Bell was sitting besides Koenji on the front seat of the carriage while their contingent moved out of Orario and into the wilderness in a straight formation.
His body was relaxed, yet his mind was elsewhere, on the challenges awaiting him in somehow making Goddess Astraea accept him in her Familia, along with other future threats like the Apollo Familia, Ishtar Familia, Evilus, Enyo, Antares and the final boss, The One Eyed Black Dragon.
The final boss of Danmachi was someone who already had half a foot outside the laws of Tenkai and had already touched the Divine.
Even thinking about going against that dragon which even the original Bell's Aunt, Alfia, called the Incarnation of talent along with Albert Wallerstein and Level 9 Empress could not bring down gave him a massive headache.
The carriage Bell was sitting on gave a jerk and came to a sudden stop as the whole contingent was suddenly forced to stop.
"It seems like we've run into some surface monsters.... Bell, quickly hide inside the carriage and wait for the Level 1 adventurer we've hired to secure the contingent to clean them all up." Koenji spoke with a hint of anxiousness while pulling a dagger from it's sheath tied to his waist and got down from the carriage cautiously.
Bell watched Koenji keep a critical eye on the surroundings with caution as he too went down from the carriage to keep an eye on their surroundings together.
Suddenly, Bell heard the bushes to the their left shake as two small creatures with green skin, elongated ears and small bodies tumbled out of the bushes, pointing the crude wooden clubs in their hands towards their and their surrounding carriages.
Bell watched as Koenji walked towards the goblins with a knife in hand and a tremble in his steps.
He felt adrenaline start to roar through his veins as he watched Koenji swing his knife towards the face of one of the goblins, cutting it apart.
Another goblin swung his wooden club straight at his torso, which he failed to dodge, the club connecting to his torso with a bang, making Koenji tumble to the ground.
Bell wanted to move, but his legs were frozen solid in fear, the roar of adrenaline resounding louder as his heart started to beat absurdly fast.
He watched as the goblin who stuck Koenji pulled it's club above it's head to bring it down on Koenji's prone form on the ground.
His fear increased, but his heart beat even more than his fear, the absurd amount of adrenaline in his veins starting to dull his emotions and thoughts.
Yet even then, his feet refused to move, as if bound by countless hands, making them feel as heavy as mountains.
That was when he heard it, a voice resounding in his mind, as loud as thunder.
'Why do you fear ******? Fear arises from clinging to something - outcomes, people, things and yourself.....
So then why do you cling to your weakness?
Why do you cling to your life?
Anything born..... has to die.
******, do..... not what your fear dictates but what your heart says.'
Just hearing that voice seemed to awaken strength within him, strength he did not know he had.
His legs started to move on their own as he unconsciously put his hand inside the leather sachet on his back, pulling out the same stone which was responsible for his transmigration and had sent the original Bell to heaven.
It was rough to the touch with crusted blood covering it's surface, Bell did not have time to focus on these details as he started running towards the goblin about to bring down it's club upon Koenji.
Bell calculated that with the distance between him, his current speed and the goblin's movement, by the time he reached them, Koenji would probably have joined the original Bell in heaven, so there was only one thing left he could do.
He calculated the trajectory as he pulled his hand backwards while running towards them and gave a yolo throw while inwardly muttering.
'Bitch, I've watched Kuroko No Basket, can your goblin brain even comprehend it?'
The rock thrown by Bell directly slammed into the face of the goblin about to swing his club, directly swinging all it's rotten teeth outside it's mouth.
The goblin tumbled to the ground, it's own club hitting it's head, directly making it faint.
Bell, ignoring the fainted goblin, ran up to Koenji and helped him up as the other goblin, with a deep cut on it's face and blood dripping from it's ugly face got up from the ground and charged towards them after watching it's partner get the highest form of dental care.
Without thinking, Bell swung his leg in the direction of the charging goblin, his kick directly landing on the poor goblins crotch. A deep crunch was heard.
Critical Hit
The goblin howled as if someone had stolen it's imaginary wife and children and directly fainted, the hit being critical both to the body and the mind.
Koenji watched as Bell who gently talked to him some time ago, take 'gentle' care of those two poor goblins, swearing to never get on his bad side.
"Big bro Koenji, is there anyone inside the contingent who knows medicine or healing?"
Bell gently helped Koenji back to the carriage and asked anxiously while looking at Koenji holding his sides with a worried gaze.
"Little bro Bell, go quickly and call Miss Carmen from the carriage two carriages ahead of ours, and don't worry, it was just a slight touch." Koenji said with fake bravado and slightly trembling voice to muffle the pain at his sides.
Bell ran quickly to Miss Carmen and bumped into her talking with the Level 1 adventurer who had just taken care of all the goblins at the front, who introduced himself as Tannin, and quickly took Miss Carmen to treat Koenji while Tannin followed to finish off those fainted goblins.
As Bell watched Koenji being scolded while being treated by Miss Carmen, the worry in his heart finally settled.
'At least my first fight was acceptable, right?' Bell asked this clueless question to himself after destroying the whole family of one goblin and rearranging the face of the other.