Chapter 31: The Blessing That Shelters from the Storm
The scenery of the streets changed at an incredible speed, and the surrounding air was so tense that it hurt their ears.
"ROAR!!"
A silver-haired ape-like monster with a tail let out a thunderous roar as it charged toward Bell and Hestia, dragging broken chains and smashing through countless buildings along its path, reducing them to rubble.
Bell, holding Hestia's hand, ran with all his might, reaching a speed he'd never achieved before, darting desperately through the empty streets and alleys to escape their pursuer.
Why is this happening?
Bell's heart was filled with confusion and bewilderment.
As an adventurer, he was naturally familiar with the existence of monsters—in fact, he encountered them almost daily in the Dungeon. They were unintelligent, incommunicable beings with nothing but a violent drive to attack.
He had grown stronger by battling monsters, gaining experience and honing his combat skills.
But never had he imagined that he would be attacked by a monster on the surface, here in Orario, the labyrinth city.
Since leaving his childhood village and arriving in this city of adventures, this was the first time he had experienced something so abnormal. Every pore on his body opened in fear and panic.
With the terrifying monster just behind him, only one thought consumed his mind:
Run!
Escape this terrifying creature!
Under normal circumstances, with Bell's agility and the city's complex layout, he should have been able to escape easily from this danger.
But now, Bell wasn't alone—he had Hestia by his side.
Though Hestia was a goddess, she could not use divine powers in the lower world. Doing so would result in her being forcibly returned to the heavens.
As such, she was nothing but a burden at the moment.
Bell had to find a way to protect Hestia while escaping the monster's pursuit. For a Level 1 rookie adventurer, that was a virtually impossible task.
And indeed, it proved to be so.
After running for a while, the monster caught up to them.
Only then did Bell finally get a good look at their pursuer—it was a Silverback Ape.
This was a monster typically found around the tenth floor of the Dungeon. Though not as powerful as a Minotaur (which was considered a Level 2 threat), the Silverback's strength was at the peak of Level 1.
Usually, it would take multiple Level 1 adventurers working together to bring one down.
Earlier, Bell and Hestia had been browsing stalls at the Monster Festival when, suddenly, several monsters broke out from the arena where the event was being held. While they caused general chaos, the Silverback bizarrely fixated on Bell and Hestia, chasing them wildly.
With no other choice, Bell fled with Hestia. But because of the gap in stamina and her slowing him down, they were eventually caught.
Bang!
The moment the Silverback closed in, it charged at them without hesitation, launching a powerful attack.
Bell, desperate, tried to make Hestia hide while he distracted the monster.
But to his shock, the Silverback didn't pursue him—it lunged at Hestia!
Before he could even react, Bell instinctively threw himself in front of Hestia.
Bang!
But Bell's strength was no match for the Silverback's. The instant they collided, he was flung away like a cannonball, crashing hard into the stone pavement.
"Bell-kun!"
Hestia cried out in horror.
"Why is this happening?! Why are there monsters in the city?!" she exclaimed in panic. "Can't Ganesha even control the monsters he caught?!"
She couldn't help but complain about Ganesha, the god who managed the Monster Festival. This Silverback must've escaped from the venue—it was clearly a result of his Familia's mismanagement.
But right now, complaints were meaningless.
The Silverback ignored the fallen Bell and turned its attention to Hestia.
"Urgh…"
Seeing the monster so close, Hestia didn't feel fear—gods couldn't die. Even if slain in the lower world, they would merely be forcibly returned to the heavens.
But even so, she didn't want to be killed.
Because once a god returned to the heavens, they could no longer descend again—an ancient rule among the gods.
Hestia didn't want it to end like this. She didn't want to abandon the Familia she'd finally formed. She didn't want to leave behind Shirou and Bell, the people so important to her.
"No… I don't want to leave!"
Her body trembled.
But the Silverback didn't care. It raised its massive fist, ready to smash her.
If that blow landed, her body would surely be crushed, and she would be sent back to the heavens.
But just then—
"Uwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!"
Bell screamed like a dying animal as he rushed between Hestia and the Silverback.
Even though he was terrified and his eyes brimmed with tears, he couldn't run—not now. He wouldn't let Hestia die.
He was ready to give up his life to protect her.
However, something unexpected happened—the Silverback's right leg suddenly tripped as if caught by an invisible force. Its movements paused briefly.
Bell didn't hesitate. He grabbed the chain dragging on the ground from the monster's body and yanked it hard.
"Giiiaaa!"
The Silverback lost its balance.
Bell realized this was his only chance—he had to try and kill it here!
But could he really do it?
Could he defeat such a powerful enemy?
In that moment of despair, Bell's mind flashed back to the time he faced the Minotaur.
The terrifying roar of the crazed bull echoed in his memory, freezing him with fear.
But he also remembered Shirou saving him back then—and the words Shirou had spoken:
"If you want to become strong, you need the courage to raise your sword against the strong."
Shirou's voice echoed in his ears.
Bell finally overcame his fear. He knew what he had to do—defeat the monster in front of him!
"Uwaaaaaaaah!!"
Bell screamed and plunged his dagger into the Silverback's unguarded left chest with all his might.
Crack!
But the blade didn't pierce through. Instead, the sound of breaking metal rang out.
The dagger had snapped!
He had missed his perfect chance. Bell closed his eyes in despair, bracing for death.
"Catch, Bell!"
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from behind him, along with the sound of something slicing through the air.
"Shirou-nii?"
Bell looked in surprise and saw Shirou throwing him a sheathed dagger. Even in its scabbard, the black dagger emitted a strange, ominous aura.
Bell caught it, stunned, unsure of what to do at first—until he saw Shirou's eyes.
In them, he saw the unspoken message: Do what you must.
"Uwoooooooh!!!"
Without hesitation, Bell unsheathed the black dagger and charged at the Silverback.
At the same time, the Silverback had gotten back on its feet. Enraged at being toyed with by a weak human, it shifted its focus to Bell, desperate to kill him.
The monster, possessing elemental abilities, raised its massive hand and conjured a raging whirlwind from the ground!
Normally, any human would've been blown away by that storm.
But Bell, inexplicably, remained unaffected. Even as the space around him warped in the gusts, he kept charging forward.
"What… is this?"
Bell himself was the most shocked.
He quickly realized the dagger was protecting him from the wind—the power within it was shielding him from the storm.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance had appeared.
After casting its magic, the Silverback entered a brief period of immobility—a magic cooldown. This was it.
"AAAAHHHH!!"
No flashy narration, no excessive emotion.
Bell simply raised the dagger and slashed at the Silverback's chest—where its magic stone core was.
CRACK!
The sound of the magic stone shattering rang out.
The Silverback's eyes widened in disbelief before it collapsed backward.
It was completely dead.