I spin around—instinctively reaching for my weapon—but freeze when I see her.
"Hestia?"
She stands there, clutching something strapped to her chest—Bell's weapon. Her eyes dart around, panicked, but locked onto me.
"Where's Bell?!" she blurts out, breathless.
I raise an eyebrow. "Wow. Good to see you too, Goddess. I nearly died just now, but sure—skip the warm welcome."
I throw in a playful smirk, expecting a laugh. But she flinches. Her gaze drops.
"I—I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that…"
That wasn't guilt. That was fear.
Real fear.
I sigh, the joke dying in my throat. "Bell went after Syr. Follow the crow. It'll lead you to him."
Without another word, she runs off into the dark.
Great. Thanks, Hephaestus. Now my own goddess is afraid of me.
I walk through the deserted plaza, trying to make sense of it. How did we end up here? I take a seat on a cold bench, watching a small family playing nearby—laughing, alive.
Dad… you promised you'd bring me here someday.
I sink into memories, barely noticing the tears threatening to fall—
Until I hear the screaming.
I snap to attention.
Bell? Hestia?
I reach for the crow—but then a shrill child's scream cuts through the chaos. I bolt toward the sound.
I find them.
The same family from the bench. The children cling to their mother, sobbing. The father—unarmed, terrified—stands between them and three War Shadows.
He's not a fighter. But he refuses to back down.
"Damn it!"
The faces of my own family flash in my mind—burning, broken, gone.
Not again.
I rush the nearest War Shadow, grab it by the neck, and slam it into the pavement. It bursts into smoke, dropping a magic stone. No time to think. I draw my scythe and tear through the others with a clean, furious sweep.
The father stumbles toward me and wraps his arms around me, sobbing.
"Thank you! I thought… I thought I'd lost them!"
I nod, breathing heavy. "Keep them safe. Don't look back."
They huddle together—safe, for now. But before I can exhale, another threat emerges.
A massive orc stomps from a shadowed alley.
I'm too far.
No!
But it drops dead before it reaches them.
A blur of motion—too fast for the average eye. But I see her clearly.
Blonde. Blade in hand. Poised and lethal.
The swordswoman from Loki Familia.
There's something about her… something I can't place.
The family runs. I throw on my armor and give chase.
I trail her through the city as she cuts through monsters like a phantom. I perch above her as she finishes the last one, the crowd erupting in awe. Loki approaches, grinning wide.
"That's probably the last of them. And now Ganesha owes me big time," she brags.
"Show-offs," I mutter, turning to leave.
But then I hear it.
"Let's take a break, Aiz-tan!"
My blood runs cold.
Aiz?
The name triggers a surge of memories. Flames. Screams. Death.
And Loki Familia—standing in the middle of it.
I jump down, landing hard. My scythe hits the ground, pointed straight at Loki.
"Why were you there?" I demand.
The crowd gasps.
"You helped Ares. You were there—when my home burned—"
Before I finish, a fist cracks against my jaw.
I stagger back.
"Don't you dare threaten my goddess!" Aiz growls, stepping in front of Loki. "First you almost kill my teammate—now this?"
Her blade gleams, steady. But her eyes… her eyes scream confusion. And pain.
"She's not your goddess," I snarl. "She kidnapped you. She sided with Ares. They destroyed your village!"
Her grip tightens. "You weren't there!"
Her voice breaks. "I lost everything. My family. My best friend. Loki saved me. She gave me something to live for when I had nothing left!"
I falter.
"She… saved you?"
Tears trail down her cheeks. Her sword rises again.
"Take off your mask. I want to know who I'm about to execute."
I freeze.
If she sees me—the real me—it'll break her.
But I don't move fast enough.
Loki steps forward, yanks back my hood, and rips off the mask.
Aiz halts. Inches from my face.
Her eyes widen.
"T-Tristian?"
I smile weakly. "Hi, Aiz. Surprised you still remember me."
"H-How?! We went to your farm. We saw you. You were—"
"Dead?" I say, my voice cracking. "Yeah… that's what I thought, too."
Loki blinks, baffled. "Wait, you know him?"
"He was the farm boy I told you about," Aiz whispers. "The one we saw before heading to Orario…"
Tears stream down her face.
"You didn't answer me," I say, softer this time. "Why were you there, Loki?"
Loki opens her mouth to respond—but the world interrupts.
A monstrous roar echoes across the city.
All of us freeze.
Then—
A child screams.
Me and Aiz lock eyes.
"Bell."
We don't hesitate.
We draw our weapons.
And we run.