Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 

OUTBREAK 

The sun has risen on the morning after the Celebration of the Gods. 

Hestia updated Bell’s Status in their Familia’s home, a hidden room beneath an old church. The two of them were busily preparing for the day. 

Bell Cranell 

Level 2 

Strength: C 635      Defense: D 590->594 

               Utility: C 627      Agility: B 741      Magic: D 529 

Luck: I 

Magic 

(Firebolt) 

•Swift-Strike Magic 

Skills 

(Heroic Desire, Argonaut) 

•Charges automatically with active action 

It went up a little… 

Bell slipped a potion into his leg holster as he held a sheet of paper in his left hand. 

He looked over his Status one more time, his gaze trained on his Defense, which had improved since his return from the Dungeon. 

He hadn’t set foot belowground since the battle with the Goliath on the eighteenth floor five days ago. A full two days had passed since the brawl at Hibachitei. The hit he took from Hyacinthus during the fight that day was strong enough to earn excelia and be reflected in his Status. 

His Level 3 wasn’t just for show. Bell scratched the back of his head as memories of that embarrassing sequence of events floated to the surface. 

“That jackass. War Game this, War Game that…” 

At the same time, Hestia had just changed into her uniform. She’d been muttering curses under her breath since the moment the two of them arrived at home last night. She closed the closet door, sat down on the sofa, and called out to the boy. 

“Bell, please be careful. I doubt he’d be stupid enough to try anything today, but some of his followers might try to pick another fight.” 

“I-I will…” 

Bell lightly nodded at his goddess’s warning. 

Apollo Familia was in the midst of a grand scheme to steal Bell away from her, and she would have nothing of it. Updating Bell’s Status, despite his lack of dungeon crawling, was one of the countermeasures she was using to prepare for their next stage. Of course, they didn’t have many options, but she felt it was necessary to do everything she could. 

“Promise me, Bell—promise me you’ll run away at the first sign of danger. Never travel alone, and always stay in areas with lots of people.” 

“I will.” 

“And for the time being, it might be a good idea to work with Mikoto and her group. Také knows what’s going on, so they should allow you to join their battle party.” 

Bell took his goddess’s words to heart. He had heard from both Aiz and Lilly many times that ambushes were common in the Dungeon. He knew that he couldn’t be too careful. 

The boy had equipped the armor that was still damaged from the battle on the eighteenth floor of the Dungeon. He was wearing his old boots in place of the greaves that had been completely destroyed. Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru strapped firmly to his lower back, Bell stood in front of the door, ready to reenter the Dungeon. 

“Bell, both of us are going to Babel Tower anyway, so let’s go together?” 

“Yes, good idea.” 

Hestia smiled back at the boy. She was due to work a shift at one of Hephaistos Familia’s shops in the tower. Bell opened the door and led the way up the staircase that connected their room to the surface. 

The short staircase was dimly lit and lined with dusty, unused bookshelves. Bell listened to Hestia’s footsteps as he pulled back the segment of wall in the back of one of the church’s old storage rooms. 

Emerging from the narrow room, the boy took a look around. The worn-down place of worship still had an altar at the back, but weeds of all shapes and sizes were growing out of the floor. The ceiling, or rather the roof, had many holes that let through beams of late-morning sunlight. Bell paused for a moment to look at the blue sky through one of the larger ones and resolved to find the time to make this place look a little better. 

…Magic? 

Bell had just started walking forward again when his senses tingled. He looked up. 

It was the slight ripple in the air produced when mages were either in the middle of their trigger spell or casting Magic. It was very faint, but since Bell was not a magic user himself, he didn’t know what it was for sure. 

He took another look around, much more quickly this time. He caught a glimpse of Hestia emerging from the narrow storeroom. The two exchanged awkward glances, heads tilted to the side. 

Sensing danger, Bell motioned for the goddess to stay inside and took a step outside of the doorless entryway. 

“—” 

Then, the moment the sun’s rays touched his face in front of the ruined old church— 

Countless figures emerged on the roofs of the surrounding buildings. 

Eyes glared down at him from every angle. The figures had created a perimeter around the front of the church. They were carrying bows and staffs. 

—Apollo Familia. 

A cold sweat covered Bell’s body the moment he identified the emblem of the sun engraved on their armor. 

All weapons were drawn the moment Bell came into view. Archers drew back their arrows, magic users stood ready with only the last line of their trigger spell left unsaid. The whole city block was inundated with magical energy, an unnatural breeze cutting through the morning stillness. 

A male elf with half of his face hidden by a scarf raised one arm as if he were in charge of this team of adventurers. Bell’s body took over—sprinting back inside. 

He made a mad dash for Hestia, still standing in front of the storage room. Bell swept the surprised goddess off her feet and drove toward an old congregation room behind the altar in the back of the church. 

Not even a moment behind, the elf thrust his arm down—and a deafening explosion followed. 

The seventh block of Orario lay just north of West Main Street. 

Many citizens lived in this area sandwiched between West Main and Northwest Main. The loud explosion caused this quiet little block to erupt in chaos. 

“What’s going on?” 

“A fire, meow?!” 

“It’s morning, have your fight later, meow…” 

Employees of the The Benevolent Mistress, the human girl Runoa and the catgirls Ahnya and Chloe, ran out of the building and onto the main street. People were already out, stopping and staring at the dark pillar of smoke rising only a few streets away. 

“Those are the booms of battle, meow.” 

Chole’s ears twitched as she watched the plumes of smoke rise. This was no kitchen fire—only spells could make explosions that loud and smoke that thick. Soon the echoes of another salvo rang out and even more smoke rose into the sky. The girl’s sharp eyes instantly spotted black figures running on the rooftops before they disappeared behind another building. 

“Could this be…?” 

“Two Familias having at it, meow?” 

“Been a long time, meow.” 

Other people in the street also came to the same conclusion and immediately ran for cover. 

In a city with as many Familias as Orario, disputes among the groups were not uncommon. Despite being in broad daylight and right beneath the Guild’s nose, many of them had experienced an outbreak before. So, none of them wasted any time in getting clear of the area. 

Horse-drawn carriages swerved into wide U-turns and citizens fled in fear as Syr and the rest of the employees of The Benevolent Mistress made their way out onto the street. The one exception was the owner, Mia. She simply threw back the curtain of her window and stuck her head outside. 

The pillar of smoke had worked its way up into the clouds. 

“The Familias living around here…Do you think they’re after ol’ White Head, meow?” 

“Quiet.” 

Runoa scolded Ahnya for her lack of tact. 

A pair of silver eyes filled with worry watched the smoke billow out overhead. A basket was in her hands, filled with food for a boy who had yet to arrive to pick it up. 

Another explosion, closer this time. The basket shook in her grasp. 

“…” 

Lyu, the last of the employees to arrive on the scene, turned to look in the direction of the blast. 

Waves of magical energy reflected off her sky-blue eyes. 

The explosions’ shock waves overlapped and compounded one another. 

The old church collapsed under a barrage of Magic attacks and arrows laced with explosive powder. 

The crumbling statue of an ancient goddess that had decorated the deteriorating structure above the doorway fell to the ground and shattered. 

“?!” 

The wooden door at the back of the church flung open so fast it fell off its hinges. 

Bell emerged from the new opening along with a suffocating cloud of smoke. Clutching Hestia tightly against his chest, the boy stumbled as he made his way through the debris. He looked over his shoulder as soon as he regained his balance. 

All that was there to greet his eyes was a burning pile of rubble. All that was left of home. 

“____SHYAAA!” 

“?!” 

He didn’t have time to mourn. The next wave of figures jumped down from above. 

A group of animal people brandishing shortswords and daggers landed on the ground, surrounding the two fugitives as if they had been waiting for this very moment. Shifting Hestia to his left shoulder, Bell withdrew the Hestia Knife with his right hand and deflected an oncoming blade. 

Block, dodge—his already damaged armor received fresh scars as Bell weaved his way around the attackers and back into the cloud of smoke. 

The attackers froze, not sure how to proceed. Sensing their hesitation, Bell used the smoke as cover and found his way into the closest back alley. 

“BuAHH!” 

Hestia coughed hard the moment they emerged from the cloud of smoke. 

Bell wrapped his right arm around her legs, completely ignoring the ash coating his face. He took off as fast as he could in an effort to get away from their pursuers. 

—They set a trap?! 

In broad daylight, in the middle of the city! 

Apollo Familia’s merciless attacks sent a fresh wave of fear coursing through Bell’s mind. 

This wasn’t an ambush in some dark corner of the Dungeon. Their enemy openly invaded their territory on the surface with an all-out attack. 

Since the War Game was rejected, had they opted for the real thing? 

Had Apollo Familia officially decided that Hestia Familia was their enemy? 

Had they thrown all formalities to the wind, even ignoring the Guild’s impending retribution? 

Bell’s mind was spinning, each of these questions adding to the turmoil. When suddenly—If the worst happens, the entire city of Orario will become a battlefield if two Familias fight head-to-head—Eina’s words came to the forefront of his thoughts. 

Bell realized he was now officially involved in a battle of Familias. 

“Bell, who are they…?!” 

“Apollo Familia!” 

The two yelled at the top of their lungs as Bell charged through the three-meder-wide back alley. 

Hestia rested her chin on Bell’s left shoulder and looked up at the smoldering pyre in the distance. 

“Th-that monster…?! Destroying my and Bell’s love nest…!” 

“Eh?!” 

Hestia’s choice of words caught him off guard, but there was something much, much more to it. 

Bell took another look for himself—he had no place to return to; the one place he called home was gone. That fact shook him to his very core. 

“Bell, they’re in front of us!” 

Bell had the look on his face of a child lost in the streets, his eyes moistening. Hestia’s voice snapped him back into the present. 

Looking forward, he immediately spotted a group of five adventurers at the other end of the alley. Each had weapons drawn, blades faintly flashing in the dim light. The boy made a hard right onto another street to avoid them. 

The sounds of hundreds of footsteps echoed through the back alleys, the voices of the attackers called out to one another—“He went this way!” “Over here!” From the right, from the left, from behind, from ahead, they could hear their enemies surrounding them. 

Bell’s face contorted in frustration. He couldn’t engage them in combat while carrying Hestia in his arms. 

His only option was to escape their net. Choosing the narrowest path, Bell willed his legs to go even faster. Just beyond that— 

Ten archers appeared, standing on the roofs that lined the path. 

“?!” 

Five on each side, the team of elves and animal people already had their glinting arrowheads pointed in his direction. 

Bell glared at them. Hestia’s gasp filled his ears, but she didn’t take another breath. 

The boy leaned forward, kicked off the ground, and focused solely on the end of the path. Sprinting straight ahead, he was able to avoid the volley of arrows loosed at him from both sides. 

“He got away?!” 

“The hell are you doing up there?!” 

Bell tore through the path, every inch the rabbit that had become his reputation. Not a single arrow hit its mark. Angry yells and the sound of footsteps on shingles filled the air as Bell managed to put more distance between them. 

—I’m completely surrounded! 

The hunters had caught up to him, running parallel to his position on the rooftops. 

The city block was completely inundated with enemies—far too many to evade or overcome. The full force of Apollo Familia was overwhelming. 

Despite knowing these paths like the back of his hand, he would never be able to get away. Bell bit his lip when he realized that no amount of speed was going to get him out of this. Even still, he ran with all his might, turning and looping his way through the intricate backstreets. 

“Bell, that’s a dead end!” Hestia shrieked as she held on for dear life. 

Indeed, the side of a house completely sealed off the end of this road. 

Even though they were trapped in a cul-de-sac, Bell increased his speed. 

“Goddess, hold on tight!!” 

Hestia’s mouth opened, but no sound emerged. Her eyes shot open as the air pressure pushed her even tighter into Bell’s chest. 

The wall was fast approaching until Bell slammed his foot into the ground—and took to the air. 

“Uu—WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” 

A great leap. 

Using the incredible increase in strength and speed provided by leveling up, Bell managed to clear the eight-meder wall. 

Bell’s trajectory arced only slightly as Hestia’s scream reverberated behind him. Only the tips of his right toes made contact with the roof of the house, but it was enough. His left leg slung forward and he landed with a soft thud just as Hestia ran out of breath. 

Free of the claustrophobic confines of the backstreets, Bell enjoyed the feeling of the morning breeze through his hair and the blue sky above. He scanned his surroundings, taking in the roofs of expensive houses and catching a glimpse of the Pantheon to the north. 

My only choice now is to hide inside the Guild…! 

They were the highest authority inside Orario. None of his attackers would be able to lay a finger on him there once he got inside. 

The solemn Pantheon, that was Bell’s only escape route. He had to take it. 

“You should give up.” 

“!” 

Bell spun around to face the voice that came from behind him. 

Standing on the same roof and accompanied by another battle party of adventurers was Daphne. Cassandra, wearing a long skirt-style battle cloth, was among them. 

Daphne stood tall, unblinking even as her short hair danced in the breeze. 

“Lord Apollo chases any child he likes to the ends of the earth. At least until he has them.” 

“…!” 

“It was the same for Cassandra and me. He chased us from the moment he saw us. City to city, country to country…Until we resigned ourselves, he was always there. It’s just a matter of time now. It’s merely a question of sooner or later.” Daphne revealed a piece of her past mixed with a warning. 

She had been in his shoes, so she could sympathize. Hestia’s face turned sour. 

“I didn’t think he was this clingy…!” 

Daphne’s story made Hestia realize what was really going on. Apollo was taking away all of Bell’s options one by one. She was instantly filled with regret, and her dislike of the passionate god turned to utter hatred. 

—He is extremely…tenacious. 

This time, it was the words that Hermes shared with him at the Celebration that flared up inside Bell’s head. 

“Surrender? You’re going to be my ally soon, so I’d rather not get rough.” 

“…I refuse.” 

Tap, tap. Daphne hit the palm of her hand against the swords strapped to her waist a few times. Bell shook his head no. 

Bell declined her offer and took a few careful steps back. Hestia sighed in his arms. 

“Should’ve expected that. Okay, then—sic ’em!” 

Daphne drew her sword at the same moment she gave the order and pointed directly at Bell. Three of her team moved as one, charging straight for the boy. 

However, Bell turned his back to them and ran across the rooftop toward the Guild. 

“Our target is slippery. Have Lissos’s team cut them off!” 

Another one of her subordinates nodded and took off in another direction. Daphne withdrew a dagger and threw it straight at the fugitives. 

Bell’s ears alerted him to the danger. Showing no fear or panic, he rotated his right shoulder into position to intercept the white blade. Shing! The weapon didn’t penetrate his armor, but the impact threw him off balance. 

The team of three attackers saw their window and moved in. 

“…! Goddess! I have to fight!” 

“O-okay!” 

Bell regained his footing and turned to engage. At the same time, he cradled the goddess against his left side and pinned her there with his arm. Hestia suddenly blushed. If the circumstances had been any different, this would have been her favorite moment in history. 

Bell whipped his now-free right hand around his back and grabbed the Hestia Knife. Their opponents arrived a heartbeat later. 

“Uwah?!” 

Bell swatted away the oncoming sword with his knife before spinning and intercepting a spear coming in from the side. He sidestepped a slice, dodged a stab, ducked under a sweep. He avoided their attacks by the narrowest of margins. 

The oncoming adventurers’ formation and movements were extremely well timed, with the next attack about to hit just as the previous one was avoided. They were a well-trained and highly experienced team. 

Amid all of his dodging and spinning, Bell suddenly realized that they were preventing him from making any progress toward the Guild. 

At this rate…! 

He wouldn’t be able to escape from them with Hestia hanging onto him. 

There was no hesitation in Bell’s movements. 

Locking eyes with Hestia for a moment, he passed her the knife. Bell thrust his right arm skyward at the same moment that Hestia caught the hilt of the weapon in midair. 

His three assailants all happened to be above him at that moment. Bell shouted. 

“Firebolt!” 

An electric inferno burst from his palm. 

Three bursts of his Swift-Strike Magic sent all three adventurers flying backward. 

Exposed skin burned and armor charred, the attackers landed painfully on the roof, shrieking in pain. 

Daphne was taken by surprise, but her reaction was swift. 

“Cassandra!” 

“Going!” 

The last remaining member of Daphne’s team stepped forward. Cassandra raised her staff. 

With a quick trigger spell, suddenly healing magic had been cast. 

“?!” 

The adventurers reeling in pain from their burns were surrounded in a soft blue light. Their injuries were healed right before Bell’s eyes. Mere seconds later, the three climbed to their feet with anger in their eyes. 

Cassandra—the presence of a healer added to Bell’s frustration as he stared her down. 

A healer made a battle party complete. Their teamwork was exactly how a Familia should fight. 

Realizing he was outclassed and outmatched, Bell felt his blood run cold. 

“Ugh—?!” 

Even more figures appeared on the rooftops around him in addition to Daphne’s team. 

The next round of arrows and throwing knives forced him to jump back down to the street. 

“Quite the escape artist…but this is all pointless. He should give up,” said Daphne under her breath as she watched Bell run from her vantage point on the roof of the house. She looked more sympathetic than angry as the boy’s white head disappeared around the corner. 

She was not like Hyacinthus and the others who cherished their leader. Daphne had a much less favorable opinion of Apollo due to having been forcefully conscripted into Apollo Familia. However, he was her family now and treated her well. She would follow his orders; she felt it was her duty. At the same time, he was much friendlier toward the ones he favored—and her god tended to favor young men. 

Now that very same god wanted Bell. Although she pitied him, she would not turn her back on her god’s wishes. 

“Um, Daph, don’t you think we should stop…That might be better.” 

A voice came from behind her. Cassandra, the only one left on the rooftop other than her, cautiously got her attention. 

Cassandra shared a similar fate as hers. The two of them had stood by each other for a long time because of this connection. Daphne’s friend was standing still, fidgeting with her waist-length hair and looking up at her. 

“Stop what?” 

“Chasing after that boy…We mustn’t trap the rabbit.” 

Daphne sighed at Cassandra’s mysterious warning. 

“Another dream?” 

Daphne asked even though she knew the answer. Cassandra’s eyes grew wider as she vigorously nodded up and down. 

The long-haired girl was gifted with prophetic dreams. Unfortunately for her, no one ever took them seriously. That included Daphne. 

Daphne believed that Cassandra’s almost random and thoughtless words were the result of her upper-class upbringing in the days before Apollo. 

After all, all sheltered girls had dreams of their own as well as time to be lost in the curse of their “magical allure.” It was almost laughable. 

“Cut the crap and let’s get moving.” 

“Wh-why, why won’t you believe me?” 

Daphne frowned. She didn’t want to put up with this now. But she knew if she didn’t at least ask, the girl would get even more annoying. Daphne cocked an eyebrow and looked at Cassandra. 

“Fine. What did you see?” 

“Errumm…A bloody rabbit jumped over the moon and swallowed the sun…” 

Daphne laughed through her nose. 

“Indeed. Dreams need to have a certain level of absurdity.” 

“Daph!” 

“Enough. After him.” 

Daphne ran in the direction in which Bell had disappeared, with the still-muttering Cassandra close behind. 

Central Park was located where all eight main streets met in the center of the city. 

Welf, a brand-new greatsword over his shoulder, and Lilly, disguised in her werewolf form, stood beneath the imposing shadow of the white tower, Babel. 

“…Isn’t he running a little late?” 

“Yes, Lilly thinks so, too…Mr. Bell has never been this late, and would send a message if it were to happen.” 

Welf and Lilly were fully prepared to reenter the Dungeon. Weapons sharpened and backpack full, they were waiting for Bell’s arrival. 

Many parties of adventurers made their way through Central Park around them. 

“Those weird blasts are still going off…Am I the only one with a bad feeling about this?” The man voiced his concerns as he tightened his grip. 

“…” 

Bell’s new knife was wrapped in a white cloth in Welf’s hands. Lilly remained silent. 

They were waiting for Bell at Babel’s west gate, which directly faced West Main. The first explosion happened several minutes ago and had yet to stop. The sounds were unnatural, very similar to those created by Magic. Citizens and adventurers alike poured into Central Park from the main roads. The usually quiet and mundane park was coming alive with fear and panic. Lilly anxiously watched all of the people pouring in from West Main. 

The crowd of people had grown to the point where they could hear snippets of conversations. 

“Apollo’s men! They’re attacking someone, starting a war!” 

“They’re after Hestia Familia—chasing after the Little Rookie!” 

Lilly and Welf instantly locked eyes. 

“Let’s move!” 

“Right!” 

The two didn’t stop to pick up more information from the traumatized citizens about the battle that had been raging since midmorning as they made their way through the crowd. 

A moment later, they knew where they had to go when a flash of violet lightning appeared over the seventh block of the city. 

“Has Lady Freya made a move?” 

Two figures looked down from the roof of the tallest building situated close to North West Main, a little ways removed from the destructive game of cat and mouse. 

Hermes surveyed the battlefield with great interest. He turned to face Asfi as soon as she joined him and she asked her question. 

“No, Freya Familia is only observing the situation.” 

“Is Lady Freya planning to stay out of this one?” Asfi adjusted her white cape as she spoke. Hermes brought his hand to his chin, muttering to himself in a soft voice. 

The odds were stacked heavily against Bell. The boy was tasked with trying to escape as well as protect his goddess in the face of an all-out assault—he was outnumbered more than one hundred to one. 

Whether Freya had a reason for staying put or she considered this some kind of a test for Bell, Hermes did not know. 

His best guess was that she derived some kind of pleasure watching the ever-changing boy react to a challenging environment. She had done the same thing less than a week ago; he was there. 

It wasn’t hard to picture Freya rejoicing in the boy’s “glow,” which was no doubt growing at this very moment. 

“How should we proceed?” 

“By taking it easy.” 

Hermes’s eyes were back on the chase. He responded to Asfi’s question without looking at her. 

“I’m the one and only Hermes, you know? I am and always will be an observer.” 

He wanted to see Bell’s story unfold and follow it to the very end with his own eyes. The charming god looked back over his shoulder and grinned at his follower. 

Asfi didn’t say anything, only sighed as she pictured the many problems she would have to solve in the near future. 

“I need a better view. Asfi, help me out.” 

“Yes, sir…” 

The two of them jumped to the next rooftop, following the sounds of battle. 

“Argonaut is on the run!” 

Meanwhile, at Loki Familia’s home on the northern edge of the city… 

Tiona had just returned from gathering information on the streets. Other members of the Familia gathered in the common room to listen to her report. 

“Tiona, is that true…?” 

“No doubt, Apollo Familia is running around in circles, trying to corner him!” 

Aiz arrived in the room in time to hear the Amazonian girl’s first report. In turn, the girl relayed all the information she’d picked up in town. 

The blond girl’s face was blank, but a small anxious twinge of worry filled her eyes as she looked off into the distance. 

The dwarf, Gareth, and the elf, Reveria, sat on a sofa in the room and dissected the situation. 

“Been a long time since this many people were fighting in the city.” 

“Apollo Familia doesn’t appear to be concerned with the Guild’s punishment for their actions.” 

The sound of footsteps belonging to other members of their Familia rained down from overhead. Everyone knew something big was happening outside. 

“Speaking of which, where is Loki? Wasn’t she just here?” 

Tiona’s twin sister, Tione, posed a new question for the group. Bete answered her with a very disinterested tone. 

“Said there was somethin’ worth watchin’, already gone, the dunce…” 

“…All gods have their vices.” She responded in kind. 

“Aiz, don’t get any strange ideas.” 

“Finn…” 

Aiz had ignored the conversation going on around her and anxiously stood up from the sofa. Finn noticed and immediately stepped in front of her. 

“The situation is completely different from the eighteenth floor. Please, do not try to aid Hestia Familia.” 

The commander of Loki Familia stopped Aiz’s train of thought in its tracks. 

Aiz was a high-ranking member of the Familia. She couldn’t strike out on her own. Loki Familia had no reason to assist Bell. 

Worse, an attempt to do so would cause an even bigger problem. Should an influential group like Loki Familia become involved in the scuffle, the consequences could be catastrophic. 

“I know this is difficult, but Loki forbade us from interfering. We need to let things play out for now.” 

“Okay…I understand.” 

Finn’s penetrating gaze overtaking her from below, she lightly nodded at the prum. 

Aiz walked over to the window as the commander issued more orders to other members of their group. 

Looking past her reflection in the glass, Aiz watched the ominous black cloud spread over the city. 

Bell ran as fast as he could. 

Hestia firmly in his arms, he weaved his way through the backstreets in a desperate attempt to escape the net his enemies had set for him. 

“Sorry!” he yelled as he jumped over a group of townspeople who hadn’t evacuated in time. 

“Th-there’s more…?!” 

Bell focused forward as soon as Hestia’s warning reached his ears. 

Two of them stood at the end of the street—no detours, no escape. 

Bell slowed down only enough to let the goddess safely out of his arms and onto the ground before drawing both knives and picking up speed again. 

“?!” 

“Uwah?!” 

The two adventurers weren’t expecting Bell to attack. However, the boy charged at them with both blades flashing menacingly in his hands. He was on top of them before the adventurers could defend themselves. Targeting the joints and their armor, Bell made quick work of the would-be hunters. 

Memories of his battles with well-armored killer ants in the Dungeon flashing through his mind, Bell reached out and took Hestia’s hand. The deity had done her best to keep up. 

“I’m so sorry for…slowing you down…like this…Bell…!” 

The young goddess was out of breath but forced an apology out of her throat. Bell squeezed Hestia’s hand as they ran together in an attempt to reassure her. 

“This isn’t your fault, Goddess!” 

One of the absolute laws of the land was that a mortal cannot kill a god. Only other gods had that ability. 

Should the deity receive a life-threatening injury, their divine power would instantly activate and heal them completely. Unfortunately, activating Arcanum was against the rules of the gods themselves. They would be sent back to Tenkai as punishment. 

Should Apollo capture Hestia and kill her, Bell would be left behind as a “free” adventurer, able to join any other Familia. If both of them were captured, Apollo would be able to use Hestia as a bargaining chip. Choose to join Apollo Familia and Hestia can remain on Earth; refuse and she’d be sent back to Tenkai and he’d be forced to join. 

In any case, Bell could not let the hunters capture Hestia. He had to protect her and keep moving. 

A lot of them are Level 2…but! 

Bell hit a group of archers with Firebolt before they had a chance to release their arrows. Taking advantage of their surprise and injuries, Bell dashed in close and took out all three in the blink of an eye. 

Bell could hold his own against Level 2 adventurers. He was confident he could take them one-on-one, and that he had the Agility advantage. 

He could deal with them as long as he wasn’t pinned down from too many angles at once. A vague plan forming in his head, Bell found the angle where the enemy net was weakest and charged through. At last, there was hope. 

“B-Bell, they can’t defend against your Magic. Isn’t that our best option? You can take them down one after the other!” 

“No…well, I don’t want to use that if I can help it…” 

Bell wanted to keep collateral damage to a minimum, especially since his Magic involved fire. The Western block of Orario was mostly a residential area. If he turned it into a sea of flames, there was no doubt in his mind he would be exiled from Orario no matter how things turned out. Of course, it was always an option in a pinch, but he couldn’t overdo it. 

His Swift-Strike Magic gave him the ability to turn the tables at a moment’s notice, but he couldn’t count on it in the middle of the city. 

“…?” 

The hunters running on the rooftops had individual roles. Some doubled as lookouts and roadblocks to set up advantageous situations for the higher-level attackers. 

The sea of enemies around him making Bell slightly dizzy, his ruby-red eyes noticed an emblem on one particular adventurer. 

A crescent moon and a wineglass…? 

It was not the emblem of the sun worn by members of Apollo Familia. This was another group entirely. 

The small flicker of hope that had appeared was suddenly snuffed out. There was more than one enemy Familia? 

Another flashback: the garden last night. 

What he had seen from the balcony on the night of the Celebration… 

Bell could see the two figures clearly in his mind. A moment later— 

Thud! Something landed right behind him. 

“—” 

A menacing aura more powerful than anything he felt overtook him. 

Ba-dam, ba-dam, ba-dam. His pulse echoed through his body. 

Bell’s instincts instantly screamed, Don’t show your back to this one! 

The boy’s head whipped around. The cold smile of a handsome man was waiting for him. 

His battle cloth was mainly white. A longsword and a shortsword hung from his waist, their hilts sticking out of the white cape draped around his shoulders. 

Apollo Familia’s field general, Hyacinthus, bent his knees into an aggressive stance. 

“?!” 

The man charged at the same time that Bell shoved Hestia into the opening of another side street. 

His advance was too fast to follow. All Bell could see was a long rouge blade shining with flaming providence—a flamberge. 

The boy managed to draw the Hestia Knife in time to intercept the blade, but the sheer force of impact knocked him off his feet. 

“Bell?!” 

Hyacinthus denied his opponent a chance to recover and charged forward. 

Bell managed to catch a glimpse of the incoming weapon and rolled out of the way, barely dodging the tip of the blade as it hit the stone-paved street beneath him. Jumping back to his feet, Bell withdrew his other knife, Ushiwakamaru, from its sheath and rushed to counterattack. 

Hestia’s screams echoed through the back alley as she watched the battle unfold. The two locked blades after only a few seconds of combat. 

“I commend you for making it this far, Bell Cranell. I bestow you the honor of facing me—rejoice!” 

“Dahh?!” 

Hyacinthus spun out of the lock and went back on the offensive. Two knives and one longsword clashed over and over at high speed, sparks flying. 

Hestia had fallen silent, her eyes trembling as her ears were overwhelmed by constant metallic echoes. Bell knew there was no escape from this enemy; he had no choice but to engage him head-to-head. 

This particular backstreet was very long and narrow. Bell was continuously pressed deeper and deeper down the street in an effort to dodge the oncoming attacks. The true onslaught had begun. 

“—” 

Bell’s right arm was flung out of the way by the rouge blade’s vicious sweep. By instinct, the boy used that momentum to bring his left arm forward. 

The two locked eyes, never blinking. Attacker and defender traded places back and forth instantaneously. Hyacinthus took an aggressive step forward, thrusting his blade directly toward Bell’s chest. The white-haired boy sidestepped just in time and knocked the sword away with one of his own weapons. 

Or at least he thought he had. The tip of the sword suddenly connected with his still-outstretched arm. Blood spewed from the wound instantaneously. 

“So that’s how it is. You win with speed.” 

Hyacinthus’s grin made Bell’s eyes shake with fright. 

Bell was wielding two knives, while his enemy had only one longsword. He should have had the advantage. But somehow every one of his strikes was either deflected or blocked outright. Hyacinthus moved as if he knew what was coming. None of Bell’s attacks were getting through. 

He wasn’t fast enough to win this contest of Agility. 

“?!” 

Hyacinthus’s white cape suddenly flashed in front of the boy’s face. Bell’s reaction to the next attack was delayed by just enough to create an opening for attack. 

The rouge blade arced through the air and came down hard from above. Bell crossed the blades of the Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru to stop the weapon just above his head. 

The two knives pressed against the flamberge, and the combatants stared each other down through the cross they formed. 

Click, click, click. The blades shook as their masters tried to press forward. However, the longsword was gaining ground despite Hyacinthus using only one hand. 

“You can’t hold it against me for hating you, stealing Lord Apollo’s love as you have…but if that is his will, then I will personally force you into our glorious Familia.” 

His Strength was overwhelming. 

Bell saw his own fear reflected in the eyes of his smiling foe. 

—Level 3. 

Bell’s thoughts turned to the moment that they first met. The “fight” at the bar where he was unable to defend himself. 

Bell pushed off the ground, focusing all of his strength into his arms and neck, and managed to force the rouge blade upward. Bell glared at his assailant. 

“UHH____AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!” 

Bell roared with all of his might as he knocked Hyacinthus’s weapon to the side. 

The handsome man took a quick step back to gain some distance. Now was Bell’s chance and he wasn’t going to waste it. 

Tensing up every muscle like a bowstring, he launched his body forward—an arrow yearning to hit its target. 

“HAAAA!!” 

Top speed. 

The stone pavement shattered beneath his feet as Bell kicked off the ground. He poured everything he had into this one attack. 

This Rabbit Rush, a double-bladed onslaught of high-speed slashes. 

He engaged Hyacinthus with a merciless avalanche of strikes. A storm of sparks erupted around them. 

“—Slow.” 

However. 

Hyacinthus didn’t flinch, still grinning. 

“—” 

Arcs of violet and crimson light continuously pummeled the handsome man. 

Every single one of the countless strikes was blocked, just like before. Nothing got through his defense. 

The Hestia Knife cut nothing but air, and Ushiwakamaru was stopped in its tracks. Neither one of the blades could make it past the heavily decorated flamberge. Its blade glowed with the intensity of the sun with each swipe. Each impact hit with the veracity of flame. The metal sang out with a high-pitched screech and was accompanied by a shower of sparks every time it hit the Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru with incredible force. 

It was a special blade, the Solar Flamberge, that only the leader of Apollo Familia was allowed to carry. 

It moved so fast that Bell’s eyes couldn’t follow, only track the afterimages in its wake. 

“Civilized rabbits do not howl.” 

Bell saw Hyacinthus smirk just before the man’s entire body became a blur as he picked up speed. 

He felt the impacts before he saw them. 

The crimson light of Ushiwakamaru’s blade was redirected out to the side at the same moment that the violet Hestia Knife was knocked backward. The blur in front of Bell’s eyes seemed to flow, a truly beautiful technique—both of Bell’s arms looped around his body as if swimming through the air. He couldn’t breathe, and time seemed frozen in place. 

Before his eyes could blink, the flamberge slashed from below. 

His body’s reflexive retreat wasn’t fast enough this time. Bell’s breastplate was sliced clean in half. The tip of the longsword met flesh, carving its way through skin, muscle, and bone alike in one long, graceful slice. Extreme pain shot through Bell like a wildfire. 

—He was hit. 

His eyes managed to catch a glimpse of the rouge blade on its top swing. 

Suspended in midair and bleeding profusely, Bell didn’t have time to dwell on what had just transpired. Hyacinthus was on top of him once again. 

“Gah?!” 

The hilt of the man’s weapon connected with Bell’s cheek in a sideways swipe. Jumping forward, Hyacinthus raised his right elbow and brought it down hard. 

The elbow hit Bell square in the throat, making his body flinch. He couldn’t even yell out in pain before the man’s fist buried itself in his gut—and was followed up with a spinning kick. Momentarily blinded by his opponent’s boot, the next thing Bell saw was the sky as his back hit the stone pavement. 

Hyacinthus came out of his spin, keeping close behind. The man’s golden earrings jiggled as he landed. 

“B-Bel…?!” 

Hestia’s scream became an inaudible sound before she could finish his name. 

Bell’s body didn’t move. He looked like little more than a bloody corpse lying in the street. His chest wound was deep, the still-flowing blood forming a small puddle around his body. Even his face was stained red. At long last, one shaking hand grabbed ahold of the top of the stone. His body lurched to the side as Bell tried his best to sit up. 

Hestia was stunned speechless at the sight of her bloodied and broken follower in defeat. 

“Ah, gahhh, uwh…?!” 

“Still conscious, I see.” 

Bell’s vision was blurry as he willed his upper body off the ground. Tears welling up in his ruby-red eyes, he looked up at Hyacinthus. 

This was—a second-tier adventurer. 

Hyacinthus was an authentic Level 3 adventurer. He didn’t depend solely on his superior Status; his technique and strategy were top notch. This was completely different from facing a monster in combat—there was no time to plan or even use Magic. Trying to charge his Argonaut Skill would be downright suicidal. There was no way Bell could win. 

He was outmatched, plain and simple. 

As an adventurer, Hyacinthus was in a completely different league. 

The feeling of being slammed into the mud in defeat overtook him. Rivers of tears flowed out of his eyes. 

Bell had no words as the physical pain and mental anguish raging within him expressed themselves on his face. 

“Such a horrendous face, so unlovely…Just what does Lord Apollo see in you?” 

“Whuh?!” 

Hyacinthus stood over Bell, taunting him before mercilessly kicking him in the ribs. 

Unable to defend himself, Bell’s body rolled farther down the street before sliding to a stop in an open intersection. 

“Stop this at once!” 

Hyacinthus did not respond to or even look at Hestia as he approached Bell. 

“I have sworn my body and soul to him. Only I am worthy of his affection…The rabbit shall be captured.” 

The man’s words were laced with jealousy as he crouched down in front of the boy. 

“…Can’t have you causing a fuss. You’ll be healed no matter what I do to you, so a few severed tendons won’t make much difference.” 

Smiling like a man possessed, Hyacinthus rotated the flamberge in his left hand and pointed the tip at Bell’s face. Fear flashed through the boy’s eyes. 

Hestia was running to his aid, but she wouldn’t make it in time. 

The rouge blade flicked upward and was about to swing down onto Bell’s shoulder when suddenly— 

Several arrows pierced the stone pavement where Hyacinthus had been standing just a moment ago. 

“What?” 

He had dodged the sneak attack by the skin of his teeth. Bell and Hestia were just as surprised by the sudden turn of events. 

All three of them looked to find where they came from. In the distance, a little ways off of West Main, was an old, run-down bell tower. It was very faint, but there was the shadow of an archer holding a longbow on top of the roof. 

An extremely long-range attack executed with pinpoint accuracy—“A sniper?” Hyacinthus muttered to himself. “Chienthrope…” 

Hyacinthus narrowed his eyes just as the next round of arrows was released. 

“This is why I despise upper-class adventurers…” 

Nahza frowned as she watched Hyacinthus dodge every one of her arrows. 

Drawing rounds of arrows from the quiver attached to her waist, she continued her barrage in an attempt to support Bell from afar. 

She was quick to comprehend what Apollo Familia was trying to do, and she immediately grabbed her weapon, came to the top of this tower, and located Bell. Miach Familia’s former third-tier adventurer was a skilled archer whose accuracy was second to none. She was so far away from Hyacinthus that a normal person wouldn’t have even seen a human outline, let alone be able to come within a celch of hitting the target. 

“Bell, run…” 

As if her plea had been answered, Bell staggered to his feet just as she was whispering to herself. The boy grabbed Hestia’s hand and the two raced down another street. Hyacinthus started to give chase but was cut off by Nahza’s next round. 

The man looked straight at her, eyes burning with fury. She fired yet another arrow, aiming straight for his chest. Without missing a beat, the rouge longsword knocked the arrow harmlessly out of the air. 

He must’ve given up pursuit for the time being, because as soon as the arrow hit the ground, Hyacinthus took off in the opposite direction. Nahza saw his white cape swish as her target disappeared from sight. 

“Too many enemies…” 

The dog person turned her attention to the other shadows pursuing Bell on the rooftops and proceeded to take them down one by one. It was like dispatching individual bees in a swarm, with no end to it. 

From her vantage point, Nahza roughly estimated that there were at least two hundred adventurers pursuing Bell. 

Tossing an empty quiver aside, Nahza equipped a new one. 

She was firing so many arrows that she didn’t have enough time to watch them hit their targets. Instead, she listened for the distant yelps of pain and soft thuds as the hunters fell from the rooftops. 

“Lord Miach, please hurry…” 

A solitary bead of sweat worked its way down her anxious face. 

“Bell, are you okay?!” 

“I-I’m f-fine…” 

Bell’s breath was shallow and ragged as he responded. Hestia was on the verge of tears. 

Hyacinthus had inflicted considerable damage; the boy’s entire body was in pain. It’d taken every high potion he had to close the wound in his chest. They ran with everything they had, putting one foot in front of the other in a desperate attempt to gain some distance. However, Bell couldn’t keep his balance and needed Hestia’s help to stay upright. 

His body may not have been moving as well as he would’ve liked, but luckily his ears were at full strength. They picked up the sound of the spell coming from not too far away. 

“?!” 

“Magic?!” 

Hestia noticed, too. Sure enough, there was an elf mage directly above them holding an outstretched staff. 

Using that particular building’s architecture to shield herself from Nahza, the mage had been lying in wait while casting an enchantment. What’s more, her hiding spot was out of Firebolt’s range. Bell and Hestia immediately took off in the other direction, but it was too late to completely escape the imminent blast. 

A lightning spell with a particularly long range flashed right behind them. 

“—?!!” 

The hair on the back of his head singed, Bell hugged Hestia in close as the two hit the street and rolled. 

Bell did his best to shield Hestia from the blast, but the lightning magic carved its way into the surrounding buildings and ground. Everything around them was instantly blown to pieces; the air was inundated with smoke. 

“Lissos, I have them!” 

“Superb! Send word to Daphne!” 

Bell’s and Hestia’s ears were ringing, vision hazy as many footsteps rushed in to surround them. The first figure to appear on the other side of the thinning smoke was an elf wearing a scarf that covered his mouth—the same one who had led the attack on the church. This time he was accompanied by five more adventurers. 

Lissos, a rather handsome elf even by their standards, glared at the two fugitives and said, “Chests to the ground, now.” 

Bell rolled over to protect Hestia, his dirty face locked on the elf—then, a new group appeared on the scene. 

“Huh…?” 

“This game of yours looks like fun. We’ll play, too.” 

Six figures appeared behind Hestia and Bell, a party of adventurers. 

Watching the party move to confront their attackers, Bell’s eyes were instantly drawn to the large man leading them. He was none other than Takemikazuchi Familia’s captain, Ouka. 

Next to him was Chigusa, brandishing a spear of her own. Mikoto was standing tall, ready for battle. 

“Imbeciles…Do you not realize you are threatening members of Apollo Familia?!” 

“Oh, that’s what we came here to do.” 

“We refuse to sacrifice our bonds of friendship when allies are in need!” 

Ouka answered Lissos’s enraged warning by drawing his greatsword. Mikoto accentuated his sentiment with a few words in her own high-pitched voice. 

The two factions stared each other down. Apollo Familia and Takemikazuchi Familia drew weapons and shouted battle cries as they prepared for combat. 

“We made it in time…!” 

“M-Miach?!” 

Both groups charged in, trying to land the first hit, when suddenly Miach emerged from the backstreet, trying to catch his breath. 

Hestia was first to notice his presence and raised her head to greet him. The god looked down and nodded with a short “Ah.” 

“I requested the aid of Takemikazuchi Familia when the explosions first rang out. Are you all right?” 

“Y-yes.” 

“Miach, friends like you are just so…!” 

The deities smiled at the look of surprise on Bell’s face and the gratitude radiating from Hestia’s eyes. 

Nahza had been operating independently while Miach joined Ouka’s battle party on the way out here. 

“Unfortunately, we cannot linger. Leave this fight to them. You, Bell, get moving.” 

“Wha…but—” 

“Listen to me. This battle will not end until your safety can be guaranteed. You must understand this.” 

Bell hesitated. In that moment, more loud voices announced the arrival of yet another group. 

More hunters. Reinforcements. 

Bell struggled for breath as Miach looked at him with pleading eyes. 

“Now, go!” 

“…Sorry about this, Miach!” 

Hestia climbed to her feet. Bell fought back the pain and nodded. 

The two made it to the entrance of the closest back alley. Bell took a quick look over his shoulder at Mikoto’s group, locked in fierce combat. The fact that others were now involved in this mess weighed heavily on his heart. 

At that moment, Bell understood what a conflict between Familias truly implied. 

As soon as one group made a move, others would be forced to meet them in battle—it becomes a quagmire. Combat would become more intense as time wore on. Bell was convinced, rather forcefully, that no Familia was going to pull any punches. 

“That’s the city wall! They forced us all the way out here…?!” 

Hestia looked down the back alleyway, running as fast as she could while supporting the injured Bell. 

The imposing curtain of rock that surrounded the city loomed over them. Hestia guessed that, based on their distance from the wall, the two had been forced all the way to the very western edge of the city. 

They met up with a monumental roadblock and hadn’t been able to plan their escape. In their desperation, they’d gone in the complete opposite direction of the Guild. 

“Over here!” 

“…?!” 

They were surrounded by the sound of enemy footsteps in no time. 

The hunters had to use the architecture for cover against Nahza’s arrows. But now, they caught up to Bell and were ready to attack. 

Three figures jumped over the top of Bell, their shadows blocking out the sun. 

“—You want a piece of this?!” 

“?!” 

A new black figure launched itself from one of the side streets, colliding with the three hunters in midair. Holding a greatsword in his left hand, the figure sent two of the hunters hurtling to the ground with one sweep. 

Additionally, a golden arrow plunged into the cheek of the hunter the figure had missed, and he fell to the street just short of the boy and his goddess. The black figure landed a moment later, delivering a kick that sent the final hunter careening into a wall. 

“…Still breathing, Bell?” 

The figure’s long black jacket furled as the red-haired figure turned to face him. 

“Welf?!” 

The young man rested the greatsword over his shoulder as the two comrades made eye contact. 

“Mr. Bell!” 

Lilly emerged from the shadows and rushed to join them. 

Reloading the bow gun strapped to her right arm, Lilly called out her friend’s name. 

“Supporter, too…” 

“Why…why are you here…?” 

“We were worried about Mr. Bell and Lady Hestia, obviously!” 

“Everyone’s talking about a ‘rabbit hunt’ around town. Word travels fast.” 

Lilly, still in her werewolf form, stopped right in front of a very surprised Hestia as everyone exchanged information. 

The two newcomers were stunned by Bell’s appearance. Exposed skin covered in dried blood, an enormous scar crossed his chest where his breastplate should have been. What was left of that piece of armor hung loosely below his chest. Lilly flung her backpack to the ground and instantly withdrew three vials—a high potion she had purchased from Nahza for their Dungeon trip and the two dual potions. Wasting no time, she shoved all three of them into Bell’s hands. 

“Thank you, Lilly…” 

A searing pain coursed through Lilly’s heart as she looked at the weak smile on Bell’s battered and beaten face. How cruel, she thought as the boy winced. Her eyes trembled as if she could see herself in his position. 

Bell uncorked a vial of dark blue liquid and did his best to overcome the twinges of pain as he chugged it down. 

“We can’t stay in one place. We need to move, now.” Hestia turned to face the others when she spoke. 

“Lilly thinks she understands the situation…This is all a result of that night at the bar?” 

“No, that’s part of it. This is all part of Apollo’s plan.” 

Lilly asked the question as the four of them took off. Hestia answered her right away. 

Whether it was all true or just some elaborate prank, everything that Bell knew was on the line. Lilly nearly tripped as that information sank in. 

“Yo…We’ve got company!” 

“!” 

Welf, who was leading the way, spotted more figures up ahead. There were three in the front with a few more joining them from behind. 

Bell’s and Hestia’s faces tensed up, but it was Lilly who urged them forward. 

“Please proceed to the Guild!” 

“We’ll clean up here and be right behind you! Don’t worry about us!” 

Bell knew by the number of oncoming enemies they wouldn’t have a chance, but Welf waved him off. Lilly locked eyes with Hestia, pleading her to go. 

“We’re counting on you!” she said with a reluctant nod and grabbed Bell’s wrist. 

“Cover me, Li’l E!” 

“Of course! But will Mr. Welf be okay on his own?!” 

Bell and Hestia went down a different side street as Welf and Lilly rushed to meet their enemies head-on. 

Welf cocked an eyebrow at the prum girl as if annoyed by her concern. 

“Well, I’m a hell of a lot stronger now—” 

The first three hunters rushed in. 

Both hands clamped firmly on his greatsword, Welf swung his weapon low and brought it arcing forward into a full swing. 

His wide-eyed opponents were too slow to dodge the oncoming blade and were flung backward to a chorus of their own shrieks of pain. 

“—so I’ll be fine!” 

“…Being strong is all well and good, but clear a path!” 

The airborne hunters spun and flipped over Lilly’s head and landed behind her. 

Lilly hid just how thankful she was for Welf’s Level 2 and yelled a stern warning instead. 

The enemy reinforcements arrived a moment later and immediately engaged them in combat. 

“This guy’s movin’ better than the others!” 

Welf and Lilly fought back against a party of Level 1 and Level 2 adventurers. Welf quickly dispatched the weaker opponents as Lilly drew the only upper-class adventurer’s attention away from him with arrows from her bow gun. 

Welf spun like a top as he got into position and landed a blow that launched the upper-class adventurer straight into the wall behind them. 

“Mr. Welf! Out of the way!” 

“Huh?! You, you can’t be serious…!” 

Lilly withdrew a fist-size pouch from her backpack and threw it into the oncoming ranks of the next wave of hunters. 

She covered her nose with her sleeve even before the pouch reached its target—a morbul. 

Welf’s face went pale as he ran in the opposite direction. Poof! The pouch exploded on contact with the street surface, inundating the narrow back alley with a thick cloud of green powder. 

“GYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!” Tormented roars erupted only moments later. 

“If you’re gonna use that, tell me first!” 

“Lilly did! Mr. Welf didn’t clear a path, so she did!” 

Pinching their noses shut with one hand, the two argued as they raced to escape the expanding putrid cloud. 

Despite being safe in the knowledge that no enemies could overtake them from behind, they engaged one wave of hunters after another as they attempted to catch up with Bell and Hestia. 

“…There’s a ton of these guys!” 

Welf yelled out in frustration as yet another wave moved to attack him the moment he’d finished off a different foe. 

The young man took a look around—there were enemies coming from every angle. A whistle suddenly pierced the air. Had Bell and Hestia been found? However, these hunters didn’t react. Lilly took a quick look around. 

“Are they…listening to a different commander?” 

Upon closer inspection, she realized that their formation was much different and not as crisp. Their movements were not planned and had an air of desperation to them. 

Theirs was a net that relied solely on numbers. The two allies came to a stop as a wave of hunters moved to cut them off…Welf stared them down, tightening his grip on his sword. Lilly, however, froze in place. 

“Ehh? Wha…why are they—?” 

“Hey, what’s with you?!” 

Lilly’s arms hung limp as she stopped fighting and stared at the body of a human lying in the street. The emblem on his armor bore a crescent moon with a wineglass. She grabbed her left shoulder out of reflex. 

Nausea overtook her; sweat coated her body. She shook her head back and forth, mumbling, “That’s not possible, that’s not possible…” 

It was the emblem that stopped Lilly cold in her tracks—Soma Familia’s emblem. 

Her chestnut-colored eyes trembled with fear the moment the image of Divine Wine under crescent moon came into view. 

“?!” 

Coming back to herself, she scanned the surroundings. Welf was currently fending off a large animal person using his weapon as a shield; an Amazon was jeering at him from the rooftop next to a very sinister-looking dwarf with an arrow sticking out of his back. Lilly couldn’t help but feel that she had seen all of them during the time of her life that had become distant. 

Lilly came to the conclusion that the reason for the overwhelming numbers was that another Familia had joined forces with Apollo. 

That’s when she spotted the thin man wearing glasses who was barking orders to the other adventurers. 

“Li’l E?!” 

Ignoring Welf’s call, Lilly took off at a sprint. Deactivating her magic behind a pile of wooden boxes, she climbed them and stepped onto the roof. 

“Mr. Zanis?!” 

“…Ah, I thought you’d be here, Erde.” 

The leader of Soma Familia didn’t seem the least bit surprised when Lilly appeared before him, and he grinned at her. 

The human man and prum girl stood face-to-face on the flat rooftop of the house. 

“What…what do you think you’re doing?! Why are you helping Apollo Familia?!” 

“They asked for it. Even forked over a large sum of money in exchange for our promise to join their fight against Hestia Familia. Lord Soma gave his approval…Well, he left it up to me.” 

Without a doubt, out of all the groups in Orario, Soma Familia would be the easiest to bribe. 

Their god, Soma, was only interested in his hobby, and he cared nothing for power struggles and politics. His approval could be easily bought with money to fund his expensive pastime. 

Most likely, Apollo Familia had set up an arrangement with their new partner before they put the plan to capture Bell into action. 

“Is Mr. Zanis insane?! Doing this for money…Apollo Familia may be ready to accept the Guild’s penalty, but Soma Familia was already on thin ice! The Guild won’t let this go!!” 

Soma’s negligence concerning the well-being of his followers had been brought to the Guild’s attention, and fines had been levied against him. Even now, the Guild was keeping a close eye on his Familia. Once the fact that they willingly joined the battle that was turning Orario into a war zone came to light, it wouldn’t be surprising if the entire Familia was exiled from the city. It was as if Zanis had pointed the Guild’s wrath right at himself. 

Lilly yelled over and over that they had no reason to attack Hestia Familia, that their actions didn’t make any sense. 

“No, we have our justification.” 

Zanis laughed off Lilly’s accusations as he stood with his hands behind his back. 

“Justifi…cation?” 

“That’s right. Soma Familia has a reason to fight Hestia Familia even without the request from Apollo.” 

Zanis calmly stared down at the girl. Lilly frowned back at him. The man narrowed his eyes, a thin smile on his lips as he raised his chin without breaking eye contact. “Do you not know?” he asked with a sneer. 

“No idea at all?” he asked again. 

“—It can’t…be.” 

The color drained from her face as one possibility came to mind. 

Then, Zanis confirmed her worst fears. 

“That’s right. It’s you, Erde.” 

The man leaned closer to her as he lowered his chin. 

“Our irreplaceable friend and comrade was stolen from us by swindlers. The time had come for us to exact revenge with justice on our side.” 

Lilly’s knees went weak. 

They were using the fact that Lilly was still technically a member of Soma Familia as an excuse to join the assault on Hestia Familia. This fact protected them from the Guild as well as gave them an escape route to avoid any penalties. 

That was the true power of a contract with the Familia. If they were able to prove that one of their members was still bound to their god but working for the benefit of another, it would be next to impossible to punish their actions. No matter how much Lilly would try to explain the circumstances, the voice of the Familia would win out. 

Lilly was another reason that Bell and Hestia were in danger. 

“I, too, believed you to be dead until very recently…That is, until I happened to hear the story of one man at a bar.” 

“A-and that is…?” 

“Just the exploits of the Little Rookie on the eighteenth floor, and the little prum supporter who tagged along with him.” 

Lilly cursed her own carelessness. 

She always used her magic, Cinder Ella, to take the form of a werewolf child while on the surface. However, she deactivated the magic while in the Dungeon to preserve her mental strength. Now, because of the events on the eighteenth floor, the group of adventurers there that day not only knew her true appearance, but also that she was in a party with Bell. What’s more, that information was spreading. 

Zanis must have acquired this information before receiving the offer from Apollo Familia. Once money was offered, he seized his opportunity. 

“Do not fret, Erde. I will assure Lord Soma of your innocence in this matter. Hestia Familia is completely in the wrong.” 

She’d warned them. Lilly had warned Hestia and Bell that Soma Familia would one day seek revenge. That day had arrived. 

The flames had reached them…That was how Lilly felt. She’d made a horrible mistake. Her past was a wildfire just waiting to ignite. What’s more, she’d fanned the flames to the point of a raging inferno. 

This was all her fault. 

“The evil ones who tricked you, used you, and profited off you shall receive a fitting punishment. Apollo Familia will crush them into oblivion.” 

Lilly felt dizzy, the rooftops spinning around her. Her whole world was crashing down around her. 

She was a plague, infecting everything and everyone she cared about. Her body trembled as memories of the nice old couple and their flower shop flashed before her eyes. Soma Familia had destroyed it, and she was the only reason they had ever found that flower shop at all. A storm of grief and guilt raged inside her tiny heart, threatening to work its way up her throat and into a scream of self-loathing. 

She opened her eyes and looked out over the battlefield. 

Nahza had been chased from her perch on top of the bell tower, Takemikazuchi Familia was pinned down on all sides a few blocks away, and Welf continued to trade blows with the hunters just below her. All of them were in danger right now because of Soma Familia. 

She had been foolish. 

Lilly should have never strayed anywhere near Bell and the others. 

—It was absurd to believe that her plague would never reach them, that their warmth and generosity wouldn’t be destroyed by the flames that followed her. 

Eyes glistening with tears, Lilly’s neck gave out and her head slammed into her chest. 

“Please…” 

“What?” 

“Please leave Mr. Bell and his friends alone…” 

Lilly pleaded with Zanis in a weak, trembling voice. 

She raised her face to look at him. There was no life in her eyes. 

“Lilly will return to Lord Soma. So please, stop this…Please leave them alone.” 

It was simple math. 

If Soma Familia was using Lilly as a justification to participate in this fight, then all she had to do was take herself out of it. If surrendering to Zanis would reduce the amount of hunters pursuing Bell, it was more than worth it. 

Members of Soma Familia were completely under the spell of the Divine Wine, soma. Its appeal had attracted hundreds of adventurers into her Familia’s ranks. But if they weren’t there, if she could find a way to convince them to leave, then Bell and the others might have a chance. 

She knew it was highly unlikely he’d accept her offer, but she had to try. 

Zanis stared at her for a moment, enjoying the look of desperation on her face, until finally pompously nodding back. 

“Why not?” 

Lilly was shocked at his sudden approval, and also a little suspicious. 

Zanis pressed his glasses up against his face. 

“Actually, the situation is getting quite dangerous. Apollo Familia already paid a decent sum of money upfront, so now might be a good time to call it quits.” 

The corners of his lips arched upward as he continued. 

“But most importantly, I need you.” 

Lilly’s eyes shot open. This new information caught her off guard. 

Maybe she wasn’t just an excuse to get money; maybe there was some truth in Zanis’s claim. 

What could she, a useless weakling who’d brought about the destruction of everything she cares about, be needed for? As long as Zanis kept his promise, she had no choice but to follow his orders. 

“Stand beside me. I will give the signal to retreat as soon as you do.” 

Zanis reached inside his jacket and withdrew a small flare gun. Lilly did not respond, silently doing what she was told. 

The man smiled with satisfaction, raised the flare gun to the sky, and pulled the trigger. A ball of sparkling light instantly shot high into the air. 

Many of the adventurers in the seventh block of Orario stopped fighting the moment they saw the arc of light. Just as Zanis had promised, the members of Soma Familia started to withdraw. 

“Hey! Li’l E!” 

With roughly half of his assailants leaving the area, Welf finally had enough time to call out to his ally from the street below. 

Lilly took a step toward the edge of the roof and looked down at him with listless eyes. 

“Come, Erde.” 

“Yes…” 

Lilly nodded as she turned around at the sound of Zanis’s command. 

Welf looked up at the two in disbelief. The man turned on his heel as Lilly said her final good-bye. 

“Lilly’s returning to Soma Familia…She won’t cause any more trouble. Please tell Mr. Bell.” 

“The hell are you saying?! I can’t look Bell in the eye and say that! Get back here!” 

“Lilly’s sorry…Farewell.” 

She gave one last bow before following Zanis. 

The prum girl disappeared from Welf’s line of view. 

“What the hell does she think she’s doing…?!” 

He tried to pursue them, but unfortunately he met up with a group of Apollo Familia hunters and was forced back into combat. 

“Dammit!” he screamed at the clouds. There was no choice but to give up the chase. 

Bell and Hestia had lost count of how many hits their bodies had absorbed. The tally had just increased by yet another. 

With all the hunters’ arrows, the spells of magic users, and upper-class adventurers wielding every weapon imaginable, neither of them had time to catch their breath. For some reason, their pursuers had been yelling at one another for a while now—Apollo Familia was starting to get desperate and had ramped up their assault. 

The two fugitives had made it back to their old neighborhood. It was oddly still, all residents having already evacuated. Once again the sounds of war distended on this normally peaceful block. 

“…Firebolt!” 

Bell released his Magic into a worn-down stone building that had been empty for years. 

The flaming lightning bolts ignited the debris inside the building, creating yet another explosion of smoke. Bell used it as cover to escape the eyes of his pursuers and took off in a completely different direction. 

“Ha-haa…!” 

“…Bell, this way!” 

Hestia grabbed the boy’s hand and guided him off the main road as Bell fought back pain just to inhale. 

She found a drainage canal that ran beneath the street level. Leaving the backstreet, they found the closest stairwell and raced down to the water level. It wasn’t long until they reached the city sewer’s entrance. 

“Are you okay, Bell?” 

“I’m so sorry, Goddess…” 

Bell leaned against the wall before sliding all the way down to the ground and offered Hestia an apology. Hestia shook her head before looking around to find their escape routes. They were beneath what could have been a very large bridge, open on both ends with water flowing behind them. She guessed that the water must be running deeper into the city. The street-level landscape was visible at the other end. 

Although they couldn’t see them, they could hear the yells and hurried footsteps of their pursuers coming from just outside. Praying with all their might that they remain hidden, the two talked in hushed voices. 

“Can you still move?” 

“…I’m fine. I can.” 

Bell used the last of the potions he’d received from Lilly in order to recover from at least some of the damage he had taken. Hestia watched his staggered breathing with remorseful eyes. Without warning, a booming voice erupted from the other side of the wall. 

“Are you listening? Bell Cranell!” 

Hyacinthus’s voice. 

Hestia sat shoulder to shoulder with Bell. The boy clenched his eyes shut. 

“Wherever you hide, wherever you run, we will find you! This game of hide-and-seek is meaningless!” 

The man’s proclamation filled the air around them. Hyacinthus must’ve been standing in a high place, because the echoes reverberated in every direction. 

“On land or in the Dungeon, it doesn’t matter! Your days of peace are at an end!” 

Bell gulped as he understood what the man’s words meant. 

Even if by some miracle they escaped the hunters’ net and made it to the Guild, Apollo would pursue him for the rest of his life. They would attack him on sight in the city, in the Dungeon, or wherever else he tried to go. 

The boy was feeling the full power of an influential Familia dedicated to accomplishing a goal. 

Just as Hyacinthus said, the chase would not end until there was a clear resolution. He would never be able to live a normal life. 

“…” 

Hestia sat silently next to him. Bell was in shock from the realization. 

The goddess’s eyes narrowed, her mind made up. 

“—Bell, please listen.” 

Hestia moved in front of him, crouching above the boy’s outstretched legs and looking him in the eyes. 

The ruby-red spheres looking up at her, she let it all come out. 

“Since Apollo is serious about this, there is no future for us here. We have two options: fight a battle we can’t possibly win—or run away from Orario.” 

“…!” 

Hestia ignored the look of shock on the boy’s face and continued. She knew the boy comprehended their situation. 

“I’m willing to go anywhere as long as you’re with me. It doesn’t matter if we’re being chased all the time. I’ll run alongside you until they give up.” 

Hestia’s resolve was unyielding. 

She would miss the friends she had and the peaceful days she’d spent living in the city. But as long as Bell was with her, she didn’t care where they lived. That was clear as day. 

Leave Orario with the goddess and live somewhere far away…? 

Hestia held her hand to her chest, trying to steady her beating heart as she waited on the edge of her seat for Bell’s response. 

In truth, running away might be the only real option for Bell and Hestia. 

It was the same for the other Familias that came out on the losing end of these battles…Just like Hermes had told him about Zeus, leaving Orario was the only way. 

Bell thought about it. 

Just the two of them, he exploring the wonders of the world with Hestia. 

Listening to the wind blow through a forest, sitting on top of a hill under the blue sky, feeling a sea breeze on his face while exploring a port town. 

She’d be wearing a one-piece dress and a fancy hat, he’d be carrying the bags from that day’s shopping. They’d walk down the street, smiling. 

Such warm, inviting thoughts. 

How wonderful would this journey be? Living a new dream? 

It was possible; the two of them could have this future. 

But…! 

His heart might have been swayed by Hestia’s words, but images of all the people he’d met in the city suddenly surged through Bell’s mind. 

People he’d laughed alongside. All the girls who had shared smiles with him. 

All of his days as an adventurer, all of the chance encounters—he remembered everything. 

I— 

A new image took over his heart. 

The start of it all, meeting the knight with blond hair and golden eyes. 

The side of her face, blond locks flowing. His heart couldn’t leave that behind. 

“…” 

Hestia’s expression gradually disappeared as if she were reading the boy’s thoughts like a book. 

Her lips tensed as she reached out and grabbed ahold of both of the boy’s hands. 

The deity asked the surprised human a question: 

“Bell, do you love me?” 

Bell’s voice cracked in confusion. 

“Huh?!” 

“This is important.” 

Blushing a light pink beneath her eyes, Hestia kept talking. 

“If you say you love me, I’m ready to do anything. If I believe your words, all other petty emotions mean nothing and I can do anything you ask! I can fight!” 

She squeezed his hands. 

“I love you very much, Bell! You’re just so cute, I can’t help it. I want to live with you forever, always be by your side…I don’t want anyone else to have you.” 

Her fingers shook. 

“What do you think about me?” 

Then she asked her question again. 

Now blushing profusely, Hestia once again locked eyes with Bell and looked at him with all seriousness. 

Bell, too, had turned bright red. But he had no clue what the goddess was trying to say. 

“I-I revere you…” 

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” 

Bell’s shoulders drooped as Hestia yelled in his face. 

The explosions, footsteps, and shouting were still raging around them. Despite that, Bell’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what she was asking, what the goddess wanted to hear. What did she mean by the word “love”? 

Hestia’s eyes quivered as if something important had just broken inside her. Something so important that they might not be able to continue as deity and follower. 

Desperately holding onto her last shred of hope, Hestia saw Bell’s lips open to speak— 

Ka-booom! 

“?!” 

The shock wave from an explosion at the entrance to the sewer overtook them. 

Bell quickly forced his body up to shield Hestia from the debris. A moment later, the outlines of mages and adventurers appeared in the cloud of smoke. 

“Found them! In the sewer!” 

“After ’em!” 

“?!” 

Their pursuers had found their hiding spot. Bell jumped to his feet with Hestia in his arms and took off once again. 

The white-haired boy made a beeline for the exit on the opposite side of the tunnel. 

“Not once, but twice…You’ve gotten in my way for the last time…you bastards!” 

Hestia’s rage swelled up within her, morphing her face into a hideous visage. Bell took his eyes off her in fright. 

Explosions went off in her eyes. 

“Now I’m angry! Bell, I’ve had enough of this!” 

“Y-yes?!” 

“Southwest—go southwest!” 

Bell didn’t dare do anything else. Hestia had never barked orders before. 

He made a hard right, diverging greatly from the path to the Guild in the west. Even here, Bell tore through the back alleys and side streets. None of their pursuers were expecting this turn of events and stumbled before adjusting their own trajectory. 

“…” 

“…” 

They raced forward in silence. Bell was secretly relieved that their previous conversation had been left unsettled. 

Perhaps Hestia felt the same way. Rather than bring it back up, she shoved her red face deep into his chest. 

Bell could feel her shaking in his embrace, much like his own. 

Going southwest, as Hestia had instructed, was surprisingly easy. 

The enemy’s net was so much thinner than before, but the two of them didn’t even have to engage enemies in combat to escape it. Crossing West Main, the two entered Orario’s sixth district, located between West Main Street and Southwest Main Street. 

Hestia guided Bell through streets filled with startled onlookers until finally arriving in front of a rather ornate building. 

“Wait, isn’t this…” 

A gate of tall iron bars protected the entrance to a well-maintained and flourishing garden. A stone structure stood in the middle of it all. A large emblem hung on the gate, a bow and arrow eclipsing in the sun. Bell couldn’t speak; only a small grunt of surprise escaped his mouth. 

Hestia had led him to Apollo Familia’s home. 

“We’re not here to take over, out of the way! Shoo! Shoo!” 

Several guards approached Bell and Hestia as they attempted to open the gate, spears at the ready. Hestia simply brushed them aside, glaring at each of the guards in turn. Suddenly, their path was clear. 

Even more members of the Familia were standing outside the stone building, as if to demonstrate how many reserves were still waiting for orders to deploy. Once again, Bell was taken aback by yet another demonstration of military might. 

Many sets of eyes watched the two fugitives make their way through the center of the garden. All of them wore the same look of anticipation. Creak! The joints on the front door sounded as Apollo emerged. 

“My, my, Hestia. What are you hoping to accomplish, coming all the way out here like this?” 

The deity walked down the front steps of his abode, his perfectly polished teeth sparkling in the sunlight. Hestia watched him descend, fury emanating from her eyes. 

Apollo made his way through his army of adventurers, the young prum Luan at his side. The two came to a stop directly in front of Bell and Hestia. 

Hestia’s aura of pure hatred made Bell and Luan uneasy, looking anywhere but at the goddess. Their faces glistened with a cold sweat. The two deities, on the other hand, didn’t even blink as they faced each other. 

“…Prum boy, that glove, please.” 

“Eh…Um, sure.” 

Hestia’s tone didn’t allow for dissent. Luan nodded and removed the glove from his right hand. 

Hestia snatched it from his grasp and in one clean motion slapped it against the side of Apollo’s face. 

““?!”” 

Snap! The reverberation of cloth on skin filled the quiet garden. 

Hestia used every muscle in her body to deliver the blow; even her twin black ponytails flew through the air as her arm finally came to a stop. Bell and Ruan watched in stunned silence. 

Despite the red blotch on his cheek, Apollo’s grin never changed. Hestia took in a deep breath and yelled with everything she had. 

“Fine! You want a War Game, you’re gonna get one!” 

Bell saw the corners of Apollo’s lips curl upward. 

“All of the divine witnesses know it shall come to pass—my friends, a War Game!” 

Doors and windows of the stone building flew open the moment Apollo raised his arms. Gods and goddesses emerged one after another. 

“YAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” 

As if they’d been waiting for this moment, even more deities jumped down from the trees or appeared from behind bushes in the garden. 

Bell, Luan, and all the members of Apollo Familia who were on standby didn’t know how to react. They looked around with wide eyes as the garden suddenly came alive with divine voices. 

“Get this cleared with the Guild!” 

“Will need to open an emergency Denatus! Everyone’s invited!” 

“This is so exciting—!” 

“Been a long time comin’!” 

A sudden whirlpool of excitement enveloped the humans. The gods were starving for entertainment and now there was going to be a show. Loki’s voice was right in the thick of it as the deities started to organize the War Game. 

“It’s settled, then. The finer details of our Game will be decided at Denatus. The day shall be announced later…Let’s enjoy this, Hestia?” 

Apollo sneered at Hestia without the faintest hint of fear or anxiety amid the chaos around them. 

Apollo turned his back on her and went back inside his abode with Luan in tow. 

“G-Goddess…” 

Bell watched the god ascend the stone steps, his body frozen in place. Even his voice lacked substance. 

The difference between the groups in terms of numbers and resources was astounding. This was a fight that couldn’t be won. Visions of the tragedy that was about to unfold flared up in Bell’s mind. 

Hestia turned to face him with vigor. 

“Bell, one week.” 

She looked up at her follower, the boy’s face getting paler by the moment as she continued. 

“I will find a way to delay the War Game for one week.” 

“Huh…?” 

“During that time, Bell, become as strong as you can. Stronger than any of the people who attacked us today—become stronger than ever! You can do it!” 

Hestia was betting everything on Bell’s potential, the Realis Phrase skill. 

Bell looked into his goddess’s eyes. There was no shadow of doubt. She completely believed in him, and that was terrifying. 

“Bell! Lady Hestia!” 

“Welf?!” 

Welf came through the iron gate in front of Apollo Familia’s home. 

The young man had followed Bell’s pursuers and then heard the commotion coming from this location to find them. 

“Li’l E went back to…No, no, was taken back to Soma Familia.” 

“?!” 

“The other guys got in my way, couldn’t help her…I’m sorry.” 

This unexpected news left Bell and Hestia reeling in shock. 

How? Why now? Was she safe?—Bell’s spirit ignited, question after question burned through his mind. But it all came down to one thing: He had to rescue her. He needed more information; he needed to talk to Welf. 

However, Hestia’s hand wrapped itself around his elbow before he could take his first step toward the redheaded man. 

“Bell, do as I say.” 

“B-but–?!” 

“I swear to you, I will rescue our supporter. So please—have faith in me.” 

Hestia cut off Bell’s attempt to argue. 

The goddess believed in her child; all she asked was that he believe in her. 

Bell’s veins burned with adrenaline, but the look in Hestia’s eyes cooled the flames. The muscles in his tense body relaxed until finally…he chose to believe. 

All of the emotions that raged through his mind just a moment ago now at ease, he nodded. 

“Bell, please give me my knife before you go.” 

“Here.” 

“Welf, I apologize, but I’ll need your strength to rescue our supporter.” 

“No need for apologies. I’m ready for anything.” 

All instructions given, Hestia looked up at Bell one more time. 

“The rest is up to you. Now get moving.” 

“Yes!” 

With that, Bell dashed from the noisy garden in front of Apollo Familia’s home as fast as his feet could carry him. 

There was only one week. 

He had until then to get stronger than his enemies—stronger than Hyacinthus. 

The Status on his back felt hot as he ran. Fatigue, mental strain—none of that mattered to him anymore. He set a course for the tall tower in the north where the Sword Princess was waiting.