Hello everyone and welcome back! Whelp, we've had our lemony chapter and all that citrusy goodness, but now it's time to get away from the "plot" and get back to the actual plot. We've got a big fight ahead of us so let's jump back into the story and see who Bell wants to fight and, more importantly, if he can come out on top.

I do not own Danmachi

Asfi walked down the silent streets of Orario with a bag full of early morning groceries sitting in one arm.

"Asfi."

She stopped, her hand falling to one of her throwing knives before she discovered her older brother peeking out from an alley.

"Alexander? What are you doing here?"

He gestured for her to come closer and she, knowing a signal for secrecy when she saw it, walked over and joined him in the alley.

"I need to warn you about what's going on, Asfi," Alexander told her after doing a check down the street and on the adjacent rooftops. "Sir Lancelot and Aphrodite have allied together."

"What?" she questioned, doing her best to stay quiet. "Why?"

"You already know the answer to that, little sister," he replied.

She did and her face grew graver.

"Bell Cranel."

Alexander nodded.

"Aphrodite wants him banished from Orario, as you already know, but I firmly believe that Lancelot wants Cranel dead or at least chained up in the deepest dungeon in Camelot."

"Does he really view Bell as that much of a threat?" his sister asked.

"Absolutely. After Tiamat's attack, which he firmly believes Cranel somehow caused, Lancelot seems almost desperate to remove him. Those knights that were allowed to remain have been training day and night under his watchful eye and his near desperate drive. Lancelot will move against Bell Cranel in time, I just don't know when or how."

"Why are you telling me this, Alex? You're a servant of the Camelot throne as much as any Knight of the Round Table."

"My loyalty is primarily to my family, which King Arthur has always understood and respected. Whatever Lancelot does will likely put you in danger and I won't stand by while you're at risk, that's what big brothers do, so don't give me grief for that."

Asfi smiled.

"Fine, but I can tell that's not the only reason, so what's the other reason you're giving me this warning."

"Ironically it's my loyalty to the Holy Kingdom," he answered. "Even if we remove Bell Cranel, Achilles Caesar, and Ottar, I am not confident in Camelot's ability in dealing with the wrath that Orario will certainly unleash upon us in vengeance for our actions. Even if we were to win such a war, it would only leave either a weakened Orario or a weakened Holy Kingdom above the Dungeon, which puts the whole world in danger."

Asfi nodded.

"So what do you need from me?" she asked.

"Keep watch over Bell Cranel. Guard his back, if need be, directly intervene on his behalf. Lancelot will undoubtedly punish me if you get involved, even without proof, but I can accept that if it warns him away from action against the Hestia familia's captain. Preventing Lancelot and Aphrodite from enacting whatever plan they come up with is the best play we can do right now."

A defensive war. Reacting to whatever plan Lancelot and Aphrodite enact. That's hardly ideal, but being proactive may simply deepen the conflict and ensure its spread, Asfi reasoned.

"Alright. I'll keep a close eye on Bell Cranel. Hermes pretty much already has our familia doing that anyway so it won't be too much trouble."

Alexander smiled.

"I knew I could count on you, Asfi."

The sound of approaching footsteps on the stone street made them freeze before they quickly delved deeper into the alley. They waited in silence as the steps grew nearer until, at last, an all too familiar figure passed by.

The two rushed towards the end of the alley and looked towards the passerby.

"What's he doing out so early, and by himself? He didn't follow you, did he?" Alexander asked her.

"Of course not, he has no reason to. As for why he's out so early, I'm sure there's a simple explanation," Asfi replied as her eyes centered on the white hair of the young man walking down the street.

What are you doing now, Bell?

"Yaaaaaawn, ugh, it's too early to be here," Misha groaned.

"Maybe if you went to bed earlier it wouldn't be so horrible," Eina pointed out with a small, tired smile.

"But then I wouldn't be able to catch up with all of my stories," her pink haired companion whined.

"You mean those filthy rags you like to read?" Rose commented with a teasing smirk.

"You just don't understand the beauty of boys' love!" Misha yelled.

"If you have the energy to yell, you have the energy to work," Rehmer stated firmly, hoping to end the conversation and get the Guild ready for the doubtless long day ahead of them.

However, it was not his chiding that ended all conversation, but the arrival of the person who would make their day a long one that ended all conversation.

"Bell-kun?" Eina called as her beloved snow-haired captain entered the hall.

"Good morning Eina-san," he greeted softly.

"What are you doing here so early? Nothing bad has happened, right?" she quickly asked.

"No, everything's fine," he assured her. "However, I'd like to ask that I be permitted to see Ouranos-sama."

That startled the Guild employees, all of whom, besides Eina, leaned a bit closer.

"May I inquire as to why you wish to see Ouranos-sama?" the half-elf questioned.

"I have a personal matter he can help me with," the Hestia captain replied.

That might be the most evasive answer he's ever given me, Eina thought, and while she wanted to press him until she had the full truth, she could tell by his calm, but unflinching demeanor, that this answer was all she was going to receive, and there's little I could do if he's determined to see Ouranos-sama.

"Very well. Follow me please," she said.

She turned and headed towards the back of the Guild, Bell in tow.

As she passed her fellow employees, Rehmer silently asked her what she was doing, but she simply replied with, Do you want to try and stop him? Receiving this reply, the chienthrope frowned, but did not push the matter.

Eina and bell walked down the empty hall in silence for what seemed like hours until she, unable to take it anymore, brought forth the first thing that came to her mind.

"Congratulations on becoming a level seven, Bell! It really seems like only yesterday you were running into the Guild, covered in minotaur blood. Haaa, but I guess I can't complain too much. While I wish you would relax a bit, I know how determined you are, and I will admit that seeing you grow so strong fills me with pride."

Bell smiled warmly at her, making her knees go weak.

"Thank you, Eina-san. I am truly sorry that I've worried you so much, that was never my intention, it's just…" he stopped, prompting the half-elf to do the same as she looked at him curiously. "I can't relax. Not yet. Things have been…" a brief flash of pain passed through his eyes. Eina wanted to reach out and comfort him, and was about to do so when he continued. "Difficult," he finished. "More difficult than anything I've faced before. But I can't stop or relax. Not yet. One day I will, I swear, but there still so much I need to do. People I need to help. Challenges I need to overcome," his fist tightened. "So please…be patient with me."

Her smile returned and she reached out to take his hand.

"I suppose I can do that…as long as you promise not to be too rash."

He chuckled and nodded.

"I can promise that."

"Good," she dropped his hand, "let's continue on then."

She took a step, only for Bell to suddenly grab her hand again, making her turn back.

"Did you mean it?" he asked.

"Mean what?"

"That you loved me?"

Never before had Eina's face so quickly turned scarlet. From the tips of her ears to the end of her chin, her face began to glow.

"I…I…I," she tried.

Bell said nothing, just looked earnestly into her emerald eyes until the poor young woman felt like she was about to drown in his ruby pools.

"Yes," she finally answered, not even realizing her own confirmation until a few moments later.

"I see," Bell replied.

For a few moments, the hall was quiet, Eina fearing that she had utterly ruined their relationship with her own selfish feelings until, suddenly, Bell gave her his wonderful, million valis smile.

"Thank you, Eina-chan. I don't know what I did to deserve your love, but I take it as a great compliment that you feel that way about me. Were my heart not already taken, I would happily explore a relationship with you," Bell said sincerely before, to Eina's shock, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

With that, Bell continued towards Ouranos's chamber, leaving a fiery-faced Eina behind.

When did Bell-kun become so smooth?!

It took her a few moments to regain her wits, but when she did, she chased after the captain, scolding him for continuing, unescorted, through the Guild. He apologized and she, naturally, forgave him.

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to be truly mad at him again after that kiss, she thought as her cheeks heated up once more.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance of Ouranos's chamber.

"Wait here, I'll go see if Ouranos-," Eina began.

"Let him in," Ouranos's voice boomed.

The two were a bit startled by the sudden address, but quickly recovered.

"I guess this is where we part for now," she said with a smile.

"I guess so," he agreed before taking her hand once more and squeezing it. "Thank you, Eina. For everything you've done for me. Take care of yourself. And don't worry, I'll see you soon," he promised before parting ways and heading into the chamber.

"Bell," she whispered.

Bell walked into the large chamber and headed straight for Ouranos's throne.

Finding the god exactly where he always was, Bell bowed.

"Thank you for seeing me, Ouranos-sama, and my apologizes for the unannounced intrusion."

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Bell Cranel?" the deity questioned, getting straight to the point, though internally, fear began to creep into his ancient heart.

Does he suspect anything about his origins? Has some clue presented itself to him without our knowing?

"Actually, to be perfectly honest, I'm here to speak with Fels," Bell answered.

Ouranos's worry halted for the moment as a brow raised with confusion and interest.

"Fels?" he asked.

"Yes," Bell confirmed.

Not taking his eyes off the young man who was at the center of so much conflict, whether he knew it or not, Ouranos called out to his servant.

"Fels."

The cloak mage appeared immediately and bowed in greeting to Bell.

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Bell Cranel?"

"I would like you to take a message to the Xenos, specifically to Asterius, if possible."

That increased both the god's and the mage's interest.

"And what message would you like me to deliver?" Fels asked.

"Tell him," Bell took a deep breath as his eyes burst into flame, "that I'm ready."

Fels quickly deduced what this meant and turned to Ouranos who remained as outwardly unmoved as ever.

"Are you sure?" Ouranos questioned.

"Yes," Bell affirmed without a hint of doubt. "I'm ready and," his eyes fell for a second, but only a second as they quickly shot back up to the god, "more importantly…I need to do this. To reclaim what I lost. To reclaim myself."

Ouranos eyes Bell for some time, taking in his determination, his strength, and the warmth of his soul.

You were right, beloved. It would have been the gravest mistake to have given up on him, the deity thought.

"Very well. Fels."

"Yes, Ouranos-sama?"

"Bring Bell Cranel's message to the Xenos and return as quickly as possible."

Fels was surprised for a moment but, after turning back to Bell and seeing the same determination as the god, quickly lost that surprise as well as any apprehension they felt.

"Of course, Ouranos-sama."

Bell smiled and bowed deeply.

"Thank you."

Asfi watched as Bell left the Guild with a relieved smile on his face while taking long, confident strides.

What happened in there? She wondered before quickly heading off to report everything she'd seen and heard back to Hermes.

Bell pushed open the gate of the Hearthfire Manor and strode towards the front door, his heart lighter than it was when he left it as the path before him was now finally growing clearer.

Now I just have to win.

Any more consideration on that point ended when a golden blur rushed from the front door and into his arms.

"Oof. Good morning, Ais," he greeted as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I was worried," she said, her muffled voice barely piercing his clothes.

His eyes softened and he lovingly stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, I just needed to go see Ouranos." She looked up and cocked her head to the side in confusion, making him chuckle. "There's something I need to do. That's all," he told her as he continued stroking her hair.

That wasn't really an answer, but she let it be as she was simply happy that he was alright.

"Okay," she said.

Bell offered her his arm and she quickly took it before they headed toward the front door.

"Are the others awake?" he asked.

"Uh huh. They're having breakfast, but they're worried too," she answered.

He nodded as he opened the door, finding Achilles already standing in the entryway.

"Heard you coming," his father stated, tapping his ear. "Come on, the others want to know where you scurried off to so early in the morning."

The three adventurers headed towards the dining room where all the deities and their children had gathered.

"Bell!" the Hestia familia cried as they entered.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Where were you?" Hestia asked, as everyone else waited with interest.

"I went to go talk to Ouranos," he answered.

That was not the answer any of them expected and their interest grew.

"What could you want to talk to the old man about?" Loki inquired.

"I had a personal request I needed to make," was Bell's cryptic answer.

"That's not an answer, Bell," Alfia stated, activating a bit of her 'scary auntie' voice to try and get more from him.

To her, and the others' surprise, he merely smiled at her.

"There's something I need to do. That's all."

The others looked at each other and while several of their number: Alfia, Hestia, Loki, and Mania, were confident they could force the issue if they were truly so inclined, they decided to let the issue go for now.

"Alright. We won't press you, Bell-kun, but please don't wander off by yourself without telling someone in the future," Hestia requested.

"Okay," he agreed, giving them all a smile that eased them…for the most part.

Freya and her familia exited the Hearthfire Manor and entered the morning sun.

The Ganesha familia are still guarding them, even after Tiamat, Freya noted with anger and concern. There has to be some way to help him. To remove this malice from him. But how?

"Freya-sama."

The goddess's heart jumped as the very subject of her thoughts suddenly appeared behind her.

"B-Bell-kun!" she cried in surprise.

"I'm sorry for startling you and for stalling your return home," the young man apologized, bowing slightly.

"There's no need to apologize on either count, Bell. None whatsoever," she assured him.

Despite her reassurance, he did not lift from his bow, though his eyes did raise to meet her.

"There is, however, a need to apologize for Allen," he said, his voice as steady as stone, but his eyes were filled with guilt, before they turned away and he deepened his bow. "From the bottom of my heart, I apologize for Allen's death and promise to do whatever I can to pay for my actions."

While all but Ottar looked offended by his offering, they did not say a word, instead turning to the heartbroken Freya who was shaking her head.

"It wasn't your fault Bell. It was all the fault of Dionysus," she stated, though her voice came out more as a plea.

"I'm not sure I can ever completely believe that Freya-sama," he said, his head still bowed, "and I don't believe Anya believes that either."

The goddess's fists tightened and she nearly tore her gloves as she desperately tried to find her voice to respond.

"Bell…"

"That said," he finally rose from his bow, "I must selfishly ask for a favor."

The sudden change in his demeanor startled not only Freya, but also her children.

"What…" Freya cleared her throat as she calmed her emotions. "What is the favor?"

"I would like to ask that you allow Ottar to train me," Bell asked as his eyes turned to the boaz, "if he's willing…of course."

"I am willing if my lady is," the captain replied instantly before his eyes turned to his goddess.

Freya, however, did not turn to her captain, but kept her gaze focused on Bell.

"Why do you need Ottar to train you? I am, of course, completely willing, but surely your father would be easier to train with and would not require a meeting such as this."

Bell held her gaze for a few moments, just as he had with Eina, and like Eina, Freya felt her heart flutter as his rubies eyes overwhelmed her.

"When I returned from the Dungeon, I was not the person I was before," he began, "in all honesty, I didn't know who…or what I was," he took a deep breath as dark memories flashed through his mind.

"Bell-"

"Then Tiamat attacked," he continued, silently apologizing for cutting her off, but needing to finish what he was saying before the dark images choked him. "And, horrible though it may sound, her arrival helped remind me of who I was. What I stood for. The goals I had," the strength in his eyes returned and, as the goddess watched in silent awe, grew. "But I'm not quite back to who I was. There's still a piece of me hidden in the darkness of the Dungeon. A piece I want to reclaim. And I believe I know how."

"How?" Freya asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"By fighting my rival one last time," he answered, his voice filled with the strength of spirit that made her fall in love with him in the first place.

"Your rival?" she asked, turning to Ottar, though she quickly realized that this was not who Bell meant. Then wh-?

Her eyes widened.

"The minotaur."

Bell nodded.

"Asterius. I promised him one final battle. The battle that will truly decide which one of us is the greater warrior. I believe I'm strong enough now, however," he turned back to Ottar, "I want to be sure. Asterius is one of the strongest people I've ever fought and I'll need everything I have to defeat him. Ottar can help me with that and his fighting reminds me the most of Asterius's."

Not surprising as, if he truly is the reincarnation of the red minotaur, Ottar trained him, Freya noted.

"I see," she said before turning to her captain. "Are you willing, Ottar?" she asked before quickly raising her hand, "Don't just answer out of loyalty to me. I want a real answer from you. If you do not wish to train Bell then I don't wish you to either. It will upset you and Bell will not receive the training he needs for victory. So…answer from your own heart. Are you truly willing to train Bell Cranel?"

Ottar's eyes turned from her to Bell and the area went silent, even the birds seemed to be waiting for his answer.

From my own heart, Ottar thought as he eyed the young man.

His heart was tied in every way that mattered to his goddess, so distinguishing his own desires from hers was nearly impossible for him. Nearly.

If I am being completely honest…I cannot completely lay blame for Allen's death on Dionysus, he admitted to himself. You hated him, Bell Cranel. I can tell, and that's why your instincts told you to kill him. You wanted Allen gone, and in your darkest moment, you removed him.

The boaz's fist tightened and Bell prepared himself for a rejection.

Yet, seeing you stand here now, modest, controlled, strong, yet still in pain, I cannot see the beast that destroyed Allen. Whatever happened in the Dungeon changed you, yet the adventurer you were before is still there, trying to climb back to the surface. To cry out in triumph as his own monster is vanquished. As such-

"I am willing to train you," the High King stated.

Bell's eyes widened while Freya smiled proudly at them both.

"Wonderful."

BOOM!

The sounds of battle resounded through Folksvangr just as they had for the last few days and even now the Freya familia found it difficult to accept the seemingly unrelenting conflict. True, their training was effectively small scale battles, but this, this was something else. It was like two floor bosses going head to head in their gardens.

"They're so noisy!" Gumi complained as she covered her ears.

"So in response you decide to be even noisier?" Hedin sneered, earning a glare from the bright pink prum.

"We really should have expected this, I mean, it's a level seven with the power of a high level eight, versus a level eight with the power of a low level nine," Hedin pointed out.

"Why is Ottar-nii-san even training that white-haired, pipsqueak bastard?!" Gumi demanded. "He murdered Allen!"

Several of the nearby Freya familia growled their agreement.

"That's not what Freya-sama believes. Are you saying you know better than Freya-sama?" Hogni asked.

That made all the growling stop and Gumi froze.

"N-No…of course not! B-But…I don't get why Ottar-onii-san would agree to this," she replied quietly.

"Because it's what Freya-sama wants, obviously," the dark elf answered.

"I'm not so sure," Hedin stated. "Freya-sama made it clear that she wanted his honest answer, not simply what he thought pleased her, and he did hesistate."

The Freya adventurers fell silent as they watched the distant battle of their captain and the young man who had stolen their goddess's heart.

"Perhaps he knows something we don't," Hogni finally said.

"Ha…ha…ha," Bell huffed as he worked to catch his breath.

"Ha…ha…ha," Ottar huffed from across the field before he straightened his back. "Take a break. Ten minutes."

"I can keep going," Bell assured him.

"It is not a question of if you can keep going, but whether you should," Ottar replied sternly. "Take a break."

Bell, not wanting to argue with the boaz, eased out of his fighting position and nodded.

A couple of minutes passed as Bell sat on the ground, drinking his water and eyeing the Freya familia captain.

"Why did you agree to help me?" the Red Dawn finally asked. "It wasn't just for Freya's sake."

"No, it was not for Freya-sama," the older man answered gruffly. "I agreed for my own sake," he paused as he drank deeply from his waterskin. "I have been interested in your growth for nearly as long as my lady has been. You have potential, Bell Cranel. Potential I wish to see realized. For that to happen, you must break free from this prison around your mind."

"I…see."

"However." Ottar quickly cut back in, his eyes darkening as anger peeked from the corners of his eyes, "that is not the only reason. You see, I expect a repayment for this favor I am granting you. Soon enough, I will demand you repay it and satisfy the bitterness your actions and your failures have left in my mouth. Is that clear?"

Bell, fully understanding what his fellow familia captain was saying, nodded.

"I understand."

"Good," Ottar straightened and raised his sword. "Then let us continue."

Bell rose to his feet and raised the Hestia knife and his short sword.

Bell tired, battered, and bruised in body, but determined in spirit, slowly made his way back home.

"Hooo. Hooo."

Bell's eyes turned and he found a familial, mechanical owl looking down upon him.

Fels.

He turned and followed after the owl as it flew down an alleyway.

Once he reached the darkest part of the alley, the robed mage appeared and bowed in greetings to Bell.

"Good afternoon, Bell Cranel," Fels greeted.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Fels," Bell returned.

"Your message was received by the Xenos and I have Asterius's reply."

Bell's heart began to thunder in his chest.

"When and where?" was all the young man asked.

"'One week from Fels's return. In the sun.'" Fels repeated.

"How long did it take you to return?"

"Three days."

"Meaning I have four days," Bell calculated, his eyes moving towards the sky before he nodded. "That will be enough. Thank you, Fels."

"Of course, Bell Cranel," the mage bowed.

Bell headed out of the alleyway and continued on his way home as Fels's empty eye sockets watched.

"Good luck young man."

"Here ya go, Bell, the newest set of your armor, Pyonkichi Mk-VI armor with additional Argonaut elements!" Welf declared, presenting the set to Bell.

The Hestia captain looked at the new armor set and smiled. It was quite like the armor he used during the final fight of the tournament, but did contain a few differences. The neck guard was more pronounced, but the greaves were the same golden color as before. It came with the same crown-like band as before, but it did not have the additional scale armor connected to the pauldrons, instead it focused on staying light to play to Bell's greatest strength, his speed.

"It's great Welf. Thank you."

"You're welcome Bell, but I would like to know why you needed it so quickly. Who are you expecting to fight?" the smith asked with some trepidation.

"You'll know soon," Bell answered with the same cryptidness that he'd been using for the past week.

"Is the reason you're not telling any of us because you know we won't like it when we find out who or what it is?"

"I'm not sure Hestia is happy when I'm fighting anyone. A butterfly could be my opponent and she might worry that it was carrying some terrible disease," Bell joked.

"Bell."

The Hestia captain lost his smile and sighed.

"I need to do this Welf. To get back who I was," he met his big brother's eyes. "And yes, I suspect that if I told you who I was fighting, you all might intervene. I don't want that. I…can't allow that," his eyes turned back to the armor. His hand traced its edges before he continued, "I need this fight Welf. It won't be easy, and you guys will be all sorts of mad at me afterwards, but I have to do it. So please," Bell turned back to the older adventurer, "trust me. Believe in me. And watch me when it comes."

Welf held his younger brother's gaze for a few seconds before slowly approaching Bell and scuffing up his hair.

"Of course I'm gonna believe in you. That's a given isn't it?"

Bell smiled and silently thanked Welf with his eyes.

"Yeah…I guess it is."

Achilles and Hestia watched as Bell and Welf slowly headed back towards the Hearthfire Manor, smiling and hanging off each other like brothers.

"You know who he's planning to fight, right?" Hestia asked.

"Yeah," Achilles confirmed.

"It's going to be one of the hardest battles he's ever fought, and he'll be doing it all alone," she continued.

"Because he needs to. Because that's the only way he can break through the last of his doubt and self-loathing."

"That doesn't make any of this easier for me, Achilles-kun."

"Nor does it make it easier for me. I can't even offer to train him, but have to wait for him to return everyday from Folksvangr, hoping that, by the end of this, he'll be back in our arms as he was before Dionysus, or, if Fate is truly kind, even better than he was before."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"If things are going against him, intervene," Hestia stated.

Achilles turned to her.

"If I do that, he'll never forgive us."

"I don't care. I'd rather have his scorn and disappointment for the next millenia than lose him after finally having him in my arms again. So, I'm ordering you, Achilles, if the battle is going against Bell, intervene."

The force of her voice and the power in her sapphire eyes did not leave any room for discussion. As such, Achilles merely nodded.

"Very well."

"Excellent. Just excellent," Hermes sang as he watched Bell and Welf head back inside. "Bell is retaking his position as the last hero and I don't even have to lift a finger."

"So I take it then that you're happy about these developments?" Asfi asked, though she truly did not need to.

"Oh I'm very happy. Lancelot, the Knight of Knights, is planning to attack Bell at the same time dear Bell himself plans to finish the fight with his first rival. Combined they shall push him to even higher limits and utterly restore his reputation. Soon, songs shall be sung across the world of the captain of the Hestia familia, and I shall be right there in the middle of it, recording and, of course, facilitating it."

Asfi sighed and looked down on the Hearthfire Manor.

Take care, Bell Cranel. Dionysus and Tiamat may have just been the beginning of your true struggles.

The day had finally arrived.

Bell checked over his armor and his weapons one more time and, seeing that everything was where it should be, he nodded and set out through the still dark hall of his home.

The sun had yet to rise as he exited the manor, but that only served to make it easier for Bell to reach his destination and for his onlookers to watch him.

"It's time," Hermes smiled, signaling for one of his familia members to head towards the Guild, where Ouranos, Ganesha, and Shakti awaited news.

"Good luck Bell," Freya whispered as she placed a hand against the glass of the window.

Fight well, Bell Cranel, Ottar added.

"He's moving, Sir Lancelot!"

The Knight of Knights strode to the edge of the building and watched as Bell slowly made his way onto the streets of Orario.

"He's fully armed," Alexander noted, "an attack upon him now would be foolish. He clearly suspects something," he added, trying to dissuade his superior from his current path.

"Or he's planning something," Lancelot countered as he watched Bell head for Babel. "We follow…for now."

Bell continued down the street lamp lit streets, feeling the eyes upon him, but ignoring them. He had a purpose and he meant to complete it.

Soon enough, the great circle that surrounded Babel was revealed to him, along with a familiar figure.

"Morning Bell," Achilles greeted.

"Morning Dad," Bell returned as he walked over to the veteran adventurer. "Are you going to try to stop me?"

Achilles shook his head.

"I understand you need to do this, even if I really don't like it," he answered before unsheathing Dragonsbane. "Here. I've said already that it'll be yours one day, and it seems fitting that you should have it for this fight."

Bell eyed the blade and was tempted to take it, but eventually shook his head.

"I appreciate that, Dad, I really do, but Dragonbane isn't mine yet, it's yours, but this is my fight. I started it in the Dungeon all those months ago, nearly lost it at the foot of Babel, and now," he eyed the tower and suddenly smiled, "I mean to avenge my defeat with my own strength."

Achilles looked at his smiling son and, even in this situation, could not help back smile in turn.

"Alright," he sheathed the longsword. "Then I'll simply wish you good luck."

"Thanks Dad," Bell turned, only to stop. "Don't interfere," he stated. "No matter what. This is my fight. Win or lose, it's mine."

The force of that final word prevented Achilles from responding, at least before Bell continued towards Babel, back straight, and eyes filled with the fire of a hero.

Did he hear Hestia and I? Achilles wondered as he watched his son go. No…he just knows us too well.

The ex-captain sighed.

"Then it's all up to you, Bell."

Bell took his place before the entrance of the Dungeon and began to wait. Truth be told, Asterius had given no indication that he would come in the morning, but instinct told him that as soon as the sun showed itself, so too would his rival appear.

All around him, he heard what he quickly discovered was the Ganesha familia, closing off the square and turning away what few adventurers were found this early in the morning. Yet all of that didn't matter, all that mattered was the fight to come.

Breathe. Imagine the flame. Keep control. Keep calm, he took a deep breath, held it, then released it. I will not use that power today. Today, it's just me. All of me versus all of Asterius.

Thud.

He tensed. The dull noise was distant, so distant that a rabbit chienthrope would have had difficulty hearing it, but to Bell, it was as clear as a church's choir.

Thud.

"He's here."

And just in time, for the sun was just breaking over the horizon.

"Come on, why can't we go into the Dungeon?! It's finally been opened after more than a week of restraints!" an angry adventurer yelled.

"The Guild has been alerted to a danger and closed the Dungeon and the plaza around it until said danger is cleared," a Ganesha familia member replied.

"That's bull!"

"Yeah! If there's some danger, why is there one guy standing out there by himself?!"

Shakti, who was doing her best to control the increasing number of adventurers, turned towards where Bell stood.

You are very brave, Bell Cranel, or perhaps very foolish, she thought as she remembered the black minotaur that had so easily crushed her and her expedition.

Thud.

She tensed. That sound. That tremor. It was unmistakable.

Thud.

"Take your positions!" she bellowed, startling both the upset adventurers and her own familia.

"Something's happening," Alexander noted as he watched the Ganesha familia begin taking up defensive positions all around the Tower.

"Something's coming," Lancelot stated darkly as his eyes pointed towards the Dungeon. "Something powerful."

Alexander did not like the sound of that at all and his eyes moved towards the Dungeon, and then towards Bell.

Does he plan to fight it alone?

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Each step boomed louder and louder in Achilles's ears as his fist tightened around his bicep.

"It's Asterius, isn't it?"

Achilles turned and found Finn, Loki, and Hestia behind him.

"Yes," Achilles answered his goddess.

"Then we're in for one heck of a fight, but one I'm sure the kiddo will win," Loki joined, doing her best to reassure her fellow goddess.

"Yes, he'll win. He has to," the hearth goddess replied.

Finn and Achilles shared a look before turning back to the square that would soon be a battlefield.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud!

"Hehe, here he comes," Hermes said with delight. "Ouranos, may I request the use of my Divine Mirror?"

"This is not a War Game, Hermes," the distant god responded.

"True, but it is just as grand. Bell Cranel, the Red Dawn, the future Last Hero, versus his rival, the great black minotaur, Asterius. Surely that is something the people will want to see?"

A long silence was his answer while the distant booms drew ever closer.

"Very well," Ouranos agreed.

"My sincerest thanks," Hermes replied before summoning his mirror.

"So that's your game, Hermes," Freya said as she saw the mirror appear. "Very well, I will join you, but only so Bell's victory may be displayed to the whole city. Ouranos."

"Permission granted," the Guild god conceded.

"What the-?" Loki called as she saw the Divine Mirror appear.

"Hermes," Hestia stated.

"And Freya, if I had to guess," the trickster goddess added as a second mirror appeared. "You want me to tell 'em to knock it off?"

"No," her companion goddess said and, after a moment, she called out, "Ouranos."

"You wish to use your power as well?"

"Yes. Not to show off, but because, when Bell wins, I want the whole city to see his triumph so that the last vestiges of scorn will be burned away," she explained.

Scorn ain't that easily dealt with, Chibi, if anything, I fear that him winning will only make the jealousy deeper and Sir Sparkle Butt more scornful Loki noted, turningher eyes towards the distant Camelot knight. Still, maybe I can be a little optimistic this time around.

"Tag me in too, Ouranos," the redhead commented.

"Very well, both of you may use your mirrors."

"Thank you," Hestia said before she and Loki summoned their mirrors.

Thus, the stage was set, complete with screens for the entire city to watch as Bell's final battle with Asterius commenced. And watch they would, for word soon spread that something was going down and that something big was headed to the surface.

Thud!

Thud!

THUD!

Bell watched and waited as the ground shook, far more eager than scared for the battle to come. In fact, as the steps grew ever louder, he could not help the smile that grew upon his lips.

Finally…Asterius appeared.

"It's the black minotaur!" someone screamed.

That scream echoed through the city and was soon passing through its streets like blood racing through veins.

"What is that beast?" Lancelot questioned, instinctively grabbing his sword as the power of the irregular washed over him.

"I…I don't know. I've never seen a monster like that, nor felt such…pressure," Alexander replied as a bead of sweat dripped down his temple.

Is he really going to fight that thing?

"Yeesh, he's even scarier than the last time he was up here," Loki commented, her eye opening enough to take in the Xenos.

"There's no doubt about that. Without him I'm not sure we would have been able to defeat Dionysus," Finn replied honestly.

"Is he really that powerful?" Hestia asked nervously.

Finn paused, knowing that the truth would only further scare her, but also knowing he couldn't lie to a deity.

"He's powerful enough to take Bell on in his White Dragon form, if only briefly," the captain answered. "If I had to guess, he was a solid level eight during that fight. Now…" he turned back to the monster, feeling the pressure rolling off the powerful black bull, "I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he was equivalent to a level nine."

Hestia began to shake.

"A-Achilles."

A soft, but strong hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Trust in him, Hestia," Achilles told her. "He's the strongest person I know. He'll win."

She looked up at him, but found his eyes pointed towards the Xenos and his son as his hand tightened on her shoulder.

"Right," she replied, nodding. She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed. "Right. He'll win."

"The Red Dawn is fighting that black minotaur again!" the civilian cried as they burst into the Guild.

"WHAT?!" Eina cried, before utterly abandoning her duties and rushing towards the door.

"Eina! Damn it!" Misha cried as she ran after her friend, most of the Guild following suit. It wasn't like they were going to have much work to do until the battle was complete anyway.

"Geez, what's going on?" Lili questioned as she, the Hestia familia, and all their guests, watched as people rushed down the street towards the Tower of Babel and noise shook the city.

"Oh, my gut's telling me something's off," Ajax noted as his wife held onto his arm.

"I don't think any of us need your gut to tell us that something is happening," Dido commented.

"It's the black minotaur!" someone cried from the street. "Bell Cranel is fighting the black minotaur in Babel Plaza!"

Instantly, the Hestia familia's eyes, along with the eyes of their guests, all widened.

"That's who he's fighting?!" Welf yelled.

"You knew?!" Lili screamed.

"I knew he was fighting someone, he wouldn't upgrade his armor for no reason, but I didn't know he was fighting Asterius!" Welf defended.

"We need to get to the square!" Haruhime cried.

"Is this…Asterius really so powerful?" Mania asked with clear anxiety.

"He's already beaten Bell-sama once and that was when he was half-dead and one-armed. Now, he's much stronger and…and…" Lili stopped.

"And…what?" Alfia pressed.

A moment of silence passed before Mikoto answered.

"This is meant to be their last fight. Whoever wins walks away. Whoever loses…doesn't."

The eyes of everyone not already in the know, widened to insane proportions.

"Bell is in a fight to death with someone he's already lost to?!" Alfia roared. She did not wait for an answer, but ran off towards the plaza, the Hestia familia and company following after.

Everyone was in such a panic, that they didn't even notice that Ais had long left their side and was shooting towards the square.

No. No, I can't lose you. Not now. Not after just getting you back. No! Not ever!

Tears peeked at the corners of Ais's golden orbs, but she brushed the offending droplets away and pushed herself harder towards the Tower.

It took her almost no time to reach it given her drive, and she was prepared to rush to Bell's side, but suddenly, she felt something pulling on her side.

Looking down, she found her sword pulling her away from the square. In her airborne state, she had no chance to resist and was pulled back down to the ground.

"Noooo!" she cried as she tried to pull herself from Desperate. She stopped when she saw Loki, Finn, Hestia, and Achilles below her, the last with a glowing outstretched hand pointed right at her.

A few seconds later, Achilles grabbed her and put her down on the ground.

"Why did you stop me?!" she demanded of the former captain.

"Because this isn't your battle, nor is it a battle for lovers. This is a battle between rivals, and if you love and respect Bell, you'll stay out of it," Achilles answered.

"But-"

"Ais," Finn cut in, "if his own father can resist the urge to get involved in this fight, then so can you."

Ais stared at her captain before turning back to Achilles. Now that she had time to look at him, she saw the way he was gripping Hestia's shoulder and the way the goddess gently held his hand.

"I…I won't watch him die," the golden young woman stated.

"No one's asking you to, Ais-tan," Loki joined, "in fact, if things really look like your bunny boy's in real danger, then I'm ordering you to intervene."

"Loki," Hestia whispered.

"I don't have any special love for rabbit butt, so if he gets mad at me for saving his hide…again, then I'll take it as an opportunity to chew him out for all his recklessness," her fellow goddess replied, her voice serious, but her smile reassuring.

"I guess then…" Hestia smiled back, "there's nothing I can do."

"You're darn right."

"It's finally time! The crowds have gathered! The friends and family are watching! And the fighters stand at the ready! So!" Hermes raised a hand. "LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUMBLE!"

Bell did not pay the least bit of attention to the noise that surrounded him as Asterius drew near. In fact, he didn't even hear it, so focused was he on his rival.

Asterius slowly approached, his powerful steps breaking stone underhoof and shaking the ground like miniature earthquakes until at last he stood a dozen paces away from Bell.

In one hand was his usual great ax, looking as terrible as ever, but on his back was a great sword larger than any Bell had ever seen. The handle itself was nearly half as tall as Bell and it carried a large black diamond in its pommel. The Xenos had also gained new armor as his entire chest was now covered in thick plate armor, not too unlike what Ottar wore during the tournament, just less complete. He also wore silver greaves and blood red gauntlets. All in all, he was absolutely ready for battle and intended to win it just as fiercely as Bell did.

Are you ready, my rival? He silently asked from across the square.

I am, Bell confirmed.

Asterius smiled then raised his great horned head.

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The two rivals charged, rushing straight towards.

When they were within range, Asterius raised his ax and Bell raised the Hestia knife. They both swung and their weapons met in the middle.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The force of the opening blow was enough to send several Ganesha familia members and civilians flying, knock Hermes onto his butt, and startle even the veteran adventurers now looking down upon their battle.

"What are these two made of?!" Loki cried as wind whipped past them.

Nearby, Lancelot watched with horrified eyes.

Is this what these two are capable of? Is this their power?!

That realization, once it settled in, further cemented his steel-clad conviction that Bell Cranel, should he survive this battle, needed to die.

The two warriors growled as their weapons grinded against the other, but with neither side gaining the advantage.

Knowing he needed to break the stalemate, Bell raised his left hand.

"Firebolt!"

The spell slammed into Asterius's face, but with little effect, beyond forcing the bull back.

Using this chance, Bell jumped back, then shot back at his rival, aiming his dagger at the Xenos's unguarded thigh.

Asterius, unperturbed, noticed the attack and slammed his hoof down on the ground, breaking the stones and knocking Bell off balance.

"Awoo!" Asterius bellowed as he counter charged, swinging his great ax at Bell's torso.

Bell brought up his knife and took the swing head-on, which proved too much even for his considerable strength as he flew across the square. He was in control however, and landed on his feet gracefully.

Seeing Asterius charging to press his advantage, Bell unsheathed his short sword and charged to meet his rival once more.

Bell, Eina thought with heart-quaking worry as she, and an ever increasing number of onlookers, watched the battle, either through the mirrors or, like her, from atop one of the buildings overlooking the square.

"He'll be alright, Eina," Rose said, stepping forward, "if he can take on that giant dragon, he can take on one big cow."

"Rose."

"That's right!" Misha jumped in. "He's gotten super strong! If anyone can beat that minotaur one-on-one, it's Bell after all!"

Eina, despite everything, couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Right," she agreed.

"It is interesting that this fight is one-on-one though," Rehmer pointed out.

"Why? That's what happened last time he fought that minotaur," Sophie pointed out.

"That was because the Loki and Freya familia were busy and every other adventurer was too scared to fight that monster. But look around," the section leader gestured around. "There's adventurers everywhere, including Achilles Caesar himself, but everyone's just watching. Then of course, there's the mirrors," he pointed towards the divine instruments. "If I had to guess, I'd say this all was planned."

"That's crazy!" Misha cried.

"Maybe not," Rose stated. "The gods love their entertainment and what better entertainment is there than the classic, hero vs. monster fight?"

"Precisely, which is why I'm worried," Rehmer added. "If this is for entertainment then we should expect there to be a surprise or two, and if I know anything about the gods, it's that their surprises genuinely don't bode well for us mortals."

Eina's fearful eyes returned to Bell as her heart began to truly thunder.

BOOM!

CLANG!

CRACK!

The two rivals battled each other, attacking and countering so quickly that most watching the battle couldn't even keep up.

With a bellow, Asterius raised his ax and Bell, seeing an opportunity, sank down on his knees.

"Awooo!" the minotaur roared before bringing the ax down.

Bell jumped back, saving himself from the weapon, but not the debris, which smashed against his flesh and armor like miniature arrows. However, he did not let that distract him as he gathered his strength into his legs, then jumped over his opponent.

"Firebolt! Firebolt! Firebolt!" Bell chanted, firing off spell after spell at Asterius.

The bull, though largely unaffected by the attacks, raised his ax to guard against them until Bell landed on his feet.

Not wanting to lose what little initiative he'd gained, Bell immediately charged, slamming into Asterius's armored chest and sending the Xenos tumbling back. With his rival knocked off balance, Bell unleashed a flurry of attacks with his knife and short sword, aiming for all the unarmored parts of Asterius's body.

Soon, blood dripped from over a dozen cuts as Bell pushed Asterius further and further back. All across the city, people cheered, thinking that the Hestia captain was close to victory, but this was far from the case, for such tiny flesh wounds would not be near enough to stop the great black bull.

"Awoo!" Asterius howled, startling Bell and leaving him open to a counter-attack, which the Xenos promptly enacted by tripping Bell's feet out from under him.

Bell began to fall, but did not get far as Asterius grabbed him by his neck armor, then slammed him into the ground below.

"Gah!"

Asterius was far from finished though and began to drag the young man across the square, sparks flying from Bell's armor as it scraped against the stone below.

Not out of the fight, despite the pain he was suffering from, Bell stabbed the Hestia knife deep into Asterius's exposed arm, making the bull growl before he used all his tremendous strength to throw Bell across the rest of the square and straight into the Tower of Babel.

Boom!

The sound of Bell's body slamming into the tower echoed through the city, ending all cheers.

"Bwah!" Bell gasped as blood shot from his mouth.

"That thing is killing him!" Alfia roared as she prepared to intervene.

"He's been knocked down, but he's far from out," Welf stated.

"And am I supposed to just stand here and watch my nephew be turned to pulp boy?" the white-haired demanded, her terrifying aura nearly drowning the smith who began to sweat buckets.

"This is Bell's fight. It's obvious he wanted to do it alone given how secretive he was about it," Ryuu joined.

"You think that matters a single fig to me, elf? The only thing that matters to me at this moment is saving him," Alfia shot back and took a step forward, only for Haruhime to block her path.

"Please. Believe in Bell. Believe in his strength," she pleaded, though it was clear she was having an extremely difficult time watching the carnage.

"Girl-" Alfia was prevented from continuing when Mania placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He needs this, Alfia. It's his means of taking his life back. Of becoming who he was before. Let him fight. Let him fight with his own strength and win with his own strength," the goddess told.

"But-"

"I'm not asking you to like it. None of us do, but we have to let him fight this battle…alone," Mania told her.

Alfia turned back to the battle, which seemed to be only getting worse, but she could not ignore Mania's words.

"Fine. I won't intervene, but so help me if I lose him..."

The sword dropped from Bell's hand as he did his best to recover from the blow he'd just received, but Asterius wasn't about to let him recover and lowered his horns.

"AWOOOOO!"

The sound of his rival's roar snapped Bell back to reality and he watched with wide eyes as Asterius charged right towards him, horns ready to gore.

Gritting his teeth, Bell waited for precisely the right moment and then moved just enough out of the way to save himself from Asterius's horns.

Asterius's charge smashed into the building, shaking the very tower and crushing Bell against the stone.

"Guh," Bell growled before he began to punch and elbow the top of Asterius's skull before plunging his knife repeating into Asterius's neck and back.

"Ugh," the bull groaned as his back was torn open. Acting quickly, he punched Bell in the stomach, making the Hestia captain cough up more blood, then, using all his tremendous strength, Asterius tore through the Tower with his horns, dragging Bell along the way, then, upon breaking free of the stone, flipped the young man across the square.

Bell bounced across the pavement until, battered and bloodied, he at last came to a halt.

"Ah," he groaned as he picked himself up.

RING

RING

RING

Bell looked down at his hand and saw it was now glowing with the power of his Argonaut and he looked back at his rival as a plan began to form in his mind.

"Take cover! Everyone take cover!" Shakti ordered as the ringing continued.

"What are you planning to do now, monster?" Lancelot asked out loud. "Will you attack head on, or is there something else slithering around in that serpentine head of yours?"

"Oooh, things are getting good. Bell-kun wasn't able to win with just his Argonaut last time, but he's much stronger now, so maybe that will be enough for him to win a glorious and flashy victory!" Hermes declared as he bounced in place.

"This fight isn't over," Achilles stated, "not by a long shot."

RING

RING

RING

That should do it, Bell thought as he raised his glowing hand.

Asterius, seeing this, took out his greatsword and used it and his ax to form a shield against the attack he expected to come.

RING.

"FIRE-!" Bell roared, only to suddenly aim towards the sky, "BOLT!"

The spell shot up into the sky as everyone, including Asterius, watched in surprise.

Suddenly, the spell exploded, filling the area with such blinding light, it was as if a second sun had suddenly appeared right above the city.

"Ugh," Asterius groaned as he was blinded, just as Bell had planned.

Shooting off with all his speed, Bell passed right by Asterius's ax and sword and stopped behind his foe where he began to slice, cut, slash, and tear open the minotaur's back.

Growling in pain and rage, Asterius spun around, aiming to cleave Bell at the waist, but the young man was ready and jumped over the attack. Asterius then raised his sword, but Bell was quicker and shot another Firebolt into the minotaur's face, sending him tumbling back.

Landing on his feet, Bell continued his attack, throwing his left fist into Asterius's unguarded right knee, shattering it and sending the Xenos to the ground.

"Raaaa!" Bell cried as he cut the bull across the stomach, then punched him square in the jaw, then cut his right bicep, then sent Asterius's head flying back with a powerful uppercut. Over and over, he cut, jabbed, slashed, punched, and otherwise inflicted evermore terrible injuries upon the minotaur until it looked like he would truly win.

"He's winning," Ais said hopefully as her hand began to relax upon her sword.

"No," Finn cut in, "he merely has the initiative right now."

"A level eight wouldn't go down that easily, and certainly not a potential level nine," Achilles added, his eyes watching the fight anxiously, as if he was waiting for something.

Ais turned back to the fight and soon saw what the father had been waiting for.

Asterius dropped his ax and, to the regular onlooker, it would seem as if he was now too weak to hold onto the great weapon, but this was not the case.

Bell continued his onslaught, blood splattering his front, until Asterius's now free hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his skull.

"My turn," the bull stated before slamming Bell's face into his left knee.

"Gah!" Bell groaned as his nose was smashed, but his pain was only as the Xenos twirled his sword around and stabbed it straight through the Hestia captain's right foot, pinning him to the ground.

Bell didn't even have time to scream as Asterius began his counter-assault, punching and pulverizing the young man's body with blow after blow, breaking bone, bending armor, and turning his rival into the human equivalent of ground beef.

Tears streamed down Eina's face and over both her hands, which now covered her horrified mouth.

"Holy…shit," Rose whispered as she watched the mangling beat down.

"How can anyone sur-" Sophie tried to say, only for Rehmer to cut her off with a raised hand and a look.

"He'll…he'll be alright, Eina. He's survived worse than this," Misha tried to reassure her friend, poor though her attempt was as she herself could not believe her words. "Yeah! He'll be fine and you can scold him for always getting into-"

"AWOOOOOOOOO!"

This is the end. The monster will die and the minotaur will be weakened and easily dealt with, Lancelot thought with both relief and pleasure. And the golden princess will finally be free of her draconic captor.

"AWOOOOOOOOO!"

Asterius continued beating the living hell out of Bell until, at last, with victory in the palm of his clawed hand, he let out a triumphant bellow.

"AWOOOOOOOOO!"

He then punched Bell straight across the square, tearing the young man's foot open and sending splatters of blood all across the courtyard.

Bell flew all the way across the square until, at last, he slammed into the wall of a building, shaking the whole stone structure and nearly sending it tumbling down.

"Bwuah!" Bell spat out another, far larger wad of blood, before collapsing to the ground.

"Hey…hey kid…are you alright?" a Ganesha familia member asked.

Bell did not respond. He could not.

"Bell! Bell! Get up!" Shakti cried as she arrived on the scene. Still, Bell did not respond. "Shit! Get the heal-"

"Awoooooo!"

She and the other Ganesha members froze and turned back to the minotaur who was slowly dragging himself towards his rivals.

Leave him. Our fight is not done, his glowing red eyes told them.

Too terrified to resist the power of the Xenos, Shakti could only turn her eyes back to the young man on the ground before her.

Get up Bell. Get up!

"Get up," Hermes growled. "This cannot be the end of your legend. No no no, you are meant to be the last hero, Bell. You have to win this and every challenge presented to you until you finally kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon and complete the Great Quests! You cannot fall now! So get…UP!"

"Ais," Loki said, her voice deadly serious and her eyes both open. "I'm giving you permission now."

Ais, having suffered through Bell's torment, did not wait a moment more and shot off towards the battle.

Get up. Get up, Bell thought as he placed his hand under him.

"Get up," he whispered, his voice too weak for proper conversation. "Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up," he growled.

Raising his slitted eyes, he found Asterius approaching him and the rage in his heart grew.

"I will not fall now. Not after everything. Not…ever!"

Picking himself up, to the shock and relief of nearly everyone around him, Bell met his rival's eyes and growled.

Asterius paused at seeing his rival on his feet again and, more importantly, noting the dark energy that now surrounded him.

He's using that power again, the Xenos noted, but that doesn't matter, in fact, I'm glad he is. It would not be a true victory if he did not use all his strength.

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the great beast bellowed, shaking the city.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAR!" the White Dragon roared back, his terrible power quaking the very earth.

The White Dragon was about to attack when he saw a familiar mass of gold appear just behind Asterius, ready to strike.

"Nooo!" Bell cried as he shot towards Asterius or, more accurately, towards Ais.

Asterius, sensing a new presence behind him turned and found Ais ready to strike him down. However, her attention quickly shifted from him towards something else. Asterius turned and barely had time to register his rival shooting past him.

Ais, who was completely unprepared for her lover to suddenly grab her, could do nothing as his arms grabbed her and pulled her away from the Xenos.

"No Ais! This is my fight!" he yelled. Before she could even think of a response, he pulled her into his chest then shot off towards where he knew his father was.

Within seconds, he was before Achilles, Finn, Loki, and his own goddess, and placed his lover down.

"Stay," he commanded before shooting right back to the fight.

"Bell," Ais finally managed.

A hand on her shoulder made her turn and she found Achilles smiling at her.

"He would never accept help in a fight like this, no matter his condition," he said, "but I think your intervention did give him the drive he needs to win, so it wasn't a complete failure."

Ais, still reeling from all that had happened, slowly returned her gaze to her lover.

Please Bell. Please win and come back to me.

Why?! Why would you try to save him?! Why, my golden princess?! Lancelot internally roared as he looked upon Ais.

Bell landed in front of Asterius who had been no move since his rival's sudden departure.

"Sorry about that."

"It is of little consequence. She did no damage," Asterius replied.

"Still, she shouldn't have interfered. That said," Bell began to undo his armor, "I think it's time we finished this."

Piece by piece, he took off his armor, most of which was heavily damaged anyway, and let it drop to the ground.

Asterius nodded and began to undo his own armor. After a minute or so, both had been stripped of their protection and now had only their knife and greatsword as protection.

Bell held out the Hestia knife and Asterius did likewise with his sword.

A moment passed before them before, without a word or a signal, their battle began again.

The two rushed at each other like so many times before, and Asterius attempted to cleave his rival from shoulder and hip with his greatsword, only for Bell to twirl around the blade and cut the minotaur diagonally across his torso.

Grunting, Asterius quickly kicked Bell in the side, sending him soaring across the square.

Though in monstrous amounts of pain, Bell managed to land on his feet and continue the fight.

Asterius lashed out again, this time with an overhead cut. In response, Bell did not dodge like before, but parried the blade so that he could then stab Asterius through his right arm.

Twisting the blade, Bell managed to shatter the bone, forcing the Xenos to drop the sword.

"Firebolt!"

The spell slammed into the bull's face, making him take a step back and opening him up for further attacks.

Bell shot to the side, cutting a long slash across his rival's stomach, before quickly opening up a second, sending blood pouring onto the ground below.

Asterius, still not out of the fight, grabbed Bell's skull and slammed into the ground.

"Guh!" Bell groaned as Asterius grabbed his greatsword with his left hand and aimed it at Bell's heart before thrusting down.

Bell grabbed the sword point and growled as he used the last of his strength holding back the blade that was so close to ending his life.

"Grrrrr," Asterius growled as he put his full strength into pushing the blade down.

Slowly, bit by bit, the sword drew closer to Bell's heart.

I will not let things end here. If I want to win I have to use all my strength, even that part of me I hate, Bell thought as he closed his eyes. Breathe. Control it. Don't let it control you. This is your power. It's how you use it that matters. Just. Don't. Let. It. Control. You.

Bell's draconic eyes opened as strength returned to his limbs.

Scales began to spread across his now clawed hands and he began to push back against Asterius's might.

Not willing to give up just yet, despite his opponent's renewed strength, Asterius gave one final, great push on the sword.

Clang!

His eyes widened as, instead of piercing Bell's heart, the sword smashed against his rival's scales.

"My turn," Bell said before his fist lashed out and broke the sword's blade. He then opened his maw and fired a blast of magic at Asterius, forcing the bull back and freeing himself.

Asterius did his best to recover from the attack, but his strength was draining from him and, despite everything, his rival continued to press him.

I chose well, he thought. A moment later, Bell's scaled fist punched him in the gut, sending him across the plaza.

"Ha…ha…ha…ha," Bell sighed as he did his best to regain his breath.

"Huff…huff…huff…huff," Asterius did likewise and for a moment, the two simply stared at each other.

RING

RING

RING

Bell's eyes turned to his hand again before shifting back to Asterius.

It's time to finish this.

Asterius nodded and dropped his sword, before taking a charging position.

Bell took a deep breath and then closed his eyes once again.

Summon it all. All your power. All your strength. Just like with Tiamat. Bring it to the surface and use it to win!

RING

Slowly, golden light began to flow from Bell's eyes, through his veins. At the same time, his dragon horns and tail appeared, but were quickly consumed by the golden power.

Asterius watched as this transformation occurred, smiling the entire time.

So that's what all your strength looks like, Bell.

"Good."

Finally, Bell stood before his rival, golden, scaled, glowing, and ready to finish their battle.

"Give me your everything," Bell told him as he raised his knife.

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Asterius bellowed before he charged.

This time, Bell did not roar back, but simply charged to meet him and when they met for this final clash, the resounding burst of light and explosion of sound would burn itself into the memories of everyone who saw it. Even when they were reincarnated, those who witnessed it would still dream of that moment, so etched into their hearts and souls was the sight.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Screams and shouts erupted around the square, but this was of no consequence to either of the combatants, all that mattered was their fight.

The two grinded against each other, pouring everything that was left of their strength into this fight as they stared into each other's eyes.

"You have fought well, Bell," Asterius stated.

"So have you, Asterius, however," Bell's fist tightened, "I need to return to everyone. They're all waiting for me, and I will not disappoint them."

Slowly, Bell's knife began to push Asterius's horn back and, try as he might, the great monster could not fight back. At last, with a cry, Bell forced Asterius's head up, freeing them from the battle of wills.

Not wasting a second, Bell pulled the Hestia knife back then poured all his power into the blade. Soon, it began to glow and elongate into a bright golden flaming blade.

"Raaaaaaaaaaa!" Bell roared before plunging straight into Asterius's heart.

And then…there was silence.

Asterius spat out a wad of blood and then turned his yellow eyes to his rival.

"Good job…Bell. Looks like you're the greater warrior," Asterius said with a smile.

"Thank you, Asterius. You were the greatest warrior I've ever fought and I am proud to call you my rival…and my friend."

Asterius's smile grew until he practically mirrored Bell's million valis grin.

"Thank you, my friend. Guess I'll be seeing you around."

With that, Asterius burst into dust.

Bell watched as his rival and friend's dust gently flowed down around him and he smiled.

"Yeah…I'll be seeing you."

A great cheer went up from all around him and Bell, startled, turned around, only for Ais to suddenly appear before him and pull him into a hug.

"Don't you ever kick me out of a fight again," she ordered.

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her as best as he could.

"No promises."

Waves of people began rushing towards the victor, the first after Ais naturally being Achilles, then Alfia, and soon after the Hestia familia and co..

"You are in so much trouble, young man," Alfia warned.

Bell simply kept beaming and, despite her attempts at being angry, his aunt couldn't resist his smiling face for long and began to softly smile and stroke his hair.

Soon, Bell was at the center of a large crowd, half of which wanted to congratulate him, half of which wanted to scold him for the danger he put himself in and for the worry he put them through. No matter what though, Bell kept smiling and soon, after receiving medical treatment, was being carried victoriously towards the Hearthfire Manor.

Lancelot audibly growled.

I should have intervened. This would have been the prime opportunity to destroy the serpent.

"It would have been unwise to intervene, Sir Lancelot," Alexander stated, guessing at his superior's thoughts. "Cutting down Bell Cranel would have undoubtedly caused conflict with Orario."

"This mercenary city is too disunited to start a war with Camelot," the knight hissed. "They prefer fighting each other to anyone else, especially a country as strong as the Holy Kingdom."

"Nothing unites people like a common enemy, especially a strong one, and I'll remind you that even Aphrodite only wanted him banished, killing him was not a part of the plan."

The Knight of Knights glared at the prince who managed to withstand the glare for he knew he was right.

"Bell Cranel is too dangerous to be left alive," Lancelot stated before taking a deep breath, "but I shall concede that his removal should be done in such a way as to not place blame upon the Holy Kingdom."

Not much of a concession, Alexander thought before he and the Holy Kingdom entourage headed back to their quarters.

Hades watched as his great-nephew was taken away in the crowd of cheering citizens and sighed.

"It appears keeping him out of trouble will be even more difficult than I thought," he rubbed his face. "And with each new challenge, with each foe defeated, he shall become stronger until, finally, Chaos will come to claim him," his eyes fell back upon the young man and a tear slid down his cheek. "I hope you will be ready when that day comes, Bell, for it will be the most difficult day of your life."

And doneso!

Whelp, the final battle between Bell and Asterius is complete! I have been waiting to do this one for I think a good three years now and I'm soooo happy I finally got it done!

I am sorry this chapter took so long to get out guys, I've been focusing more on my second book as I really want to get it out this year and I've also been in the process of moving and thus, have been quite busy. That said, I shouldn't have left you guys hanging for so long, and for that I'm sorry.

With my usual groveling out of the way, it's time for me to do my usual shilling. So everyone, tell me what you think. Love the fight? Hated it? Wanted me to get to it more quickly? Share all your thoughts in the reviews.

That'll be it for now guys, so I will bid you all a fine farewell and wish you all the best. Bye for now! :)

Special thanks to my patron :

-User#fd84f3a