Dust still hung in the air, imbuing the atmosphere with a metallic taste of blood and ash. The echo of the pillar of light that had recently pierced the Heavens lingered in everyone's minds, an ineradicable memory. Bell stood, spear still in hand, breathing a little heavily. His eyes remained fixed on the unconscious figure of Hyakinthos, and on the Apollo Familia Adventurers who, defeated, had neither the strength nor the spirit to resist any longer.
Beside him, Mikoto slowly lowered her sword, its edge marred by minor cuts she had inflicted on the enemy reinforcements. The Far Eastern Adventurer stared at the ground, frowning. Her thoughts were torn between victory and unease.
It wasn't long before firm footsteps were heard approaching from the castle's entrance.
The Loki Familia had arrived.
The group moved forward naturally, as if the fight just moments before had meant nothing to them. At the front was Finn Deimne, small and seemingly frail, but with the astute gaze and authority of a commander who commanded respect even in the midst of chaos. At his side marched Riveria with her elegant bearing and cold gaze, Gareth with his heavy gait, and behind them Tiona, Tione, Ais, and Bete.
Their presence was so overwhelming that the few Apollo Familia Adventurers who were still conscious instinctively lowered their heads.
It was Tione who stepped forward first, completely ignoring the tension in the air. With the strength of someone lifting a sack of grain, she picked up Hyakinthos and hoisted him over her shoulder as if he were little more than a useless burden. The Apollo Familia Captain's body hung grotesquely, utterly lacking in dignity.
"There. One less to worry about," Tione said, returning to the group.
The Apollo Familia Adventurers exchanged pale glances. Their Captain's treatment in this manner was the final confirmation that they had lost.
Finn, however, didn't head toward them first. His short steps led him straight to Bell.
The young albino looked at him in surprise, instinctively tensing his shoulders and bowing his head in respect.
Finn gave him a cordial smile, though his eyes remained serious. "Good work, Bell-kun. Congratulations on your victory in the War Game. Even though it was interrupted in the end, we all know the outcome was inevitable. Your performance was outstanding."
Bell blinked, not knowing what to say right away. It still hadn't sunk in that it was all really over. He swallowed and forced a shy smile. "Th-Thank you... Mr. Finn. It doesn't feel like a clean victory, though."
Finn tilted his head, amused. "Cleanliness is relative in this world. The important thing is that you protected your family and came out on top despite everything. That's more than most people achieve."
Bell looked down, pressing his spear into the ground for support. For a moment, he hesitated, but in the end, he couldn't contain the question that had been gnawing at him since the sky lit up. "Mr. Finn… what exactly was that pillar of light? Who… died?"
The atmosphere immediately became tense. Mikoto, who had remained silent, looked up at the Loki Familia's Captain with an expectant expression. Even the Apollo adventurers, still lying on the ground with their injuries, held their breath to hear the answer.
Finn sighed, crossing his arms behind his back. Although his boyish face bore no sign of age, his voice conveyed the gravity of someone burdened with dangerous information.
"We don't know for sure yet. The only thing that's clear is that a God died. And judging by the direction of the pillar, our scouts are pointing toward the Pleasure District."
Bell frowned. "The Pleasure District…?"
"That's right," Finn continued, his tone becoming more serious. "The strongest assumption is that it was Ishtar. However…so far, none of our men have found a single member of her Familia. It's as if they vanished in a flash. Not one Amazon, not one courtesan, no one. The entire district was in ruins when the first reports came in."
Mikoto opened her eyes in astonishment. "Vanished…? How could such a thing happen?"
Finn shook his head slowly. "I don't have an answer. I only know what my messengers reported to me. I wasn't there myself, so all I can do is pass on the information as it came to me."
Silence fell again, and Bell slowly sank to the ground, letting out a tired sigh. The spear rested at his side, and he rested his arms on his bent knees.
"I understand…" he murmured, his voice tired. "Thank you for telling me, Mr. Finn."
Beside him, Mikoto mimicked his actions, sitting up straight, though with the same exhaustion reflected on her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting her breath out slowly. The silence shared between them was more comfortable than any words.
Finn watched them for a moment, with that strange expression that always accompanied him: that of someone who calculated every detail, every movement, but who at the same time recognized the efforts of others. In the end, he nodded, satisfied.
"Rest easy. You've earned it."
Bell smiled faintly, though his thoughts were still filled with unanswered questions. He hadn't had time to fully absorb Finn's words when a vibrant voice broke the serious atmosphere.
"Argonaut-kun!"
Tiona, with her characteristic boundless energy, practically launched herself at him like a whirlwind of joy. Her smile was wide and genuine, and her eyes shone with enthusiasm. Bell barely had time to look up before he saw her standing in front of him, leaning forward with her hands on her hips, as if assessing him from head to toe.
"You did great, Argonaut-kun!" he exclaimed, using the nickname he'd decided to give him a while back and repeated with pride. "I really thought you were going to get crushed! But no, there you were, dodging, fighting, blowing things up like a hero. And you won! You're amazing!"
Bell blushed immediately, lowering his head awkwardly. "I-It wasn't that bad, Miss Tiona… I just… did what I had to do."
Tiona laughed loudly, a clear laugh that contrasted with the tension still in the air. "Just what you had to do," he says! Ha! That was way beyond that. You're a monster, Bell. And I know a good fighter when I see one."
Before Bell could respond, another figure stopped beside Tiona. Ais Wallenstein, the famed Sword Princess, stood as tall as ever, her expression serene and impassive. However, something was different about her face: a small, faint smile, barely a hint at the corner of her lips.
"Congratulations," she said softly, barely above a whisper.
Bell felt his face burn even more. "Thank you… Miss Ais."
Mikoto, at his side, raised an eyebrow and watched the scene with curiosity, although she remained silent.
Bell tried to compose himself, returning his attention to Tiona and Ais. However, at that moment, a glowing message appeared before his eyes, as the strange ability manifested within him always did.
[Riveria Ljos Alf is glaring at you.]
The young man blinked, puzzled. His smile froze on his face, and he slowly turned his head toward the Elf.
Riveria stood, imposing as ever. Her posture was impeccable, her staff resting at her side, and her eyes weren't directed at him at all. She stared beyond, toward the remains of the destroyed walls, assessing the extent of the damage as if she had no interest in anything else.
"Huh…?" Bell muttered in a low voice.
No, she wasn't looking at him. In fact, she didn't even seem to be paying attention. Bell narrowed his eyes uncomfortably and shook his head to clear the thought. Perhaps it was a mistake, a simple misunderstanding of his Divine Blessing.
He turned his attention to Tiona, who was still grinning from ear to ear, and to Ais, who was watching him silently.
[Riveria Ljos Alf is glaring at you.]
The message of his [Divine Blessing of Context] appeared again, clear, insistent. Bell tensed and snapped his head around again, this time frowning.
Riveria remained the same. Her lips barely moved, as if she were muttering something to herself, but there was no trace of her looking at him. Not a change in her expression, not a single stray blink. It was as if the entire world, except for Bell, didn't exist on her radar.
"What…?"
His bewilderment was so great that Mikoto tilted her head towards him, noticing his strange reaction.
"Bell-dono? Is something wrong?"
Bell waved his hands in front of him, trying to dismiss it. "No… it's nothing."
But deep down, he couldn't ignore what his Divine Blessing was telling him. Twice in a row, and with such insistence. Why? Why was she accusing him of something that, at first glance, wasn't happening?
Riveria Ljos Alf, the figure of respect and discipline within the Loki Familia, one of the most powerful magicians in Orario… what could she have against him?
Bell couldn't help but swallow.
Meanwhile, Tiona patted him on the shoulder a couple of times, as if to bring him out of his reverie.
"Well, well, don't worry so much. Now you can relax. Your goddess must be jumping for joy. You won! And you did it in front of all of Orario. Do you know what that means?"
Bell scratched his cheek, looking away. "I don't know if that's a good thing…"
Ais watched him for a moment longer, her smile still barely perceptible. Finally, she nodded, as if silently confirming that she agreed with Tiona.
The field around the castle, once a hive of noise, was now filled with heavy footsteps and muffled murmurs. The Apollo Familia's Adventurers seemed to be escorted away almost like prisoners, judging by their expressions. Hyakinthos was still unconscious on Tione's shoulder, and the dust was beginning to settle, revealing the damage like scars on stone and earth.
Bell, with the Artemis Spear wrapped around his back again, walked beside Mikoto. His boots crunched on rubble, and the breeze stirred strands of his white hair, still stained with the grime from the fight. He had won, yes… but the victory left a strange taste in his mouth.
Mikoto stood a little behind, frowning, her arms crossed over her chest, as if something was weighing on her soul. She walked like that for a few more meters until, finally, she broke the silence.
"Bell-dono…"
Bell turned his face toward her, curious about the serious tone she had adopted.
"I want to apologize."
The young man blinked, surprised. "Apologize? For what?"
Mikoto pursed her lips slightly, lowering her gaze. "During the battle… I wasn't much help. I was limited to casting a Spell, dealing with a secondary group. You were the one who bore the brunt. I can't help but feel that, instead of supporting you, I was more of a burden."
Bell opened his eyes, in disbelief at what he was hearing. "Mikoto… that's not true."
She glanced at him, her expression sour. "Yes, it is. I felt it clearly. You standing alone against him, while I diverted my attention to other enemies. You even saw it, didn't you? When Hyakinthos pressed me, I couldn't hold on. If you hadn't intervened, he would have overwhelmed me in seconds. My strength was insufficient. My duty was to fight shoulder to shoulder with you, and I failed."
The seriousness with which she said this was so absolute that Bell almost felt the weight of her selfcriticism on his own shoulders. However, far from being bothered, he smiled gently, a gesture that contrasted with her words.
"Mikoto," he said calmly, "I couldn't have won without you." She blinked, surprised.
"What are you saying? But…"
"No." Bell shook his head firmly, looking directly at her. "It wasn't like that. You were there when it mattered. Your Magic created openings, your determination allowed me to move forward. And even though you say you left me alone, I knew you were fighting with all your might against the others. That gave me peace of mind, allowed me to focus on Hyakinthos without worrying about being attacked from behind. That's helped me, much more than you think."
Mikoto stopped for a second, as if the words had crashed against the wall of doubts she carried inside.
Bell continued, his tone calm but determined, "You're not a burden. You never were. And you never will be. You're now my partner, Mikoto. I trust you as much as I trust myself."
The Samurai's cheeks tinged with a faint blush, though her expression remained rigid, as if unsure how to react. After a moment, she sighed heavily.
"Bell-dono… you always say things like that with such conviction that no one can contradict you." Bell shrugged slightly, smiling shyly. "It's not conviction… it's simply the truth."
For the first time since they left the castle, Mikoto let out a light, dry but sincere laugh.
"You're… peculiar. Very peculiar."
Bell laughed back, a little nervously, and the two resumed their pace alongside the Loki Famiia. Around them, the murmurs of the adventurers mingled with the sound of the march. However, for both of them, that brief exchange had lightened the weight the battle had placed on their shoulders.
Mikoto no longer walked with her eyes downcast and her arms crossed. Her posture was more upright, and although her doubts hadn't disappeared, deep in her chest there was a spark of renewed pride.
…
The room was small and quiet, with only a trace of light filtering through the poorly assembled wooden planks of a window. The air smelled of dust and damp, and every creak of the structure seemed a reminder of the precariousness of their hiding place. Haruhime lay stretched out on a makeshift futon, breathing calmly, deep in sleep. Her chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm, and the slight twitch of her fox ears made her seem almost like a super-cute creature, too pure to be trapped in that world of intrigue and ruin.
Lena, on the other hand, couldn't rest. She sat with her knees to her chest, her back against the wall, her eyes wide open despite the exhaustion that burned her eyelashes. Every muscle in her body screamed for a break she refused to give herself. She was afraid. It wasn't just the fear of being found, but the most corrosive fear: the fear of failing.
Failing Haruhime. Failing Aisha.
"I can't be like her."
The thought appeared mercilessly, as if someone had whispered it in her ear. Lena knew it was true. She didn't have Aisha's strength, not her strength, not her composure. All she had was her determination and that stubborn insistence on not giving up. But would that be enough against the most powerful Familia in all of Orario?
She leaned forward, resting her forehead on her knees. A sob nearly escaped her throat, but she held it back. She couldn't cry. She couldn't show weakness. Not in front of Haruhime, who slept with that almost unreal serenity. Not in front of the memory of Aisha, who would never have allowed fear to paralyze her.
Lena's mind raced, reviewing options, searching for a plan, even a small one, a ridiculous one, something she could hold onto.
The first possibility that came to mind was the Loki Familia. They were the second most feared force in Orario, just after Freya. If she could convince them to protect Haruhime, perhaps they could resist any kidnapping attempt. Perhaps… but the idea had a poisoned edge. What if they weren't protecting her out of kindness, but out of self-interest? Haruhime wasn't just a shy, sweet girl: she was a weapon.
That Magic… a unique gift, allowing another to temporarily Level Up. A power capable of turning a Level 2 Adventurer into a Level 3, or a Level 5 Adventurer into a Level 6. In a world where a difference of one Level could mean death or victory, Haruhime's Magic was too great a treasure. Too dangerous.
The Loki Familia had been saddled with the label of "the second-stringers" for years. Always beneath Freya, always in her shadow. What would happen if they saw Haruhime as a tool to break that hierarchy? She couldn't be sure they wouldn't transform her into just another piece in that eternal rivalry with Freya.
Lena bit her lower lip until she tasted the metallic taste of blood. She couldn't risk that. She couldn't hand Haruhime over to another battlefield disguised as a shrine.
The second option was the Guild. The Guild was impartial, it was the authority, it was… just what it should be. But immediately, that hope was dashed. The Guild wouldn't truly confront Freya. They would fine her, give her a symbolic punishment, and behind the scenes, allow her followers to continue their power games. The Guild would never jeopardize the balance of Orario, and that meant Haruhime wouldn't be safe there.
A chill ran down his spine.
"It's useless…" she whispered to herself, though her voice barely came out of her throat, muffled, trembling.
Everything was wrong. Every path led to a dark alley. Every hope ended in the same conclusion: Haruhime was still in danger, and she, Lena, was alone.
She forced herself to lift her head, looking down at the sleeping girl. Haruhime looked fragile, almost like a porcelain doll. Her ears fluttered gently with every breath, and a single golden lock of hair slid across her face. Lena reached out a hand, protective, but stopped short of touching her. She didn't want to wake her. She didn't want her to see her fear reflected in her eyes.
Haruhime had suffered too much. Years of humiliation, of being treated like an object, a tool for others' pleasure. And yet, she still smiled, she still remained kind, she still saw the world with a purity Lena had never had.
"If she can continue to be like this after everything they did to her… I have no right to give up."
The thought was firmer this time, heavier. It gave her a little warmth in the midst of her despair. But then the flip side came: what could she really do?
With his hands still covering his face, he allowed himself a moment of weakness, a moment of absolute sincerity: "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to protect her. I don't know where to go…"
Silence still weighed heavily on the air in the warehouse where Lena was caring for Haruhime. She could barely hear the distant murmur of the now almost silent city, a reminder that the world was moving on, indifferent to her fears.
He'd gone over every option in his mind over and over again. The Guild. The Loki Familia. The forgotten alleys of Orario. Nothing worked. Everything led to the same destination: Freya, her hands reaching out in every direction, demanding what she wanted. And what she wanted was Haruhime.
Lena bit her lip, tasting the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. The physical pain was the only thing keeping her grounded, the only thing keeping her from completely collapsing.
It was then, amidst that whirlwind of repetitive thoughts, that a memory emerged like a spark in the darkness.
A conversation. Words overheard in passing, words that hadn't mattered to him at the time. But now... now they shone like a rope thrown to a shipwrecked person.
…"Did you hear? At Apollo's banquet, the Goddess Freya showed interest in someone. A young man. An Adventurer."
…"Really? How strange of her."
…"They say it's a certain Bell Cranel. The boy who broke the Level-Up record." Lena blinked. The name came clearly to her mind: Bell Cranel.
The boy who, according to rumors, had Leveled Up in record time, faster than anyone in history. The one who at that very moment must have been fighting in the war game against the Apollo Familia.
At first, the idea seemed absurd. What did a young Adventurer have to do with his problems? What could he do about Freya's shadow?
But the more Lena thought about it, the more logic she found in that little spark of memory.
Freya was interested in him. And not in a casual sense: she had shown interest publicly, at a banquet. That was no small feat. The Gods rarely let their whims leak out like that. If Freya had expressed her attention to Bell Cranel, then there was something special about the boy. Something even the most feared Goddess in Orario desired.
And if Freya wished it… then perhaps Bell Cranel could be the only card she had against her.
Lena stared at Haruhime, who was still sleeping, her breathing calm. The idea was ridiculous, dangerous, and full of holes. She knew nothing about that boy beyond rumors and gossip. She didn't know if he was truly strong, if he was trustworthy, if he had the character to bear a burden like Haruhime.
But… what other choice did he have?
The Guild wasn't safe. The Loki Familia was too ambitious. She herself, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't protect Haruhime from the power of a Goddess like Freya.
Bell Cranel was a desperate gamble. A blind bet. But at least it was a gamble.
"I'll keep an eye on that boy," Lena muttered to herself, as if putting it into words might give her plan more solidity. "I'll see if he's good enough. And if he is… I'll leave her to him."
The thought made her stomach churn. It was cruel, selfish. Haruhime wasn't an object to be handed around, not a problem to be passed on to someone else. But Lena knew…
That she wasn't choosing between right and wrong. She was choosing between the impossible and the possible.
Haruhime needed a guardian who could face the threat of Freya. And Bell Cranel… as unlikely as it sounded, he could be it.
She remembered something else: the rumors that Freya protected those she cared about. That those in her inner circle enjoyed an aura of untouchability. If Bell really was someone close to her, then Haruhime, by his side, would be beyond the reach of even the worst threat.
Lena closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath. It was a weak, almost laughable plan. But as she replayed it in her mind, she began to feel something she hadn't felt in hours: direction.
She was no longer paralyzed by indecision.
She now had a goal.
She would keep an eye on that boy. She would observe him, gauge his character, his strength, his heart. And if he proved to be what the rumors said, then she would trust him with the most valuable thing she had left in the world: Haruhime.
She opened her eyes, looking at the Renard again. She was so peaceful in her sleep that it seemed impossible that her life was hanging by such a fragile thread.
Lena reached out and gently stroked her hair, brushing away a strand that had fallen over her face.
"I'm sorry, Haru…" she whispered, a lump in her throat. "I don't know if this plan is any good, I don't know if this Bell Cranel is trustworthy. But I have no other choice. I can't face them alone."
Fatigue weighed on her again, but this time it was different. It was no longer a poison that paralyzed her, but a weight she could carry to keep going. Bell Cranel's idea, however flimsy, had given her something to hold onto.
A path.
She allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment, knowing she couldn't let her guard down completely. Sleep didn't reach her, but at least the whirlwind of thoughts had subsided. Now, at the center of her mind, there was only that name.
Bell Cranel.
The boy who had to prove himself worthy of carrying Haruhime.
Haruhime sighed softly in her sleep, and Lena smiled sadly.
"I'll find you a guardian, Haruhime. And if that boy is what they say… then maybe we might have a chance."
The promise remained floating in the shadows.