Choosing to [Level Up] will enhance the PLAYER's abilities and unlock a selection of [Developement Abilities].
There is a chance for the PLAYER to unlock [Skills], [Magic], or [Development Abilities] with every [Level Up].
Would the PLAYER like to [Level Up]?
[Accept] [Refuse]
If refused, the PLAYER can decide to [Level Up] at any later time.
"I... I can level up?" Bell unconsciously faltered backward with ragged breaths. "I CAN LEVEL UP!" He cheered through the dungeon with his arms up, elation glowing in his eyes and the biggest grin he's ever had.
That grin quickly changed to disgust at the smell of burnt guts and fresh blood filling his nostrils, making him gag and cover his mouth. This proved to be a mistake, as he found himself spitting out blood that had been on his gore-covered hand.
"Pah! Bleh!" His face scrunched in disgust. "Gross..."
He focused his attention back to the screen, questions filling his mind.
"My stats have reached an acceptable standard?"
With one quick thought, Bell's status popped up.
{STR}: SSS-2007
{VIT}: SSS1933
{DEX}: SSS-1900
{AGI}: X-3500
{MAG}: SSS-1867
{SEN}: SSS-1334
Remaining Points: 73
He couldn't believe his eyes. "What are these stats!? My magic and vitality went to S-rank with just this dungeon!? Wait, stats can go above S-rank!?"
While flabbergasted beyond belief, Bell could guess the acceptable requirement for leveling up had to do with his stats being at least S-rank. He had assumed that SSS-rank would be the highest point he could reach, yet here he is, breaking those boundaries.
"Wow, this... this is a lot." He muttered, feeling at a loss of what to do.
He hadn't needed to use his emergency stat points and could spend them now to get the most out of his abilities before leveling up, but he could also wait and try to raise his stats to the most he could, right?
'You'll regret it, kid. We were being nice, but you just threw away your shot to join something big.'
'You're dead, brat! The both of ya! Mark my words!'
The morning's events flashed in his mind, making Bell frown.
"The men from Lili's Familia might come after me..."
Lili had said it herself. That man, Canoe, and his men will be looking to mess with him somehow. He couldn't risk not being prepared to deal with multiple adventures just because he wanted to stretch his already impressive stats to the max.
So he'll level up.
But he won't do it until he gets back to Hestia. She deserved to experience the moment with him, the moment she had lost the ability to complete herself.
Nodding at his decision, the screen marked the reject option before changing.
(!)ALARM
The boss has been slain. The dungeon interior will revert to its original state.
He watched as blue pixel lights covered the area like the previous time, erasing the instant dungeon and taking him back to a small clearing on a blue-lit floor.
"Hm, the ninth floor." Bell noted, recalling this particular clearing from going down here with Lili a few times. He looked down at his bloodied form and sighed.
"I'm so glad that the baths are open at this time of night..."
~{Old Church-One Hour Later}~
Bell might've given the lone worker at the bathhouse quite the scare with the bloody mess on him, but he managed to take a much-needed wash to clean himself of bug giblets before returning home.
He entered the run-down church and into the basement, a breath of relief as he opened the door. But where he had expected the room to be dark and his goddess sleeping, he found it lit and the woman sitting on the bed hugging her legs instead.
Hestia's head immediately swerved in his direction as he entered, eyes lighting up and glistening not a second sooner.
"Beeeeeeeeeeeell!" She dove at him, and Bell didn't bother moving. He simply smiled and caught her in his arms.
"I'm home, Hestia." He said like any other day, carrying his clinging goddess onto the bed.
Used to her habits by this point, Bell held her until she calmed down, and then he told her everything that had happened in the dungeon.
"A-A-A giant spider!?" Hestia paled at the image he gave her, trembling in place. "That sounds worse than the snake!"
"Oh, it was," Bell nodded. It wasn't necessarily because the spider had been worse to fight, but rather the disgusting atmosphere around it. The environment would've given any regular adventurer the shivers. "But I beat it, and I got rewards."
"Oh?" Hestia looked quite curious, quickly getting over her shivers. "What'd you get?"
"Well, firstly, I unlocked the shop!" Bell beamed. "I looked at it on the way back, and there's so many cool things! But, ah, they cost... quite a lot of gold." He sweatdropped. "And that's considering the system is only showing me items depending on my current status."
He had choked on his own spit when he saw what the most expensive weapons cost. Then he read their effects and took a double-whammy. It only got worse, considering these items appeared based on his current strength, meaning there'd be so many crazier and more expensive ones in the future.
"I can buy weapons, consumable items, equipment, and even dungeon keys." He finished, bringing a gasp from his goddess.
"Wait, you mean you can just avoid Orario's dungeon and only grind in the instant ones!?"
Bell shook his head. "I thought so too, but each key has a one-time purchase, and the only ones I can buy right now are a few E-rank and two D-rank ones anyway."
"Ah, okay. But that shop still sounds really useful! What else did you get?" The goddess sparkled.
"Well, it wasn't a reward, but..." Bell reached into his inventory and pulled out one of many chunks of mana crystals. "These crystals were growing inside the boss room of that dungeon, and I was able to mine about half of them."
Hestia's eyes were captivated as they reflected the illuminating blue crystal in his hands. "Whoa... Bell, what are these? I... I can feel magic from them."
Bell handed them for her to examine, "They're called mana crystals. The system said that they grow in dungeons and can be used to power things just like magic stones." He smiled excitedly. "But they can also be used to make weapons and equipment with special properties, just like my current dagger."
Hestia whipped her gaze from the stone to his eyes, her own widening.
"Weapons and equipment!? And they could make things like that scary dagger of yours!? That's..." She pursed her lips anxiously. "The potential of that sounds amazing."
"It is, but... there's one problem," Bell's smile fell. "I don't know any blacksmiths to let use these, let alone anyone we can actually trust with anything the system gives me. There's no way we can share these without too many questions."
Hestia's eyebrows furrowed to match his expression, looking down in conflicted thought.
"Bell..." She looked back up at him. "Is it important that you get weapons or equipment made from these things?"
He rubbed a finger under his chin, "I'm not sure, but... even with how amazing my current weapon is, it couldn't cut through the boss of the dungeon until I went for the eyes. The same thing also happened in my first instant dungeon, when my guild dagger couldn't cut through the boss's scales..."
He frowned in serious consideration.
"I can't keep relying on that strategy forever. The monsters in the system's dungeons can get overwhelming sometimes, but it's the bosses that are the most dangerous. Just one hit from the giant spider had forced me to use my status recovery, and I think the system will only keep throwing more terrifyingly strong monsters at me in the future; if any of them don't have any vital weaknesses, then the last thing I'd want is to be unable to hurt them. So yeah, I do think it's important to have options, especially with all the monster parts I've been stocking up with these mana crystals. I could try saving up to buy weapons from my new shop, but the selection is limited right now, not to mention expensive..."
Hestia bit her lip at the information. Her child-in-name was forced to keep fighting above his weight level, and it was doubtful that the system would be lenient when giving him quests with absurd monsters that might be able to exceed Monster Rexes the more he grew.
She couldn't do anything to help him. But... she knew someone who could. Someone she trusted down to her ichor.
"Bell, do you remember who I stayed with before living in this church?"
The adventurer blinked, surprised by the sudden question.
"Yes? You mentioned that your friend Hephaestus let you stay-" He paused, registering whose name he just spoke.
"You want to ask goddess Hephaestus." It wasn't a question.
"If getting more gear is that important to you, then she's the best and probably the only person we could ever even think about bringing these materials to," Hestia responded in dead seriousness. "Hephy's been my best friend since Tenkai, and I trust her with my life. She would never reveal a secret of mine, no matter how damning it could be. I would know, seeing that she's been keeping some for me up to this day."
Bell considered the notion but looked understandably unsure. "If you trust her that much Hestia, then that's reassuring, but... I don't know her at all, so to suddenly tell her about the system-"
"I'm not saying you should tell her about it!" Hestia quickly cut in, raising the mana crystal between them. "I just mean that we can show her these materials and ask her to make things out of them."
While that was more reasonable, there were still problems.
"Won't she ask questions about where I got them?" He pointed out.
"I-! Of course she'll be curious..." Hestia faltered, only for her eyes to harden. "But she won't ask questions if it's me, especially if she knows I'm doing it to keep you safe. If anything, I think she'll overlook it if it means working with materials she's never used before, she'd always get excited about working with certain things."
Bell couldn't help but admire Hephaestus just from hearing his goddess's absolute trust in her. It made him feel like he could also trust the deity of blacksmithing if he ever met her.
However.
"There's no way we can afford any of her work! I've seen how expensive some of her Familia's stronger weapons can be, and Rasaka's Fang was better than them! Even if I sell her unique materials and use all the valis I've been making recently, there's no way we can pay her for multiple items!" Bell pointed out the biggest issue in forewarning.
"Y-You let me deal with that, Bell!" Hestia said in determination, but there was no hiding her nervous stammer or the cold sweat that broke out.
"Oh no you don't," Bell deadpanned as he took the mana crystal back and vanished it into his inventory, like a parent taking something a child shouldn't have. "You are not going to throw yourself into debt, especially when there's no way I won't help you pay it off."
"Bell, c'mon! I can work something out with Hephy!" Hestia pouted.
"Then work it out with me there to help." Bell returned sternly, his husky demand freezing the goddess. "Do you honestly think I'd let you take a burden for me? You're my goddess, Hestia-"
The declaration of being his brought a pleasant shiver down her spine.
"-so your problems are mine as well, especially when it comes to money. If we want to decide something, then we'll do it together, understand?" He finished firmly.
"I-I-! Um..."
Hestia looked down and fiddled with her fingers, cheeks growing rosy. She found herself unable to speak against his authoritative tone.
Only because he sounded very convincing, of course.
"O-Okay, Bell..." She relented in almost a whisper.
Seeing her back down quietly, Bell's hard look dropped for a kinder one as he reached over and patted her head.
"I know you mean well, Hestia. But you can't cause problems for yourself just to help me."
"But... I've barely done anything to help you, Bell." The goddess's expression turned shameful even as she leaned into his touch. "Everything you've been doing so far has basically been on your own. You're getting strong fast, too fast, and the system gives you everything you need! If I could at least do something for you, then I'd stop feeling so... useless every time you go out and get hurt in those dungeons. I-I just want to contribute like a goddess would..."
Bell hesitated at her reasoning, scolding himself for not considering how she must feel on the sidelines.
"Oh Hestia..." He sighed before pulling her into his arms, hand still reassuringly caressing her head. "You'll be doing so much just introducing me to Hephaestus and helping me work with her. And did you forget that I got the chance the be an adventurer only because of you in the first place? You looked after me so much when I was just starting off... You gave me a home, worked to help bring us food when I was barely making anything, and always welcomed me back with a smile, reminding me what's important. You've already done so much for me, Hestia, and this time, it'll be me paying you back."
"R-Really?" Despite her cheeks turning hotter with how intimately she was held, Hestia felt complete elation, relieving her of her concerns.
"Of course," Bell chuckled. "I can't have you living here forever, you know? My beautiful goddess deserves an equally beautiful home, doesn't she?"
"B-B-BEAUTIFUL!?"
Hestia's whole face turned tomato red, with steam leaking from her ears.
"If you're that confident about Lady Hephaestus, then I'll think about us talking to her another day," Bell pulled back from her, smiling comfortingly. "Okay?"
"O-O-Okay Bell!" Hestia stammered, barely able to stare him in the eye without squealing. "S-So... Did you get anything else in that dungeon!?" She rapidly spoke, desperate to move on before she gained some dangerous thoughts.
It was then Bell's smile threatened to split his face.
"Oh yeah, I can level up now!"
"..."
Hestia blinked.
"Bell, can you repeat that?"
"I can level up now!" He repeated in the exact same fashion.
"Okay, I thought I heard that right," She put her palms together and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Bell..."
She opened them to a blank face.
"Show me."
Bell did as instructed, printing out his status and showing it to her, giving Hestia an exasperated crisis on his absurd stats and the fact he could level up after only about a month from when he started adventuring. But after her panic subsided, she quickly turned as excited as him.
"What are you waiting for, Bell!?" She asked with stars in her eyes. "You should've leveled up the moment you got the message!"
"Erm, well," Bell looked down shyly. "I wanted to do it with you here... like you're the one leveling me up, you know? As my goddess, the one choosing it for me?"
"Bell..." Hestia's eyes watered as her face squished with love and affection. She hugged him tightly. "You're the best mortal anyone could ever ask for!"
She then backed up with an excited grin. "Now cmon, there's no point holding off on it with those stats! Let's do it! Ah, but are you gonna use your remaining stat points before you do? You might as well get the most out of them."
"I had the same thought." Bell nodded and lifted a finger. "Alright, then I'll use all my points on my lower stats."
{STR}: SSS-2007
{VIT}: SSS2034
{DEX}: SSS-1900
{AGI}: X-3500
{MAG}: SSS-1933
{SEN}: SSS-1334
Remaining Points: 0
Satisfied, Bell got to one knee and took the goddess's hands into his.
"Okay, Hestia, let's do it."
The woman's breathing quickened, and her twin tails shot straight up.
"Don't say that while looking so sexy, Bell! You're gonna make me think of doing something else, hngggggggggh!"
"L-Let's!" She stammered, looking down shyly to control herself as Bell closed his eyes.
"...Level up."
(!)ALARM
You have leveled up.
A violet glow enveloped him, filling the young man with a new feeling of absolute power. Winds kicked and swirled around him and Hestia as the goddess stared in awe at the young man's radiating aura, her twin tails flailing around while her child looked completely serene as it happened.
The winds and lights then faded into obscurity, and Bell was left taking a short breath before opening his eyes with an accomplished smile.
"There."
(!)ALARM
You have unlocked a selection of [Development Abilities]. Please select one.
-Hunter: Improves abilities against monsters the user has fought before and gained excelia from.
-Luck: Improves luck.
-Butcher: Improves abilities the more enemies have been killed during battle.
The PLAYER may have the opportunity for previous [Development Abilities] to reappear every [Level Up].
Bell stared at the screen in interest.
"So these are Development Abilities?"
"Oh, you have those?" Hestia perked up. "I forgot that your system still uses the Falna as a basis. They're abilities a person can learn upon leveling up. You can only choose one every time, but the number you can choose from is dependent on the amount of excelia you've accumulated. Which ones popped up?"
Bell printed out his status and showed the options to her, and Hestia studied them studiously.
"I don't know much about development abilities, but each one tends to be valuable. While Hunter does sound useful, Butcher sounds obviously better, doesn't it? Instead of making it easier to kill what you already could before, getting something to fight a lot of monsters at once no matter the situation would be better, right? Especially with how many you've been fighting in those instant dungeons."
Bell hummed in understanding.
"You're right, but..." He frowned at the name on the screen. "I don't like the name."
"I mean, I doubt all development abilities have nice-sounding names," Hestia shrugged. "They're like skills but with a mostly predetermined selection. Don't think too much about it, Bell. You're anything but a killer."
She returned to the parchment, looking at the last ability with squinting eyes.
"As for Luck, I don't even know where to begin with it. Its description is way too vague to know where its potential lies. But if I had to guess, it could be something like divine protection?"
"Divine protection!?" Bell inhaled.
"Something like it that just influences certain factors or something, I don't know." Hestia crossed her arms under her impressive bust. "You might not even notice the things it does."
Protection...
"So which one are you gonna pick, Bell?" Hestia asked, waiting patiently for him to decide.
Bell cupped his chin in deep thought.
Hunter is out; Butcher is just better in every way, considering his current situation. It even seemed like an obvious choice compared to such a vague description from Luck, and yet...
Hadn't he reached this point thanks to luck in the first place?
Surviving that minotaur by miraculously finding that chamber, surviving the challenge within even when all odds showed he should've died, the high income he makes with Lili daily, getting the absolute perfect magic for the insect dungeon, and even conveniently having that pickaxe in his inventory for those mana crystals thanks to the random item box.
Smile growing, Bell decided.
"Luck."
(!)ALARM
You have unlocked the [Development Ability]: Luck
Ȟow disapṕǫíǹtïnǵ
Bell jerked back as the screen turned static for a split second, flashing something he didn't even have the chance to see before it returned as if nothing had happened.
"What's wrong?" Hestia immediately noticed his reaction, grabbing close to him nervously.
"Thought I saw something, a weird glitch. It fixed itself though." Bell said though he frowned as he wondered what that was all about. But before he could think about it, another message popped up.
(!)ALARM
You have unlocked the skill [Sacred Insight].
"Oh, another skill!" He happily gasped.
Sacred Insight-See through the lies, illusions, and deceit of all.
"It's a lie detection skill... that also sees through illusions and trickery?"
"I'm sorry, did you just say that you got a skill that's basically one of every deity's most important powers?" Hestia deadpanned.
Bell turned to her with wide eyes.
"Every deity has the same thing?"
She rapidly nodded. "We do! We can see through the lies and dishonesty of mortals we speak with; it's one of the big things the snobbier deities hold proudly to remind themselves of our godhood. Having that skill is almost like trying to one-up them!"
Bell cupped his chin in thought. "Does that ability extend to detecting the lies of other gods?"
Hestia gave him a hesitant look. "No? Our divinity prevents us from seeing through each other. Um... does yours...?" She trailed off.
"Well, my skills says 'of all,' so..."
"Ah."
They awkwardly stared at each other in silence.
"Okay..." She closed her eyes. "Let's test it out."
Hestia opened them, giving Bell deja vu at her utterly blank face.
"Bell, I absolutely hate you."
"I don't even need the skill to know that's a lie," he deadpanned.
"One time I caught Loki padding her chest in front of a mirror." She said next without her expression changing.
Bell didn't miss a beat. "That's a lie, and you shouldn't say stuff like that about others, Hestia."
"..." Her expression finally broke as she turned pale. "Okay, wow, so your skill actually is one-upping the gods. That's... cool."
"That's one way to put it," Bell chuckled, only to frown at a sudden thought. "The other gods won't like this skill if they find out, will they?"
"Bell, that'll be the least of your concerns if the other deities learn about the system." Hestia deadpanned.
"Fair enough."
He sat down and leaned back against the couch in a relaxed manner.
"Heh, Miss Eina is gonna be so shocked when I tell her about my level up tomorrow."
Hestia's cheeks puffed at the mention of the half-elf, only for her to suddenly stop, paling before she sat on the edge of the bed with her hands pressed together in concern.
"Bell, I probably should've thought of this before, but... this is a problem."
He abruptly straightened up with eyes hardened in preparation. "A problem?"
Hestia nodded, eyes unmoving from the ground.
"I don't know much about guild procedure, but... what if they ask you for proof on your level up?"
"...Ah."
~{The Next Day}~
"YOU LEVELED UP IN JUST-MMPH!?"
Bell didn't think he'd ever have the courage to cut his advisor silent, but here he is, a hand covering her mouth with a frown. All around him, adventurers and guild staff paused and glanced at them with curious or confused gazes. He didn't pay them any mind and just sighed.
"Miss Eina, you really have to stop abruptly shouting like that. Can we talk in a room, please?" He removed his hand, leaving his half-elf advisor both chastised and embarrassed.
"Y-Yes! Right away!" Eina quickly led him to one of the guild's small rooms, where they sat across from each other.
Eina shamefully looked down.
"I'm sorry about that, Bell, I-I was just caught off guard! It's just so unbelievable!" She raised her head in fluster. "The fastest level two level up ever recorded was the Sword Princess, and she did it in just about a year!"
Bell's eyes lit up in surprise. An adventurer getting to level two in only a year? And that was without any external factors like the system? Incredibly impressive in its own right.
"What even happened for you to suddenly level up yesterday!?" Eina asked in bewilderment.
"I got ambushed by over forty ants," He answered nonchalantly, like it was an everyday thing for him.
Eina didn't find the response funny and paled.
"A-A monster party of f-forty killer ants!?"
Technically, it had been way over a hundred ants throughout the entire D-rank dungeon, but he wouldn't admit that. He still isn't technically lying anyway; there had been over forty ants.
"It was rough. They appeared out of nowhere and kept trying to surround me, but I managed to make it out okay, thanks to my new magic." He smiled.
"R-Right, you did mention you got magic during our lesson on the tenth floor yesterday." Eina adjusted her glasses in a show to regain her composure. "But to think you beat the Sword Princess's record nearly twelve times over..."
"You mentioned her again. Who is she, anyway?" Bell asked in interest, making Eina blink in surprise.
"You don't know? Ah, never mind, I suppose you're still rather new to the city." She pushed her glasses up on her face, their lenses flashing. "The Sword Princess is an adventurer of the Loki Familia, Ais Wallenstein. She's a level five, no, scratch that... level six as of yesterday."
"She just turned level six?" Bell hummed, his mind calculating how strong such a person must be.
"Mhm," Eina nodded with a proud smile for the girl. "She's known as the strongest and most beautiful sword fighter in Orario, hence where her alias came from."
"She sounds incredible," Bell admitted, wondering how long it would take him to reach that point with the system, only to come to a realization. "Wait, did you say the Loki Familia? The same Familia that had found me in the dungeon?"
"Yup! In fact..." Eina gave him a smug, teasing grin. "Wallenstein was the knight in shining armor who carried you out~."
"Ah. Erm... In what way?" He couldn't help but ask. He was too curious.
"She didn't carry you in her arms like a lover if thats what you're hoping," Eina smirked. "I heard she gave you a piggy-back ride, it must've looked so cute!"
Bell chuckled, imagining himself being carried in such a way by such a strong woman. "Now I wish I was awake for that."
Eina paused, her smugness wiped away for a pout.
"I thought you'd be more embarrassed than that..."
He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just used to being close to beautiful women?" He then flashed her a smile. "I do spend a lot of time with you, after all."
Her head poofed in red as she broke into a stammer.
"B-Bell!? Wh-When did you-!? Y-You can't just-!"
"Not so nice now, is it?" Bell playfully smirked back.
Eina paused, realizing she's been had. Her face scrunched in mock outrage. "Y-You-!"
"So about my own level up," He cut in, returning to the main subject before she could retaliate. "Am I going to have to show my status? Because that might be a problem with how, um... overprotective my goddess is."
If he's lucky, Eina won't ask him to show it since he's always been honest with her (even if he might've held back some information...), but if he has to give some kind of proof, he has a status sheet Hestia had spent the remaining hours of last night drawing by hand, mimicking what a level up would look like, aside from the skills and magic of course. It frankly looked a little rough, but it should work if Eina doesn't look too hard-.
"No, you'll just have to fill out some paperwork and you're good!" Eina beamed.
"...Wait, that's it?" Bell blinked in confusion.
"Statuses are extremely private, Bell. The guild can't justify making an adventurer show them unless they've been convicted of a crime. The most we can do is ask them to show only the upper portion where their level would be, but I trust you. Besides, no deity has ever done or would dare lie about a level-up of one of their children. Yes, they've hidden level-ups to hide their extra firepower, but lie about a level-up that didn't happen? That's just asking to be exposed since adventurers easily notice that sort of thing. If found out, a Familia would be seen as a complete joke, not to mention the enormous fees they'd have to pay," Eina explained in her professional tutoring tone.
"Huh, the more you know," Bell smiled in relief at the information.
Ah, but Hestia is gonna be super angry at those wasted hours...
About twenty minutes later, he finished his paperwork and left the back room with a big smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Eina! Love you!" He waved goodbye, making the half-elf once again sputter tomato red and retreat out of sight.
Feeling satisfied with himself, Bell hummed as he headed for the exit, only to pause as he caught sight of a group of adventurers crowded around one of the notice boards in chattering excitement.
"Did something happen?" Led by his curiosity, he approached the group and peered over them, his new height giving him an edge to get a glimpse at a sheet of parchment on the board.
Bell's eyes flashed with recognition at the name.
"The Sword Princess?" On the board was the notice of a level-up from an adventurer, an impassive-faced girl drawn to perfection, the same adventurer Eina had just told him about. The one who just turned level six like he did level two yesterday.
"She's beautiful," He couldn't help but note, crossing his arms with an appreciative nod. He read an optional description below her image boasting of the feat that had pushed her limits.
"A monster rex... A dungeon boss...?"
"She took out the Udaeus all by herself!?" One adventurer gawked.
"The dungeon boss on the thirty-seventh floor!?"
"A beauty like her, so far from the rest of us..."
Bell smiled in sympathy as he thought about the two dungeon bosses he had taken out on his own, understanding just what kind of experience the woman must've gone through.
"Good work," He whispered softly before confidently smirking. "But I'll be catching up to your level one day, I promise that."
With that, he turned around and left the guild pantheon.
"Ah, wait a minute."
He was just out the door when he stopped.
"The news of my level up won't overshadow hers, will it?"
Learning from the previous day about the attention he gets from girls, Bell hid himself in an alleyway near the plaza where he and Lili usually meet. He stayed in the shadows created by the early sunrise and waited until he saw his supporter finally show up by the fountain. His expression lit up as he strolled out of the shadows and made a beeline for her.
He couldn't wait to share the news of his level up.
He approached with a wave. "Good morning, Lili!"
Bell noticed her tense. It was one of the most subtle movements, but he still saw it in his attentive eyes.
"Lili?" He called out softly.
The girl looked up at him with an annoyed pout... one that immediately brought a wary feeling crawling along his back.
"You're late, Bell-sama! Lili got here before you this time!" She huffed.
Something is wrong.
"Um, sorry. I always have a few things to do before the dungeon, they just took longer this time," He forced his smile to look natural, not even bothering to correct that she had just got here herself. "I didn't make you wait long, did I? I could give you a bigger share this time to make up for it?"
Lili looked dumbfounded at his casual offer of giving up more money, and he saw the slightest tremble of her lip before she forced her face into a flat look.
"There you go again, Bell-sama, giving money away... Are you trying to be poor or something?"
"I'm not hearing a 'no' from you." Bell chuckled.
"..." Lili looked down, enough that he couldn't see the emotion in her eyes, but he still saw the slight press of her lips and the way the grip on her backpack straps readjusted the slightest in what he somehow knew to be anxiousness.
He was growing more concerned by the second.
"Bell-sama...? Can..." She hesitated, head hanging and voice nearly mono-tone. "Can we try going to the tenth floor today?"
Bell tensed.
The tenth floor... It's where the dungeon changes yet again. It takes the enormous rooms and ceiling height that the eighth and ninth floors have, but with the light provided becoming close to mist, partially obscuring vision. Not to mention, that floor is where larger monsters like Orcs and even the considered level two monster Infant Dragons spawn.
And for Lili, in her current mood, to suddenly suggest it...
This is it.
He could see right through it. It's too sudden, so it must have to do with those men from her Familia yesterday. Did they task Lili to take him to the tenth floor, or is she planning to end their partnership herself somehow? If it's the former, then her Familia must be around watching, but he couldn't sense anyone's gazes on them. Could they already be inside the dungeon, waiting? Or are they watching from far away?
They won't know that he's level two if they confront him, but even then, he doesn't know their numbers or levels. Even if they're all level one, it's not uncommon for groups of adventurers of the same level to team up and take down a monster, or maybe even a person, a level higher than them.
He could probably avoid this altogether if he just left Lili right now, but...
Lili is his supporter, and even if it's naive, he can't see her as a horrible person. Just someone who needs help but never got it.
And with his new skill, it was more apparent than ever just how horrible and reluctant the pallum felt about it. Just looking at her- the slight slump of defeat, face hidden under her hood, her dull tone of voice; everything pointed at her just... giving up.
She wasn't even bothering to put her full effort into tricking him.
It must've been those men who put her up to this, the same men who must've treated her horribly in their own Familia. Lili must've not been given a choice in the matter, and if he doesn't willingly confront whatever is waiting for him, then this will most likely be the last time he sees her.
He'd be willingly walking into a trap, and yet... he's already been through much worse. Besides, with his sense stat and hidden abilities, he should be able to take down anything a level one party throws at him.
And as for the matter possibly being Lili's own doing... He'll get there when he gets there.
Giving a smile softer than his hair, Bell made his choice.
"Okay, Lili. Let's go."
Her head jerked up with wide eyes and an open mouth, like she hadn't expected him to say yes, like... she had expected him to see right through her.
He does.
And that's precisely why he has to go.
"You're not even gonna ask why?" He almost didn't hear her with how quiet she got.
Bell reached down and pat her shoulder. "I trust you, Lili."
She practically turned into a statue, staring at Bell at a loss for words. He didn't mind it and gently took her small hand in his.
"Now come on, if we're gonna go to the tenth floor, then we'll need every second we can get!" He chirped, leading her by hand once again as caring as before.
Lili didn't say anything as she was led towards Orario's dungeon, head down but eyes going through a multitude of emotions. And even then, she could feel the gentle warmth radiating from Bell's hand, the only thing keeping her grounded even through her misery.
Their trip down was uneventful, with few monsters appearing during their straightforward path downward. Bell took care of them every time effortlessly before going right back to holding Lili's hand. The girl never commented on the act and simply let herself get led forward, but her grip tightened the closer they got to their destination. Not even an hour had passed when the duo made it to the ninth floor, the most recent floor they've been farming.
Bell stopped about halfway through and took a calm exhale from his nose.
"It won't be long now, but first..."
He looked down and found Lili still silent and as still as she could be for someone moving, but he could feel just how tight her hand was around his, as if letting go would make him disappear at any moment.
"Lili?"
"Y-Yes, Bell-sama?"
"She seems so scared..."
Like twice before, Bell took Lili's hands so he was holding both, then crouched to one knee so that he was at eye-level.
"Can you look at me?"
She didn't immediately listen, keeping her head down and biting her lip.
"Please?" He pleaded.
After a few seconds, she hesitantly lifted her head, and Bell didn't know what she was expecting, but the girl looked into his eyes and froze.
"The tenth floor is when things will get... dangerous." He said, making her tense. He quickly spoke again with a smile of comfort. "So just in case, I want to remind you that no matter what happens, no matter what sort of trouble you're in, no matter what you think about yourself... I'll always be there to help. All you have to do is ask."
Her eyes widened, her still form staring dead silent at him.
"I know we haven't known each other for too long, but you're important to me, Lili. You've taught me so much about Orario, you're company is wonderful to have, and you do such amazing work in the dungeon for me, even if you don't believe it."
Her body started visibly shaking.
"But I notice things, Lili, much more than I ever did before. And if there's one thing I noticed about you... it's that you're lonely. You always smile and laugh things off, like you think it's okay to be alone, like it's okay not to get help from others... but it's not."
Unmoving eyes moistened as her breathing shortened.
Bell's smile turned sad. "I was alone, too, you know? When I first came to Orario, not a single Familia wanted me with them. I was just a scrawny kid they thought couldn't even hold a sword. But when I was out of funds and at my lowest point... my goddess found me."
Reminiscent fondness filled his eyes.
"She saved me when no one else would. She gave me the chance to become something I've always wanted to be. She saved me when I was all alone in Orario, almost broken by anxiety and loneliness... just like I'm sure you're going through."
By now, there was no hiding the tears forming in the pallum's eyes, nor the heart-wrenching pain in them.
"If I'm mistaken, Lili, then I'm happy with the way things are between us. But if I'm not? Then like my goddess who saved me when I was alone..."
Bell closed his eyes and gently pressed his forehead against her hands.
"I want to save you, too. You just have to trust me."
Lili choked out a sob, her head dropping with tears falling onto the ground.
"You knew..."
Her distressed voice firmly gripped Bell's heart. But before he could say a word, the girl tore her hands away and backstepped, eyes hidden by her lowered hood.
"Y-You knew! You knew this whole time, didn't you!? You knew exactly why I wanted to be your supporter! Why I kept asking about your weapon!?"
"I did. Though I ignored it for a time," Bell admitted softly.
The girl grit her teeth and clenched her shaking hands, refusing to look at him.
"Are you an idiot!? What is wrong with you!? Do you really not have anything in that thick skull of yours!?"
Any and all self-restraint left the pallum. All of her bottled emotions came pouring out in a cracking voice. Fire erupted in her veins and boiled her blood.
"Do you know how many times I came back just to try and steal your dagger!? How many times I said horrible things to myself about you behind your back! How many times I thought you were a complete fool with how little you knew about Orario!? I even hid so many monster drops for myself whenever we collected them!"
"I noticed."
Lili practically snapped her neck with how fast she looked into his eyes, gawking.
"Whuh-? Buh-!?" She babbled, losing her words.
Bell chuckled, the softness never leaving his eyes. "I thought you needed them more than me."
That reignited the absolute outrage in her flooding eyes.
"And you still partied with Lili anyway!? You're a fool! The most stupid and naive adventurer I've ever met! How do you not understand that Lili is a thief, a bad person, the worst kind of pallum who does nothing but lie and steal!? I was trying to do the same to you, you moron! Do you even realize why Lili even suggested going down to the tenth floor in the first place!? It's to get you exhausted so my Familia can ambush and rob you blind! Just so Lili wouldn't get the worst of their treatment! And you'll still say you want to save her!?"
"Of course."
It wasn't the statement itself that abruptly snuffed Lili's anger; it was Bell's absolute resolution given without hesitation.
She gaped at him like he was a foreign creature, and then her legs gave out under her.
"Lili!?" Bell rushed and crouched in front of her, holding her by the shoulders in worry that she would pass out. "Are you alright!?"
She didn't seem to hear him, simply staring at him with flooded eyes unmoving from his.
"Wh-Why...?" She whispered.
Bell blinked, then his soft smile returned as he leaned forward and held the small girl against his chest.
"Because Lili is a good person who was forced to do bad things. A person who was left with no choice because no one ever let her have one, because no one ever wanted to help her. A bad person wouldn't look back at the things they've done and think they deserve to be alone. I just can't hold it against you when I know how much you must've suffered. And in the end... you spoke up, Lili. You told me what was wrong, just like I thought you would."
"B-But what if she hadn't...?" Lili sniffled, a compendium of emotions swirling. "What if Lili had let Bell-sama just keep going...?"
He had thought about the possibility before; he really had. Lili leading him to a trap that could get him killed would be worse than even what Naaza had done with his potions.
With a lamenting sigh, he answered.
"If something like that happened about a month ago, I probably would've overlooked it. But... I had someone else do something that could've got me killed before, and I understood that I couldn't just ignore it."
Lili flinched in his arms.
"I wouldn't have hurt you if that's what you're wondering; I'd never retaliate like that, Lili." He pat her back with a melancholy smile.
"But... I guess it depends. Lili, is your Familia forcing you to lead me down?"
He got a hesitant nod and a sniffle.
"I-I didn't want to, Bell-sama, really! You're the kindest adventurer I've ever met, kind to even someone like Lili..."
He was relieved to hear only the truth.
"...But that doesn't make it okay, does it?" She followed up shamefully, leaning her forehead against his chestplate.
Bell shook his head. "If you had decided to still lead me down without telling me, then I still would've saved the both of us out of it, you know that, Lili. But... I would never know if I could trust you not to do it again, especially if you ever got into similar circumstances. It would've been like saying that no matter what, you'd never accept my help. That you would always do what'll help yourself... even if it got me hurt every time."
Lili abruptly pulled back and looked up at him in teary desperation.
"Never! L-Lili doesn't want to ever betray Bell-sama! She doesn't want him hurt! She promises! She'll never do it; she won't even think about doing it ever again! S-So please..."
Her eyes tightened with falling tears.
"Please don't leave Lili alone again..." She whimpered.
Truth.
He almost laughed in relief. He would've completely believed her even without his new skill, the raw agony and desperation in her eyes just couldn't be faked.
He pulled her back into an embrace even tighter than before.
"I'll never leave you, Lili," He soothingly whispered into her ear. "You're my precious supporter, now and forever."
"B-Bell-sama...!"
Cheek pressing against his chest, Lili's face scrunched up before she screamed, bawling her eyes out as she held onto him for dear life.
"I'm sorry, Bell-sama! *Hic* I'm so sorry!"
Bell moved a hand and gently peeled off her hood, revealing her true appearance: chestnut brown hair without canine ears. Smiling, he stroked a hand through it.
Naaza's cries flashed through his memories.
'I'm sorry! I didn't want you to get killed, honest! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!'
He wondered just how different things would've been without the system. If he ever would've noticed just how much his friends had been suffering and if he ever would've properly worked things out with them on his own.
When Bell had first woken up with the system, he hadn't known what to think of it then. It had taken away his precious connection to his goddess and thrown him into dangerous scenarios without any consideration for his life. It acted on automatic procedures to update his strength with absolutely none of the personal love and care Hestia has always given him. But at the same time, it gave him the chance to become stronger than ever before, providing incredible boons that could shake the very foundation of Orario... but was it worth knowing that his life isn't wholly his anymore? That he's working under the watch of a deity with an agenda he knows nothing about?
And yet... it's helped and changed him in ways he's never considered. He's more confident than ever, stronger than ever, and he can make choices in matters he would've had no clue how to resolve in the past. Confronting Naaza and Lili had been conflicting, but now he has two friends who understand what they did wrong and want to be better, true allies that won't cause him, or anyone else, any more harm. He doubts he could've done that with who he was before.
So, in a way, like any Falna... the system is a blessing too-
"!?"
Bell suddenly shot to his feet and pulled Lili behind him with sharp eyes.
"Who's there!?"
Lili was shocked by the sudden action, only to pale in horror.
"Oh no. B-Bell-sama! We have to leave-!"
She was cut off by a loud, mocking laugh from the path back.
"Well, well, well..." Coming out from behind one of the stalagmites was a familiar raccoon man maliciously grinning with a shaking sac in hand. Just a few seconds later, he was joined by all of the same men Bell remembered from yesterday, plus more, making a group of six. "Here we decided to come and check if little Arde took up her task, and what do we find? The two of you cuddling up like some pigs!"
"C-Canoe!" Lili exclaimed.
"Tsk! And here I thought the runt would be useful for something after all." Bell additionally recognized the sword-wielding adventurer who he first caught Lili running from.
"Lili, stay back," Bell warned with a shielding arm.
"Aw, look at you. You look like you actually care about the parasite!" Canoe cackled. "You got some weird tastes, man. And Lili, oh Lili... you can't even do a simple thing for your generous Familia?"
"There's nothing generous about scum like you!" Lili snapped back with venom.
The grin was wiped from the man's face.
"Well boys, looks like Arde finally grew a spine. And here I thought she was smarter better than that."
Canoe cocked back the sac in his hand and flung it forward, its contents unraveling to reveal half of a thrashing killer ant wriggling on the ground.
"Screeeeeei-! Screeei!" The monster flailed uselessly while leaking purple blood, but its presence made Lili pale.
"A-A killer ant!?" Two more sacs containing the same injured monsters were thrown forward. It was apparent what they were doing. Ants don't live in packs; they live in hoards, and leaving three alive calling for help was practically a death wish.
"Alright, here's the deal, brat!" Canoe spoke again with mocking kindness in Bell's direction, unable to hide the greed in his eyes. "You don't wanna become prey while fighting us, do you? Drop everything you've got on you, and we'll let you run off-!"
"Ignis Mortis!" Violet light engulfed the area as flames roared forward and engulfed the ants instantly, killing them off before their shrieks and pheromones could carry too far.
"What the fuck!?" Alarm lit up in all the men as they instinctively backed up from the flames. "Canoe, you didn't tell us he has magic!"
Bell closed his smoking palm and glared at the perpetrators, who rightfully looked cautious now.
"Stop this. Is this really all you ever do? Gang up on people and prey on them!? And for what, money!?" He scowled.
Canoe growled. "If you had just gone with us kid, then you would've understood the reason-"
"It doesn't matter the reason!" Bell cut him off with a snap. "It doesn't change that you enjoy hurting others and taking everything from them! You enjoy stealing from Lili and hurting her!"
And that's the difference between them and Lili. Lili never truly enjoyed hurting others and only stole out of a need to survive. These men... they're just rotten to their cores.
Canoe's eyes turned cold as he reached into his pocket.
"Boys? Guess we'll have to take care of this ourselves."
The men starting to spread out all held the same levels of crazed hostility in their eyes. Bell crouched in a fighting position, arms out and ready to spawn his weapon-
[An emergency quest has been issued.]
He tensed.
[Emergency Quest: Kill the enemies!]
There are entities nearby that intend to murder the PLAYER. Slay them and ensure your safety.
If this quest is not completed, a PENALTY will be issued as a result.
Enemies required to be killed: 6
Enemies killed: 0
His blood turned to ice.
"Wh-What?"
He stopped breathing.
"I have to-! NO! Why would I-!?"
"Die, brat!"
He had only been distracted for a second, but in that time, Canoe had pulled out a red magic sword and aimed it forward, violent flames of similar force to Bell's own bursting forward.
They hid him dead center, exploding on impact and sending him all the way to the wall with a violent crash.
"BELL-SAMAAAAAAA!" Lili's agonizing scream echoed in grief as the person she had finally come to accept was killed with what had been her own stolen weapon.
"Phew," Canoe raised the small sword with a smirk. "Didn't wanna use it, but it's better not to risk any more surprises."
Hidden within clouds of dust, Bell was laid out against broken stones with a single cut bleeding on his head. The attack hadn't even taken out half of his health, and yet, he lay motionless, with eyes full of muddled horror at what he had seen.
"I... what...?"
A ring echoed like a bell in his ear.
[Emergency Quest: Kill the enemies!]
There are entities nearby that tend to murder the PLAYER. Slay them and ensure your safety.
If this quest is not completed, your HEART will STOP.
Enemies required to be killed: 6
Enemies killed: 0
A cacophony of dread and horror plagued his body down to his heart.
"If I don't finish this quest... my heart will stop?"
He choked on a gasp as the reality of the situation him. It warned of the risk of a penalty a moment ago. But now? If he doesn't complete this quest, then he will die.
And it won't be the adventurers that kill him.
It'll be the system.
"Why?"
His hands balled tightly into fists, and his body trembled as his breathing quickened with pupils shaking.
"Why...? Why? Why, why why why why why!? WHY!?"
He shakily sat up, coughing multiple times before strangling out a warbled cry.
"I'm not a killer! Why is the system forcing me to kill them!? I'm level two! I can stop them!"
If this quest is not completed, your HEART will STOP.
"With my skills, I can! There's no need to kill them! I've never-!"
If this quest is not completed, your HEART will STOP.
"I want to be a hero, not a murderer! I won't-!"
If this quest is not completed, your HEART will STOP.
"No! It's not-! It's not right! Don't make me do it!"
Bell closed his eyes and curled forward, gripping his head so hard that more blood was pressed out.
"I-I can't!" He choked out.
Įf thīs qùèsţ ȉs ǹot complȅtěd, yöṳȑ HȨAṞT wíll STOP.
The screen flickered.
If this quest is not completed, your PARTY MEMBER will die.
Everything stopped.
His eyes shot open, pupils dilating to the point they nearly filled his eyes.
"What?"
All his shaking, all his rampant thoughts, every single emotion abruptly snuffed out, leaving only eerie silence as the warning bled in.
A scream cut through the stillness.
Bell's gaze shot up through the clearing dust. His eyes tunnel-visioned to Lili, his supporter wailing in grief with her hands pinned above her head by the pony-tail man from their first encounter. His knee pressed down on her stomach as he unsheathed his sword with a sick grin. The world moved in slow motion as the blade was lifted above his head, fully intent on bringing it down.
"Lili."
Bell didn't think. He only saw his friend in trouble.
His mind was murky, but his instincts were as sharp as ever.
He moved.
Sprint with his new level two speed turned him into a speeding bullet. He blurred right past the men ransacking Lili's bag and swung his hand as he reached his supporter's assailant in a near-instant.
A slice echoed through the air.
All movement stopped, as did sound. Bell kneeled behind the man on top of Lili, his outstretched hand now holding Rasaka's Fang, the tip of the blade slowly dripping blood onto the ground. The man's grin was frozen on his face, but there was a strain in his eyes as he felt something wrong.
"A-Ah...?"
A thin line of red formed on his neck.
Then his sword clattered to the ground, followed by his head with a splat.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?"
Canoe and his men immediately jumped up with their weapons in hand, the first signs of fear in their eyes as the rest of the corpse toppled to the side.
"Canoe! Didn't you hit this guy point blank with that magic sword!? How is he alive!?" One of them shouted.
"I don't know!" Canoe's tail stood frantic as the man stared at Bell as a true threat. "I didn't even see him move!"
Lili stared at the corpse right next to her with wide, horrified eyes. She slowly craned her head at the one who saved her.
"B-Bell... sama...?"
The boy stood utterly still, eyes dull of red. To her, he was just staring at the empty air. But him? He could see something else.
Enemies required to be killed: 5
Enemies killed: 1
"Five... left..."
He just killed a man.
He just took a life in a single instant, in a moment where he let his body move on its own.
And he didn't feel anything doing so.
[SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:XAI 『DARK ARIA ＜LV2＞』 Music Video ]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGXOWPZ64DA&list=RDZGXOWPZ64DA&start_radio=1]
[A/N: Listen to this while reading]
Why? He thought he'd feel sick down to his stomach, completely horrified at what he had just done. But instead, an eerie calmness, no... a numbing coat, dampened all the feelings he was experiencing.
Was it the system's influence? Most likely, but it didn't change the facts. The moment he had seen Lili in trouble, he had immediately resorted to the most heinous option first, the idea that had been forced to the forefront of his mind as the most optimal and efficient solution to save his friend. He could blame the system, but he had allowed himself to make the choice so quickly when he saw the danger she was in.
But even if the girl wasn't here... he still would've ended up forced into it regardless, wouldn't he?
The system, with all the benefits it's given him, isn't his friend.
It won't ever listen to his demands, to his pleas... Like in every quest he's been given, he has no choice but to do or die.
"So that's it..."
Why did he forget? The entire nature of the system was for one thing and one thing only: his growth.
And he hadn't once considered what it could make him do to other people for the sake of it.
He accepted that it would help him while bringing him pain in return, like some form of tough love, but he hadn't ever considered the absolute worst it would make him do for the sake of getting stronger, for the sake of surviving.
His thinking had been wrong this entire time. He had thought of the system as some kind of beautiful gift even with the hardships it's given him. He thought it could help him be the hero he wanted to be, to help people like Naaza and Lili, that it had been helping him get strong just because he passed its test and was rewarding him for it. But in the end, the system doesn't care what he thinks. Its challenges are based on the survival of the fittest, to do whatever it takes to live. Because that's what matters to it in the end; it wants him to survive; it wants him to be strong. As much as Bell grows thanks to it, it's providing such growth for something in return; it wants him alive for a purpose he doesn't know yet.
"The system uses me... and I use the system..."
That's all there is to it.
It's telling him to kill if he doesn't want to be killed, but it should know that he could take care of these men without taking their lives.
It's not concern or kindness to give him a quest to guarantee his safety. This is just what the system wants from him: to be tough, to be ruthless, to be at the very top.
No matter who he has to kill in the process.
Bell stood straight with his head down, a deep breath visible flowing out from his mouth.
"Fine, you win..." He murmured, voice barely above a whisper as he turned around. "Just don't touch her."
He walked towards the five remaining members of the Soma Familia, passing by a catatonic Lili with his dripping dagger loosely hanging from his hand.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to do it, but..."
He finally spoke up, raising his head to reveal a kind, sad smile that didn't match the menacing blend of red and purple swirling in his eyes.
"You brought this down on yourselves."
His message clear, rage filled the remaining men's faces.
"KILL THIS BASTARD!" Canoe shouted with an outstretched hand.
A bushy-haired man immediately flung multiple daggers while others rushed forward with weapons in hand.
Bell only had to move his arm to deflect each knife in quick succession before two men jumped at him with their swords swinging.
He just as effortlessly parried the first man's downward slash and sliced his neck with a simple swipe left as he walked past. The man dropped his sword as he frantically clutched his bleeding wound, choking on his own blood.
The second man immediately followed with his blade swinging for Bell's head, only for his target to vanish in a blur. It wasn't even a second later when he was doubling over in horror with a sliced stomach as the boy reappeared behind him, calmly walking forward.
The third man rushing with his shortsword stopped and recoiled in terror.
"H-How is a level one moving like that!?" He yelled.
[Effect: Paralysis has activated.]
[Effect: Bleed has activated.]
[Your foe will lose 1% of health each second.]
Both heavily wounded men vomited blood as their bodies violently spasmed with sparking electricity.
Bell didn't look back as he pointed his palm behind him, scorching purple flames engulfing the men instantly without even a scream.
Enemies required to be killed: 3
Enemies killed: 3
Seeing the merciless killing, the remaining sword-wielder hysterically screamed and turned to run.
Only to abruptly puke blood as a dagger pierced him from behind in the blink of an eye.
Enemies required to be killed: 2
Enemies killed: 4
Bell swayed as he passed the collapsing corpse without another glance.
"S-STAY AWAY!" The initial bushy-haired man cried as he backed up, desperately throwing the rest of his daggers forward.
Bell vanished out of sight before appearing in front of him with haunting glowing eyes.
The man's horrified face was eternally frozen as he hit the ground with two slashes on his chest.
Enemies required to be killed: 1
Enemies killed: 5
The only other two people alive stared in absolute horror at the scene before them.
"H-He killed them all in an instant?" Canoe's legs trembled as he took a step back. "A level one-? No... DID YOU HIDE YOUR REAL LEVEL!?"
Lili's stunned eyes grew in shock.
"Bell-sama... leveled up...?"
He continued to walk for Canoe in silence, his form splattered with blood and dull eyes staring ahead.
"Y-You think you'll get away with this!?" The man shouted, putting whatever bravery he had left into angrily yelling. "Z-Zanis will find out; he knows about you and Arde!"
Bell stopped walking.
"Zanis..." He muttered quietly, eyes narrowing. "Is he your captain?"
"Y-You just made an enemy out of the entire Soma Familia! You'll never know a day of peace!" Canoe ignored him, desperate insanity in his eyes as he pointed Lili's magic sword at him. "So if you know what's good for you, you'll drop dead right here!"
An explosion of flames rushed forward.
Bell raised his palm and fired his own.
Both barrages of magic rushed forward and collided in the center, but the moment Bell's lightbolt came into contact with its opposition, they roared. The white storm consumed its inferior counterpart with a white flare, largely surging right for Canoe.
The following explosion sent the man flying back, crashing on his back with half of his legs and part of his arm blown off. The rest of his body wasn't any better, with burnt skin and shrapnel melted into him.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed with blood-red eyes as purple flames continued to burn on him, unable to put them out no matter how much he desperately flailed.
"I didn't think you'd be resistant, but it must still hurt a lot." Bell stood before the man, the faintest signs of pity in his eyes. He put out the flames and brandished his dagger. "I'm sorry. I'll make it stop."
"W-Wait! Agh, pleashe!"
Canoe raised his remaining hand in desperation, face half-scorched. "Dohn't kihll mah! Ah promish ah'll leave yah and Ardeh ahlone! Ah'll give yah ahll ma money, a-ahnd get yah shome Shoma! Itell be that besht drink ya've eva had!"
LIE.
Bell narrowed his eyes.
"Is that why you've always stolen from Lili? For a drink?" His eyes flashed purple. "How long has she suffered because of people like you, so selfish that you've only ever taken from her? And now you're begging for your life when you didn't hesitate trying to take ours?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment.
"It's too late for anything now... And we both know that the moment you leave, you'll tell everyone that we attacked you. I'm sorry."
"NO! PLEASHE-!"
Blood splattered along the ground with a single swipe, followed by dead silence. Bell stood as still as a statue as he stared at the bleeding corpse of Lili's most horrible tormenter, his dagger vanishing into his inventory. With a deep, lamenting sigh, Bell slowly turned his gaze toward his supporter.
Sitting up and staring at him with barren eyes, Lili trembled, her gaze not having moved from him the entire time.
"Y-You killed them. All of them."
Bell's orbs matched hers in emptiness.
"I'm sorry, Lili..."
Her breath hitched as the corners of his mouth curled into a broken, helpless smile.
"I guess I'm not a good person after all."
He was ruined. The pure, innocent boy who saved her was ruined. He would never be the same again.
And Lili knew it was all her fault.