
"Ouch!" Ouka cried.
"You will close your mouth, Ouka," Takemikazuchi ordered. "You have disgraced us enough today."
"Bell, listen to me!" Welf grunted, wincing in agony as the strain pulled violently at his wounded left arm. "I'm pissed too! I want to break his nose just as badly as you do! But you gotta breathe, man! You're going to tear my arm off!"
Hestia tightened her grip around him. "Please, Bell-kun! Look at me!" Her voice was shaking. "For my sake, calm down!"
Bell suddenly stopped. The rabid energy slowly drained from his muscles. His breathing came out in ragged, shaky gasps as the cortisol vanished.
Welf carefully let go, clutching his burnt arm with a heavy sigh.
Hestia stepped back just slightly, her hands still trembling as she kept a gentle grip on Bell's arm.
Bell stood there, looking at the bruised, ashamed faces of the Takemikazuchi Familia. Then he looked at the God who was still staring at Ouka in disappointment. The inferno in Bell's eyes died out, leaving behind that same hollow exhaustion.
"We're leaving, Goddess," Bell muttered, his voice flat as he grabbed her wrist gently.
Hestia looked down at his bloodied hand wrapped around her wrist. She didn't argue. She didn't lecture him or force him to accept the apology.
"...Let's go home, Bell-kun," she whispered softly.
༻❁༺
Toji Fushiguro casually walked down the corridors of the Ishtar Familia manor, still wearing his yukata. His hands were tucked lazily into his sleeves as he approached the towering double doors of Ishtar's inner sanctum, pushing them open without bothering to knock, as though the place belonged to him.
The throne room was as decadent as ever, bathed in the soft glow of magic stone lamps. Ishtar lounged gracefully on a massive velvet chaise, swirling a glass of crimson wine.
But she wasn't alone.
Standing near the base of the dais was a hulking, grotesque creature.
Phryne Jamil. The Level 5 captain of the Ishtar Familia was built like an oversized toad. Broad, fat, covered in warts, and somehow dressed like a courtesan despite looking like everyone's worst nightmare.
"Ah. My newest toy," Ishtar purred, her eyes locking onto Toji as he stopped in the center of the room. "Bow."
Without a word of protest, Toji smoothly dropped to one knee, lowering his head in a flawless display of fealty.
"Whatever you say, Goddess," Toji murmured, looking up at her with a lazy smirk.
He had already chosen to play the part of a charmed, obedient dog for a little while. As long as Ishtar didn't cross any hard lines, feeding her ego was the cheapest currency he had.
"You are becoming a frustrating investment, Toji," Ishtar began, her voice echoing in the large room, though a faint hint of amusement played on her lips.
"I was just catching up on my beauty sleep, Ishtar-sama," Toji hummed, standing up slowly and brushing off his knees. "Got to stay pretty for you, right?"
"Don't push it." Ishtar's eyes narrowed, she sat up slightly. "I thought my Charm had secured a lethal assassin for my ranks, but instead, I've adopted a very expensive freeloader. You've been living off my dime, eating our food, and acting like you own the place. And what exactly are you contributing?"
Toji blinked lazily, utterly unimpressed. "Good company?"
"Amusing company, perhaps. But that wasn't my question," Ishtar continued, her divine aura flaring up lightly. "You are supposed to be one of my trump cards against the Freya Familia. Instead, you're locking my girls in rooms and starting battle royales. I have four Amazons in the infirmary with broken bones because of your stupid little games. You're weakening my ranks!"
"I'm weeding out the weak ones, Goddess." Toji shrugged lazily. "If they break that easily, they'd just be dead weight against Freya anyway."
"Kehekehe..." a grating, guttural voice croaked.
Phryne took a heavy step forward. She licked her thick lips as her beady eyes went hungrily over Toji's physique. "So this is the newest addition to the harem. I must admit, Ishtar-sama, you certainly picked a rebellious one this time."
"He is quite the specimen, isn't he, Phryne?" Ishtar sighed, leaning back and deciding to let her Captain play with the assassin for a little to test his temper.
"Mmm, I like them strong. The weak ones always break before I'm finished," Phryne rumbled, stepping right into Toji's personal space.
The Toad leaned over him, trying to shift her features into something resembling a seductive pout. "Don't be shy, boy. Why don't you give Big Sister Phryne a proper look—"
She reached out, aiming to trace the scars on his lip.
SMACK!
Toji hadn't even shifted his stance. He just casually brought his fist up and punched the Level 5 captain directly across the jaw.
Phryne's massive body flew backward like a boulder shot from a catapult, crashing violently into a marble pillar. She slumped to the floor, a bewildered expression on her ugly face.
Toji wiped his knuckles on his yukata with a disgusted expression.
"Keep your smelly toad on a leash, Ishtar-sama." Toji's voice was flat as he looked back up at the deity. "She was ruining the view."
"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Phryne roared, suddenly snapping out of her daze. Her ugly face twisted into murderous rage as she scrambled to her feet, reaching for the heavy axes strapped to her back.
"Enough!" Ishtar's voice cracked through the room, laced with a heavy, suffocating dose of Divine Charm.
Phryne froze instantly, glaring daggers at Toji.
Toji simply stared back with the lazy eyes of a hunter looking at a minor, albeit repulsive, annoyance.
Ishtar rubbed her temples, a headache forming behind her eyes. "Phryne, leave us."
Phryne gritted her teeth, shooting Toji one last venomous glare before turning and stomping out of the throne room, the doors slamming shut behind her.
"You test my patience, Toji," Ishtar muttered.
"You know I have expensive tastes, Goddess. Don't put trash in my face and expect me not to take out the garbage," Toji replied, crossing his arms with a huff. "So, what is it? You missed me already, or do you finally have someone you want dead?"
Ishtar took a slow sip of her wine, her demeanor shifting into the calculating ruler of the Pleasure Quarter. "We are accelerating our plans against the Freya Familia. The time to crush that silver haired bitch is approaching. But to guarantee our victory, I have secured many allies and contingencies. One being a powerful force coming from a faraway land."
Toji raised an eyebrow. "Mercenaries?"
"Something like that." Ishtar smiled. "They are currently en route across the sea. When they arrive at the port city of Meren, we need to secure their allegiance, integrate them into our forces, and—"
"Let's skip to the good part," Toji interrupted smoothly, offering her a lazy, indulgent smirk.
Ishtar blinked, her eye twitching slightly at being cut off in the middle of her grand villainous monologue. "Excuse me?"
"I get the gist. You're going to war, you've got friends coming over, and you need your favorite toy to play bodyguard and enforcer of your will," Toji summarized bluntly. "I can do that. I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure this operation of yours is a success, Goddess. But if you want me performing at my absolute best for you...we have a problem."
"And what is that?" Ishtar asked.
"I'm completely out of my usual gear," Toji said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't have my tools. If you want me killing efficiently, regular blacksmith trash isn't going to cut it. I need you to open that deep generous purse of yours, my lovely patron, for very specific weapons."
Ishtar tilted her head, intrigued despite her annoyance. "How specific?"
"Cursed ones," Toji answered. "Items that break the rules. Things with nasty side effects, anti-magic properties, or poisons that fuck with the target. Buy me the right toys, and Freya's head is yours. Madam."
Ishtar stared at him for a long, silent moment. A smile spread across her lips, clearly pleased by his absolute confidence and his willingness to play the role of her personal weapon.
"Cursed weapons..." Ishtar purred, setting her wine glass down. "You're in luck. I happen to have a very lucrative partnership with some...underground associates."
༻❁༺
The wooden doors of the newly renovated church closed with a soft thud, shutting out the city of Orario.
Thanks to the 500 thousand valis Toji had tossed at Hestia, they had finally been able to hire a minor builder Familia to fix the ruined church. The drafty, crumbling ruin was gone. In its place was a cozy, fully functional home. The floors were polished wood, the roof no longer leaked, and there was a proper kitchen and real bedrooms.
But as Bell stepped into the warmth of his own home, he did not feel at ease.
He moved like a ghost, his eyes dull and unfocused. The warmth of the home couldn't penetrate the freezing cold that had settled deep into his bones.
Hestia gently led him into the living room and guided him to sit on the plush new sofa. As she looked down at him, her heart twisted into a painful knot.
She couldn't stop thinking about the Bell in the plaza. The anger he displayed when confronting the Takemikazuchi kids.
She thought he was getting better...But now, looking at the shaking teenager slumped on the couch, she felt like she barely recognized her own Bell-kun.
And she blamed herself for not noticing the depth of his pain.
She did now, and she wanted to ask a hundred questions. She wanted to know exactly what had happened to him. But she couldn't bring herself to press him. Not when he looked like he might shatter at a sudden noise.
"Bell-kun?" Hestia asked softly, keeping her voice incredibly gentle. "Are you hungry? I can make your favorite dish."
Bell didn't look up. He just gave a nod.
"Okay. Let's get you out of this heavy armor first, so you can relax, alright?" She smiled warmly, trying to inject some much-needed cheer into the suffocating room.
Bell obediently reached up to unbuckle his chest plate. But his hands were trembling so violently that he couldn't grip the leather straps. His fingers slipped clumsily, scraping against the buckles again and again.
Hestia couldn't bear to watch it.
"Here, let me," she whispered, stepping into his space and gently taking his shaking hands in hers. She lowered his hands to his lap and began undoing the straps herself.
As she worked, slipping the scorched and dented shoulder guards off, she tried to fill the silence. "Are you alright, Bell-kun?"
Bell offered another hollow nod.
"Does anything hurt? I have an emergency potion stashed away," she offered, tossing the ruined armor plates onto the floor with a heavy clatter.
This time, Bell shook his head, though his jaw tightened visibly at the word "potion."
Hestia sighed softly. She pulled the chest plate loose and decided to play what she believed was her best card. "You know, Toji sent me a letter earlier. He said he's on a...special quest. He told me not to worry and that he'll be back as soon as he's done." She looked at Bell's face, hoping the mention of his captain might bring a spark of life or reassurance to his eyes.
It did the exact opposite. Bell tensed. Toji's brutal lessons about the ugliness of the world and the selfishness of people had just been proven violently right yet again.
Hestia quickly unhooked the last strap holding the chest plate together. She pulled the heavy, blood-stained gear over his head, leaving him in just his torn, sweat-soaked black tunic.
The moment the physical weight of the armor left his body, the last remnants of Bell's survival mindset vanished. The unhinged, Rabid Rookie mask he had forced himself to wear in the plaza completely crumbled.
"Ghh!" His shoulders collapsed inward. A ragged, wet gasp tore its way out of his throat, and his crimson eyes widened in panic.
"Bell-kun?!" Hestia dropped the armor.
Bell bent down, grabbing fistfuls of his own white hair as his chest began to heave. He was suffocating under the weight of it all, desperately trying to choke words past the massive lump in his throat.
"I tried..." Bell gasped out, his voice cracking violently. "Ryuu-san told me...she told me I couldn't keep my shield up against everyone. That I had to let people in if I wanted to survive. I tried, Goddess! I let Welf in, and I almost got him killed for it!"
"Oh, Bell..." Hestia's heart broke into pieces. She threw her arms around him, pulling him forward until his face was buried firmly against her chest, wrapping him in a fierce, protective embrace. "I'm here. It's okay. Shhh, you're safe now."
Bell's small frame trembled violently against her as the dam finally burst.
"Why is it always like this?" Bell sobbed, his voice muffled but dripping with pure anguish. "Why do they look at me...and they don't see me? They just see a stepping stone. A decoy! Am I not a human being? I didn't even know them, Goddess! And they just looked at us and decided they had the right to choose if Welf and I lived or died!"
"Bell...You're not a stepping stone. You're Bell. You're my Familia," Hestia whispered, her voice trembling. "What they did was wrong. Don't carry that on your shoulders too."
"But Welf..." Bell choked on a sob, pulling back just enough to look up at her with wide, terrified eyes. "T-The potions I bought. From Naaza. They were useless."
Hestia froze.
"When the Hellhounds hit Welf...I poured them on him, and they did nothing," Bell whispered, his voice shrinking into a haunted rasp. "Welf said it's a common scam. Vendors water them down to save money. His arm was scorched, Goddess. He's a blacksmith...if he lost that arm, his life was over. And it would have been my fault because I told him we could trust her!"
Hestia's heart lurched.
Watered down?
She wanted answers. She wanted to storm straight to Miach Familia and demand an explanation. But Bell's shaking hands pulled her back to what mattered most.
She cupped his face with both hands.
"Bell..." she whispered, wiping away another tear with her thumb. "Look at me."
She waited until his eyes met hers. "You didn't hurt Welf. You saved him and he knows it. Don't punish yourself for that."
Bell wiped his eyes, his voice barely audible. "Miach-sama...he's not like that. He wouldn't do something like this."
He looked down. "I don't know what happened. Maybe Naaza made a mistake. Maybe..."
His fingers curled into his knees. "Miach-sama is your friend. I don't want to ruin your friendship over this...I'll just stop going there."
Hestia let out a shaky, heartbroken sigh. Even now, completely broken and betrayed, nearly burned alive in the dark, his first instinct was to protect her relationships.
She offered him a sad smile. "You don't ever have to go back there, Bell-kun. And don't you worry about Miach. I will personally explain what exactly happened." Oh, she's going to rip that dog girl apart!
Bell closed his eyes, leaning heavily into the warmth of her palm. The manic panic was draining away, leaving behind a crushing exhaustion.
"All I ever wanted was to save people, Goddess," Bell said quietly, the innocence in his voice sounding painfully fractured. "That's what my grandpa always taught me. A hero saves people. But...how can I be a hero...when the people I'm supposed to save are the ones throwing me to the monsters?"
"Bell..." Hestia didn't answer immediately. She couldn't give him a naive platitude. Not after what he had just survived.
"Being a hero doesn't mean you have to save everyone," she whispered, gently brushing his hair back. "It means you protect the people who trust you. The people who stand beside you. The people who care about you."
Her hand rested softly against his head. "You saved Welf today. You threw yourself into danger for him, and he did the same for you."
Hestia pulled him closer. "That is what a hero does."
A small smile appeared on her face. "At least...that's what my hero would do."
From the dark shadows of the hallway, a soft, heavy slithering sound echoed.
The grotesque, fleshy mass of Toji's Inventory Curse slithered silently across the polished wooden floorboards. The worm, which usually kept to itself, seemed drawn down by the heavy emotional atmosphere in the room.
It slithered up the back of the sofa. Then the curse draped its soft body over Hestia's shoulders, wrapping itself around her neck.
Hestia blinked in surprise at the behavior, but she didn't push it away.
Bell leaned fully into Hestia's chest, surrounded by the warmth of his goddess. The frantic breathing slowly faded into quiet, exhausted sniffles.
For a long time, the only sound in the renovated church was the gentle, soothing hush of a goddess holding her broken child, waiting for the cold to finally leave his bones.
༻❁༺
The End
༻❁༺
And done!
Quick confession: I actually didn't want to include the Naaza potion scam into this story but people kept expecting it coming so...I decided why not?
Before you head to the comments and say things like:
"You liar, you said this was going to be a 100% Toji chapter!"
"What was the point of the previous chapter if Bell just got emotionally wrecked again?"
Or even, "Why did Bell become a little bitch and cry in front of Hestia?"
Lemme explain everything as briefly as I can
1- This was originally supposed to be a 100% Toji chapter...But it was ass
I deleted the whole thing and started from scratch. Imagine deleting over 8k words because you think it's garbage, all just to keep the quality up
2- The previous Bell chapter had two main purposes
First: It started making Bell realize that not everyone is out to get him
Second: It showed him finally fighting back against the vultures who keep taking advantage of him. He didn't cower before Ouka or quietly accept his excuses
You might wonder why I didn't show the Pass Parade itself
Because it's fucking boring, I skipped it. I also skipped the entire 18th Floor incident, which means no Black Goliath, no Bell meeting Ais and the Loki Familia there, no Bell and Lefiya fighting that giant plant monster (I forgot its name), and no Ryuu emotional scene where it's basically: "Oh Bell...my Familia died...please feel bad for me."
3- Why did Bell cry?
Because this Bell isn't an edgy Bell
He's not one of those fanfic versions that gets betrayed once and suddenly goes, "I hate everyone," or "The whole world is my enemy."
I dislike those versions. They're completely out of character
Bell can become colder over time, but never THAT cold
At the end of the day, he's still a kid and a human being who's suffering (I do enjoy making him suffer emotionally because canon Bell is way too stupid sometimes, so consider this my revenge)
Another thing
I know at least one person is thinking:
"Man, this guy is just making Bell suffer over and over."
That's the point
I'm breaking him down so I can build him into someone new, different from canon, then break him again probably (you'll understand it when we reach Knossos raid arcs...)
Also...
I mentioned a "new skill."
Caught that?
Onto the actual chapter
Did you guys like Toji's new dynamic?
Starting Amazon battle royales was a hilarious idea that randomly crossed into my head
Can Toji resist most charms?
Absolutely
Can he resist Freya's charm?
...
We'll see
And let's not forget the best part: Knossos got foreshadowed! So did the Kali Familia!
For everyone who felt this chapter didn't quite live up to expectations, don't worry. The next one is gonna be buttery lobster.
We'll finally see the aftermath of the Loki Familia expedition as well
It'll probably cover everything up to somewhere around the middle of the Kali Familia arc...maybe till the end...maybe just the beginning...?
It will be different tho not a copy from canon
One last confession
This chapter was originally supposed to have several more scenes but I ended up deleting about half of it
For example, I had an entire subplot where Ishtar tested Toji's loyalty by sending him on a ridiculously high-risk, no-reward heist to steal something from a heavily guarded guild vault
...Then I looked at it, decided it was ass, and deleted the whole thing
One person asked in my DMs: Why do you always make DanMachi fics?
Because most DanMachi fics are horrible harem slop with no real plot and I want to change that for the better. DanMachi deserves better
Cya next chapter
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