6 The Mystery of Bell Ōtsutsuk

Aiz Wallenstein was not sure what to make of the scene she was seeing right now. Her golden orbs were looking upwards into the sky with a clear expression of shock and a little bit of apprehension.

The city around her was no better as many of the civilians were stuck in a state of bewilderment and some in absolute fear at what they were all seeing. Some had even come running through the

streets raving and screaming about how the end of the world was nigh and that the apocalypse had come.

And honestly, Aiz couldn't really blame them...

Because it wasn't everyday you felt an eruption of so much power that it froze your very soul in place and made you stop on principal alone. It wasn't everyday you felt an earthquake that rocked

the entire city of Orario or even the aftershock being felt across the world. It wasn't everyday you saw your normally casual if a bit crazy Goddess break out into a cold sweat muttering about stupid

loli boobs and who pissed off said loli.

It also wasn't everyday in your life that you saw the sky split itself in twine, it looked like someone had taken a large claymore and split the Heaven's in two. Truly, as she looked up into the sky she,

hell probably all of those in the country could have seen the spectacle. The skies were split, the clouds were wiped away and nothing, but the vast empty darkness of space beyond their planets

atmosphere could be seen clear as day to them all.

And that terrified her.

Rightfully so, in that regard, as before it happened she was on her way with Bete, Tione and Tiona, the amazon sisters, Lefiya Viridis, and their captain Finn. Taken in stride by their Goddess Loki to

pay respects for those that died in the dungeon and take responsibility for what happened by whatever punishment was deemed necessary by the Guild officials. Even as popular as the Loki familia

was, not even they were beyond punishment, especially after what they had caused. The deaths of those unfortunate adventurers caught by the rampaging minotaur's weighed heavily on their

conscious, especially her own. They created that incident through ignorance and pride and for that people died.

That was a mistake that they would all carry, but it was more so for herself, it was like a parasite that latched onto her and was gnawing on her insides, reminding her of the consequences of what

she, and by extension her familia caused.

And it certainly didn't help her in particular when she found that among the survivors of the incident had also been the one man she's been searching for this whole time. The one man who became

her desire to meet, had been there to see her and her familia's mistake first hand. Their first meeting after so long had been in the middle of a mistake caused by her familia and as such left her

very shaken once that particular fact settled in after meeting settled down.

Was he mad? Oh there was little doubt about that after that display he left on the 6th floor that day, the overwhelming pressure and anger he let loose on the floor had been clear enough that he

was not, in any sense of the word, pleased with them with what happened. From the moment she felt that presence, from the moment she turned that corner and felt him walking by her had left

her with a particular impression that.

Diablo, the young boy with wavy ethereal white hair and glowing crimson eyes, was furious with her familia and by extension her as well.

That particular fact struck a chord in her that left Aiz anguishing on her own, though she hid it from everyone. It was a painful feeling, knowing that the one she desired to see, to meet and standing

side by side with, was angry with her.

And as she stood there, looking up into the torn up heaven's and into the black void of space from where she stood upon the earth. For one reason or another, she felt a phantom warmth course

through her once she pictured his appearance through from both incidents of when she young and just a day ago when he saved her again. The feeling of his hand ruffling her blood soaked golden

hair and his words left the young woman in wanting, yearning for it again. Now that she had a face for those crimson eyes, she could give life to the image of her hero. And though he may be angry

with her...

"You're safe now."

"You've grown very beautiful and very strong, little angel."

His words had left Aiz Wallenstein needing, to see him again was becoming an increasingly powerful desire that was eclipsing most of her other objectives. But strangely, that desire seemed to have

grown too strong now that her golden eyes stared upwards into the stars of the expanding galaxy beyond their planet. Of the cataclysmic result of what appeared to be a Goddesses power lashing

out had been the catalyst that made her heart thrum within her chest painfully. Beating in such a way that it sent painful ripples throughout her whole body.

Why...

Her hand snaked upwards to her chest, directly over her heart, and she squeezed as her golden orbs looked up into the worlds beyond their own. And the sea of pitch blackness that encompassed

them all. The seemingly endless vast dark reaches, the darkness of space that seemed to threaten to swallow her whole the longer she stared into it.

Why did looking up there, remind her of him?

There was a motion of her Goddess Loki speaking with their Captain before she disappeared in a flash of motion, momentarily unleashing her own godlike power to find out what was happening. Yet

that was all a blur to Aiz as she wrenched her eyes shut, to close off the entire world as the pain in heart began to grow too strong.

Why...was she feeling so much pain?!

In a flash, a memory struck her and she was left seeing in her minds eye, in the depths of her mind she could see his face appearing before her.

….That was all that needed to be said to explain to her of what this pain was. It told her why she was in such anguish. It didn't seem plausible that she knew this or even how she came to learn this,

but she knew it to be true.

It was because something happened to him, something happened to Diablo, as impossible as it may seem.

Her hero was in pain!

'Please...' softly, she prayed to whatever or whomever may listen her.

'Please...don't die!'

….

…..

…...

….falling...

…..fal-bzzzt

….I...

I..am...

fall...ing...

i..n..to...

...darkness....

There was a certain level of anxiety that could have been felt within the chambers of an abandoned church on the outskirts of Orario. It was an old decrepit thing, unrecorded by Orario's

architectural record keepers. It was left untouched by the hands of man, overgrown with vegetation and home to other forms of natural wildlife. And yet, in the thick forestry, it was the perfect

hiding spot for a particular set of individuals.

And yet that tranquil atmosphere mattered little when they all felt the tremor that exploded all the way from Orario, even when they were miles away from it's outer walls. From how the earth the

shook, the skies were torn asunder and how the winds screamed in agony was all they needed to know.

He was certain, he had officially fucked up.

Running a hand through his wavy sandy blonde hair, the Messenger of the Greek pantheon and old friend of Zeus and Hestia, Hermes, gave out a worried sigh.

''Oh boy, I did it now...'' muttering to himself, but it was heard from his familia dependent and personal assistant whom added in her own opinion on the matter at hand. It was a woman with cyan

colored hair with a single streak of white of her bang which was swept to the left. Her cyan eyes were curt and stoic, but the bead of sweat that was slowly falling down her cheek proved otherwise

that she was far from unaffected by the power unleashed just now.

''You should have realized how Hestia-sama would react to your letter, Hermes-sama." she stated causing the Messenger God to let out a frustrated sigh.

''I know...I know...I know! But there is little I could have done Asfi, the letter was stating only the facts, the boy is dying, but from what? Only Zeus knows at this point...'' the blonde let out a sigh

of frustration once again while Asfi looked toward her God with a what seemed like a worried glint in her eyes.

Hermes knew he could have done things differently, to try and break it to Hestia a little easier and more subtle then he had. But there was little time, Zeus had made it perfectly clear that they were

walking a very fine line and worse still were on a time limit. Zeus had been the one who sent him to retrieve his grandson and made to watch over him after what happened to him. It was as if the

man knew what as happening to the boy and took precautions that he was looked after until the time was right.

But what confused him was that Hestia was a priority to have to save the boy yet for what reason he couldn't understand. He had seen the blood that was as of right now staining the inside of that

abandoned church. There was no one, on the lower world or in the Heavens that could have been able to describe whatever pain that boy went through. Let alone be able to experience and come

out alive and in one piece.

It was almost like he...exploded from the inside out from all that blood he had seen in there. And even though he had found him unscathed, that didn't mean the boy wasn't in pain still. It was just

the type of pain that he was in. From the moment he retrieved him and brought him here, he had been in a comatose state. Completely non-receptive of the outside world and held no alertness to

anything that was happening.

Stranger still, he couldn't sense any of the supposed energy Zeus told him Bell held within him. When he searched for any signs of the energy he just felt nothing, not a spark nor an ember of this

power he was supposed to have. Hell if he hadn't seen the boy breathing awhile back and hadn't seen him with his own two eyes, he would be sure the boy didn't even there.

He was just there...existing.

Suuuh~

Suddenly, he felt a sudden shift in the wind and faintly he clenched his jaw firm before turning his head to the side, his eyes narrowed for only a moment before nodding his head. ''Asfi, go and

check up on him.'' for a moment he received a look from the woman before giving a nod. And as she walked off and turned the corner that went downstairs into the basement Hermes let out a sigh.

''Please let me explain myself before you skewer me, Hestia-sama.''

He said this as a sudden shift in the wind dispersed and appearing in a fluctuating shimmer of a multitude of colors revealed a rather startling scene for anyone that had been in the room at the

time.

Hermes stood there, solid as a statue, the exemplar of calm while a giant phantasmal sword formed from celestial fire was mere inches from skewering his head completely through. Being within

inches of piercing his skull from the back. The flames alone were already shattering his own divine protection and would in the twitch of motion end his immortal existence forever more. Owner of

said sword on the other hand shimmered into existence before Hermes own eyes.

It was Hestia, though if anyone that knew her prior to now wouldn't believe it was the same fun loving Goddess they knew. No, the woman that stood before Hermes at that moment was the very

same Goddess who put the fear of the Primordial's into any God or Goddess that were stupid enough to cross her. Her once innocent vibrant blue eyes had taken on a icy hue that revealed nothing.

There was no emotion in her expression besides a scathing hot fury that likes of which would put supernova to shame. And her once black midnight hair had changed into a glowing divine dark

crimson which flowed around her back as if it were a mane of the very fire she commanded and embodied.

And right now the only thing that stood between Hermes and his obliteration was Hestia's patience which even then was small at this point in time.

''...3 seconds..."

Though he hid it very well, there was a certain chill in her voice that sent a jolt of fear throughout his spine. He had no illusions of ever matching Hestia, especially when she was like this and would

not push to tease her like he usually did. Oh no, his life was on the line at the moment and right now, friend or not, she would kill him if he didn't give her the information she so desperately

wanted.

Without wasting a moment he raised his left hand while his right dug into his trench coat and carefully and slowly mind you, as to not warrant her to wrath. And before she willed the blade to

completely eradicate his soul from the living world her eyes saw the scroll held in Hermes hand. And her eyes narrowed further when she sensed the energy coming off it, she knew that energy all

too well for it was the very energy of her baby brother.

''Zeus...he sent you?'' it was not a question, but a statement and one Hermes acknowledged with a nod.

''Yes, he sent me in his stead for this one purpose which concerns the boy that has come under your familia's grace.'' Hestia's eyebrow rose for an inch causing him to elaborate, the threat of total

soul destruction still infact evident on his person.

''There is a great many things I don't know as of yet Hestia nor do you or any of the other pantheons of Zeus past dealings. But this is something far above anything I've ever witnessed, he made it

perfectly clear to me that this scroll is to only be seen by the boy you hold in your grace. Somehow, someway your elusive brother has been in contact with Bell, even before you knew him yourself.

And from what I was told, all would be explained once this scroll reached his hands, and for better or worse, it would explain the abnormality I witnessed in your charge.'' he said causing her to

frown at him in confusion before her thoughts turned to Bell.

Zeus had come in contact with Bell before? When? The only thing she knew was that Bell had been found and raised by his adopted grandfather since he was a newborn. That was it, it was bare

bones in all she knew about Bell since it was all very little he himself had told her. The more she thought about it, her worry for him continued to grow until ultimately she pushed the thought away

for now and spoke.

''Take me to him...'' there was no confusing her tone, it was a demand and he complied and led her the same pathway. The phantasmal sword dispersed into flickering embers as they walked on

ahead. But along the way, they missed a shadow turn the corner into the building and followed them as they walked down into the same path as Asfi had earlier.

''I'll need to warn you beforehand Hestia, while I did get to him in time, he was in a rather...peculiar situation.'' he said causing her to internally worry about her beloved, but held only a stern

expression on the outside to hide her true thoughts.

''Explain your meaning, Hermes.'' she asked making the messenger sigh before scratching the back of his head.

''To be blunt? It looked like he exploded from the inside out. How I know this is simple, his blood is currently coating the entire interior of the abandoned church you and him have as your home. It

looked like a painting from Hell, Hestia.'' he said noting the fact that Hestia faltered in her step as her eyes flew wide open at the words spoken to her.

'What...' that couldn't be true, as far as she knew Bell never showed any signs of having problems with himself. Hell the last time she saw him off was earlier today when he went off to complete a

quest in the labyrinth. At that time he had been perfectly fine and she had even checked his body by reaching out through the grace she bestowed on him. Yet there had been no sign of

abnormalities.

So why did what Hermes say fill her with so much dread?

The very thought alone of Bell being hurt filled her with so much pain, so much anguish, that it dug and cut into her immortal soul. Yet she knew his strength, she knew how powerful Bell was even

when it was obvious he was hiding some of his strength from her. She had seen the accomplishments he's achieved. She has seen the scars from all the life or death battles he has had to endure

time and time again every night. She remembered the night he came back, covered in injuries and soaked in his blood, carrying the heart of Seath on his shoulders. That thought alone brought an

ache to her heart, but it filled her with relief to know that he would always always come back out of the labyrinth and into her embrace.

He would not die...

He had sworn to her an oath upon his very soul that he would not die!

...Yet why did she feel so hollow...

It took only a moment before they arrived at the basement of the building and once they reached the large oak door Hermes stopped at it and gave Hestia a glance who was just staring at the door.

Frozen, timid and truly afraid to see what was on the other side.

Taking a good, a very good, look into Hestia's eyes for that briefest of moments caused Hermes to sigh internally. He didn't think it was true, that what Zeus told him was just blustering talk, full of

big empty with little truth to them. But as he looked at Hestia he could not see a shred of lies in Zeus words now that he saw her. To see the Hestia to have fallen so hard for someone, a man at that

was not just astonishing, it practically broke the very fabric of reality when it came to the Gods and Goddesses.

Hermes prided himself on being a very good judge of character and he had been friends with Hestia and Zeus throughout their life's. And while she acted mostly indifferent during those times, when

he saw her now and what Zeus told him was true.

Hestia was in love with her one and only familia dependent...

That solid fact would have been enough to cause a major incident among the other deities for romantic relationships between Gods and Humans had been irrevocably forbidden since the end of the

Age of Heroes. It was first brought on by Zeus and his giant libido who laid with many human females who brought forth the Era of Heroes which birthed a great many legendary warriors such as

Hercules, Theseus, Perseus, Achilles, Odysseus and even Hector. Just them alone was born from the Greek Pantheon, that wasn't even considering the other Heroes of legend from the other

pantheons.

Yet the reason it had been forbidden at the end of that era was because all those Heroes nearly brought the entire Lower World to it's knees in warfare. Thus, when the last of that ancient heroic

bloodline diminished it was set in stone, that no God or Goddess would ever lay with a mortal and spread divine blood into the mortal gene pool no longer.

And yet, that one iron clad rule mattered little to Hestia, that much he could discern without much effort.

Sighing, he pushed the door open before walking inside with Hestia behind him. Going inside, he saw doing an annual check up on the condition of the boy. Upon seeing them, Asfi calmly walked

toward them and offered a bow to Hestia who was frozen in place once she saw Bell in the middle of the room. Laid down on a bed, his entire body laid before her very eyes.

She didn't even wait as she walked toward him as Hermes and Asfi watched her go. Than he glanced her way, ''So, how is his condition so far Asfi?''

The woman let loose breath what he figured was her version of a frustrated sigh. ''His vitals are all stable, his heartbeat is fine, his breathing is normal and if there was any wounds we may have

missed than they have long ago healed. In a physical sense, he is perfectly fine.'' she said causing Hermes to raise an eyebrow when he saw her rub her temples.

''..But?'' he asked causing her to look at the boy in the middle of the room with a look he'd yet to see before. It was one of study, to try and piece together a puzzle one had yet to solve and if he

knew Asfi like he did than this truly was a puzzle that just brought in a whole new challenge.

''On the other hand, his mental state is entirely different. The amount of brain activity he's undergoing is staggering. It's similar to how one would be in a nightmare, but if that were the case than

that boy is facing something so terrifying that his brain has gone into overdrive, it's gone into a state of inner survival, sparking his bodily instincts just to survive. The only movement I can get from

him is twitches from his fingers, hands, and toes. Plus his eyes seem to be shifting from side to side, normally seen in those experiencing intense dreams or, again, nightmares.'' she said, her words

drifting to Hermes who simply frowned before nodding his head.

''I see.'' however his gaze followed Hestia who stepped toward Bell's bedside. Quietly he pulled out the scroll and walked toward her side.

Before her very eyes, Hestia bared witness to Bell's current situation, her eyes roamed his entire body, noticeably taking in the fact the very same clothing she last saw him in was in tatters. His

boots were completely gone and his pants looked to have been torn leaving his right leg bare up to his knee and his leg up to his calve. His belt was loosely still wrapped around him, but his shirt

was just barely hanging on. The only noticeable thing she saw was that on his shirt, there was a giant hole blown completely through, revealing the majority of his chest to her eyes.

This caused a cold shiver to run down her spine as Hermes words echoed in her ears.

'It was like he exploded from the inside out...'

Her shoulders shook but she remained strong as he looked to Bells face and she saw him asleep, but his facial expression was unlike anything she'd ever seen when she see him sleep. It wasn't one

of content or of being safe.

It was an expression of torment.

This was something all new to her, for as long as she's known Bell she had never seen him shown any sign of pain, at least to her. He had always been the stalwart, vigilant exemplar of a Guardian.

He was and had always been a crusader, a trooper that stuck through whatever was thrown his way, and he would wade through it all with sheer force of will. He'd never allow himself to show pain

to anyone, especially those he loved and cared for.

Which made what she was seeing right now all the more terrifying for her.

What happened?

What caused this?

Who was responsible for this?

'Oh...Bell...why...why did this happen to you?' internally she thought in distress as her hand cupped his cheek with all the gentleness she could give unto the one she loved.

Thu-thump!

Suddenly she felt a pulse resonate from Bell's body and through her hand which soon traveled throughout her body and her eyes narrowed once she recognized what it was. It was the feeling of her

grace she bestowed upon Bell resonating through his body and reacting to her touch. Feeling it's pulse, she ran her hand over where the pulse was originating and felt it being to steadily quicken.

Inch by inch she reached until her hand as hovering just over Bell's chest, directly over his heart would be.

And the pulse had become to quicken to such a degree it was erratic, so much so that it was alarming to her.

'Sorry Bell.' With some form of hesitation, she ripped away the rest of his shirt, revealing to her what exactly it was she was feeling through her link with Bell. And what she saw made her eyes

widen in alarm just as Hermes made his way to her side whom gave a small whistle once he saw what it was that had Hestia's attention as well.

''Well...that's new.'' he commented as he cautiously eyed the...thing that had taken Hestia's attention.

The Goddess on the other hand was more than just shocked at this point, after seeing what was directly over Bell's heart, just above the flesh and muscle of his body. She became much more aware

of the fact that whatever had happened to Bell was truly out of her own knowledge and or expertise.

'What in Heavens name is this Bell?' she could only think to herself as she and Hermes looked upon what was pulsing over Bell's chest. Directly over his heart was an overly complex sigil that was

giving off a very bright white glow. The difficulty in understanding it was only matched by her and Hermes own confusion as to why it was there on Bell and what it's intended purpose was. Though

the two had knowledge in some form of sigils used during the Age of Magic and Heroes, it was never something this complex.

It started off as one circle being the base of the sigil with two other circles inside it interlocking between each other. And deeper in the sigil were a total of 14 white and black triangles branching out

from the inner sigil matrix which was a double-lined circle which had a underlapping pentagram shaped star which was overlapped by an even larger right-sided star. This bigger star reached out 5

points of the sigil between the second and third interlocking circles which connected to 5 smaller circles with each one having a kanji very reminiscent of the eastern nations of the lower world and

each of the 5 were different in design and meaning. While finally at the very center of the sigil was another circle that went around the inner points of the overlapping star while within was

descriptive lines broken down into sections of 8 within the circle and each having a different design from the other. And finally, at the very center was something that was both the most elaborate

and quite possibly the most apprehensive thing of all.

It was a Yin/Yang symbol which seemed to be focal point as the glow was originating from there specifically and was only getting brighter in their eyes.

Taking another look at the sigil, Hermes eyes looked over each kanji and began to decipher what he could, going from one to the other. "Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning and Wind. The basic 5 elements

formed from forces of Spiritual and Physical energy, Yin and Yang.'' he muttered to himself, causing Hestia to glance his way with a suspicious look. Though it came to no surprise to her that Hermes

knew the meaning of those characters, among the Greek Gods, Hermes was the one who traveled the most among the Heavens and the Lower world. Building up diplomatic relations with the other

pantheons among the Heavens and Kingdoms upon the Lower world which meant he had to learn multitudes of languages and other forms of literature to speak with different species and races.

However, the words he spoke at that moment confused Hestia, she knew the concept of Yin and Yang and the theory of how it came to be. They were the core elements that made up the 5 others.

Light and Dark, the interdependent elements that corresponded with one other. When separated it wrought havoc and discord but together they brought completion and balance. Though the

pantheons knowledge on it and how it connected to them as a whole was still after all these years a mystery unsolved, it left many theorizing for eons as to what it was and how it connected to the

Gods and Goddesses. Some even said the Primordial's of Old were precursor's to the energy, but for how long the concept has been around, some figured it even predated them.

Which was pretty scary when you thought about it.

However, that mattered little to her at this point. The What or when had no meaning to Hestia at this point time. Asll that mattered to her, was the why.

Why was this here?

And if by chance Bell had known of this sigil, why hadn't he told her about it? There was very little she and him kept secret between one another, especially after all these years of living together.

She knew Bell was different, that was an established fact which is why he underwent his split persona, to protect her and those he cared for. She knew of his unique powers that outreached her own

grace, and admittingly it did surprise her the first time she saw him perform the ability before her, but surely it wasn't enough to make him hide whatever he could possibly have now right.

Right?

But then, why did this have this very bad feeling there was more to it than that?

''I see...so this is what Zeus meant.'' Hermes words brought Hestia back and she glanced toward him and upon seeing her look he explained.

''As you know Hestia, I was sent here by Zeus, but the purpose of which was to check up on Bell and give something to him which is this scroll.'' he said while pulling said scroll from his coat.

''However, what you don't know is that Zeus wanted to know Bell's status and to report to him as soon as possible if I had found any sort of abnormalities, and from what I have seen till now, I think

this all counts as one huge abnormality with Bell being the center of it.'' he said causing Hestia to frown once again.

There it was again, what was Zeus doing or even carrying about Bell? How did he and Bell know one another and for that matter why would he risk bringing himself out into the limelight for Bell?

What was so important between Bell and her brother to make him do all this? The last time she had heard from Zeus was when his familia had been destroyed by the One Eyed Black Dragon and

afterwards left Orario once the funeral proceedings had been completed. It had been year's since than and no sign of Zeus had been seen from anyone which left many pondering what the Elder God

had been doing in his time.

It was a thought she idly pondered on before she shook her head, 'None of that matters right now, what does is Bell and what can be done to pull him out of this state he's in.' Hestia thought before

she glanced at the scroll held in Hermes hand.

''So, what can be done Hermes? What did Zeus tell you to do specifically? Just tell me, and I'll do whatever I can to help.'' Hestia spoke causing the messenger God to glance her way before giving

an odd expression.

''Well, from what he told me, I was to give this scroll to Bell, but since he's like this we'll have to go along with the second plan he made in case this happened. First off, I was to stand this scroll

directly on Bell's heart, directly over this sigil and I would need a part of your power and a drop of his blood to activate the scroll. Or at least that's what Zeus told me.'' Hermes stated causing

Hestia to scowl before her eyes went to the strange than to Bell which caused her eyes to soften considerably.

Let it be said, Hestia was willing to give up anything at this point just to have Bell open his eyes, to see him awake and alive was all she wanted at this point. She had already broken the ancient law

to never unleash a Gods power in the lower world, but her concern for Bell was far stronger than any form of Law or Rule. Nothing the other pantheons dictated mattered to her at this point other

than Bell's safety. She was ready to flip the Underworld in on itself, sunder the very Heavens and glass the very earth, all if it would help Bell.

Which is why when she heard the cost to help Bell right now seemed so very small it still made her cautious yet determined to go through with it.

However just as Hermes was about to place the scroll on Bell her hand snapped, grabbing hold of his wrist Hermes was stopped cold and made to glance worryingly into Hestia's eyes while Asfi

stood uncomfortably in the back, unable to so much as move. Not only because of the fear she felt from Hestia, but because of the soul burning aura she felt coming off such a small body. It was

staggering to a degree that it left the woman breathless, unable to even breathe as a burning pressure began to weigh down in the room.

Hestia's eyes flashed cyan as she stared directly into Hermes own orbs and spoke. "I will do this, but if this, at all, backfires, friend or not Hermes, I will kill you. Do you understand?" she said

causing the dark blonde deity to gulp nervously before vigorously nodding.

''I understand Hestia.'' he said and even then the woman kept staring at him for the longest minute imaginable before seeming content with what she saw. Letting go of Hermes, she watched as he

placed the scroll directly over Bell's heart, on contact with the sigil currently pulsing. Then he back away as she took Bell's hand and, offering a small apology to Bell, nicked his finger slightly

causing it to bleed out. Though to her quiet amazement the wound instantly healed as if it never happened. Shaking her head, she took his hand and her free hand she channeled her power into the

sigil which caused it to flash just as a droplet of his blood fell onto the scroll.

And than she, Hermes and Asfi watched in bewilderment as the blood soaked into the soaked which caused it to give off a strange aura, it was a misty coloration of white and black that was

intermingling with one another. This continued before the scroll, amazingly enough, began to sink directly into the sigil on Bell's chest. Watching as it did, all of them felt a wariness take hold as the

scroll sunk deeper into bell under it was completely gone.

''What now?'' Hestia asked causing Hermes to sigh before turning away.

''Right now? We wait and see, Zeus never told me what would happen afterwards, you can stay here and watch over him if you wish. But I must go and do damage control in Orario. We need to

calm the people because it evolves into something we can't control.'' he said making her nod than he turned to Asfi.

''Asfi, go and tell the others that I'll be back soon.'' with that said he vanished a swirl of wind and with it Asfi took one last look at Hestia and Bell before bowing her head silently. Turning away, she

too left leaving only Hestia and Bell alone in the room. Feeling them, the woman took hold of Bell's hand and brought it to her face. Only to frown in concern upon feeling the cold touch of his hand

upon her cheek. Taking hold of his hand in hers, she kissed it before laying it down.

''Why don't you come out now...'' softly she spoke, though her eyes flashed smoldering cyan and her hair churned crimson as she turned to stare to the far corner of the room, where it was darkest.

''Freya?'' her voice brought upon a chill that was a polar opposite to her righteous appearance. She watched impassively as the shadow branched out from the dark corner before it sprouted upwards

into a humanoid form. Compressing and forming into the shape of a woman the shadows lifted into a robe of crow feathers that spread apart revealing the form of the Norse Goddess, Freya.

Her light silver hair flared, and her milky white skin gave birth to light in the darkness of the room she inhabited. Orbs of the most royal purple glowed with a sense of concern and urgency that only

Hestia had ever seen for which they flashed to the young man before them to which they returned back to meet Hestia's gaze.

''Do not worry Hestia, I am not here to alarm the others of your location, I just...'' she hesitated for a moment before her eyes once again fell upon Bell. And to the surprise of Hestia, she saw the

woman's eyes flicker in a emotion that she's only seen once before. It was when she looked at herself in the mirror every time she so much thought of Bell.

Love.

Pure affection in it's strongest form. Passion brought forth from the very depths of ones own soul.

'I knew it...' Though her heart clenched at the notion, Hestia closed her eyes before turning back to Bell giving an uncalled sign for Freya that she was welcome to come, and so she did. Coming to

her side and so the two Goddesses looked upon the boy, the man of whom they had fallen for. In one way or another, Bell was under their protection now.

So come Heaven or Hell, nothing would come to harm him without going through them first.

And yet, nothing would ever be the same after this night.

For Darkness shall take hold.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

He had been falling, falling through a sea of depravity, depression, anger, and sadness. Emotions of the bitter nature engulfed his being as he awoke to find himself among a sea of ebony that

swallowed his very soul. Bits and pieces of who he was, what he was and why he was here broke apart as he fell into the abyss. A chasm that was never ending, a torture that prolonged his own

suffering which would only end at the whim of the one who encroached inside the core of his being.

He had seen it all, the suffering, his pain, the mistakes of his past multiplied by a hundred was forced back unto his cracking heart with the force of a thrown javelin. There was nothing he could do,

he was stuck there, frozen in perpetual motion of falling in an ocean of despair. A word, an emotion he knew all too well of. Despair was the cornerstone of his very existence, something of which

that's been apart of his very being from the moment he was brought into existence.

He knew this, yet he told no one. Despair was his counterpart, his shadow that followed him wherever he goes. He was not free, shackled by the despair of his birth, of his existence, he questioned.

Why...

Why was he here?

Why am I alive?

And as he asked this question for what felt like only thing he had ever truly asked within himself, he felt it would be the last time. Just before he would lose himself and then become something he

was entirely not.

Yet, in the depths of those inky black waves, his answer was given just as the darkness blurred his vision and his body numbed to the cold touch of death.

"...I love you..."

In that singular instant, just as his eyes closed to eternal darkness, a bright white white pushed away the darkness with such a mighty heave that it was pushed down to the farthest corner of his

soul. In turn, he awoke to find himself in a place that could only be described as.

Divine.

A sea of gold and white intermixed and formed below his feet in an ocean that spanned for as far as the eye could see. Clouds hung loosely above him as he seemingly stood upon the air as the sun

in the background hung loosely over the horizon. Bathing the realm in a rich coloration of gold , orange and violet.

''W-w-where...'' finally, he found his voice for what felt like a lifetime only for it to freeze up once he felt something behind him. Yet it was not a bad feeling he felt, nor was it one that made him

tense up. It was one that was both alien to him and yet familiar to him in a sense.

Turning around, Bell found his eyes widening once his eyes fell upon the one who stood before him. Standing before him on equal footing, unlike that of an enemy, but more of one whose very soul

sung out, longing for the touch of the other. And so it was, to Bell's utmost surprised, that his eyes fell upon a being that could only be described as.

Goddess.

It was a woman he saw, standing just below him by a few inches. Her body was bathed in a swath of white that reflected well the rays of the sun. Her clothing consisted of solely a transitional highcollared

hime-kimono which was adorned with intricate lines that are gold and purple with a tomoe running down the center and edges of the gown. However, though flowing as it was, did little to

hide the body of which even Aphrodite would be jealous of. Her skin was a healthy white which complimented her delicate facial features well. Her long sweeping white hair, much like his own, fell

just below her backside. Her eyes however were much like the glowing full moon, bright, yet lonely, compassionate yet solemn. The only solace of those beautiful eyes was how they glowed with

such an inner light that it left Bell blinking in disbelief.

How could someone be so beautiful?

Yet it was the third eye for which he saw that gave him pause, his own crimson eyes widened in shock as he looked into the lone eye on the woman's forehead which stared back at him as if it had a

life of it's own. It was an eye he was all too familiar with, for it was the very same eye that he had kept secret from Hestia. It was the very same eye of which he gradually unlocked from his near

death experience with Seath and his adventures in the Labyrinth. It was the lone maroon eye with a rippled pattern with 9 tomoe spinning ominously as it stared back at Bell.

Yet it did not stop there, for the last thing Bell noticed about the woman was the two brown horns sticking out from her head. Upon seeing those, Bell's eyes widened so greatly, they could only stare

in a state of perpetual shock as the woman before him, eyes lit with all the love and compassion that only a being of her stature could ever give and more.

Her supple lips turned upwards in a small yet solemn smile that belied the beauty of the one who stood before him.

''My little one...you...you have grown so much... my beautiful, Bell." her voice was as heavenly as she herself appeared. The sound of Bells tolled as her voice echoed among the realm of which

these two solitary figures stood.

And it was, in that moment, Bell knew everything was going to change...

He never did like coming here, not for the fact that the Underworld was completely forbidden to the deities existence to all besides he who rules it. It was just an ugly place to him. A cesspool of sin

and filthiness that was above his stature. He was like a beacon of light in this dark and dreary place, a torch that attracted the less than unsavory sort toward him only to burn in the intensity of his

existence.

Though it was annoying, he had a reason to come here. The lower world was going through a change that would certainly rock it to it's very foundations in such a way that it would undoubtedly

bring about a War never seen in history. The ancient law had been broken, chaos was being to run amok and the equilibrium was shattered causing havoc and discord to run amok.

Which gave him the perfect cover to come here.

Apollo never considered himself a vengeful person, truly he didn't, but there was only so much he could be denied before taking action of his own. The fear of breaking the law had been washed

clean with Hestia doing so not an hour ago. With it, the other Gods have ordered for her capture with the temporary release of the other Gods and Goddesses powers. However, there was very little

they could do to her on their own.

Which could prove beneficial for him to come here, but this was a trip of his own accord. For so long, Hestia denied him what was so rightfully his and her latest disregard for him had been the final

nail in the proverbial coffin that had been his patience. He wasn't going to place nice now. He was going to make her his. He would force her to be his. Once he was done, she would be crying his

name and only when he was done and soiled her would he look upon the face of her ever loved Diablo and smite his existence for so much as daring to steal his property.

His eyes burned at the notion and a cruel smile stretched across his face as he looked upon the figure that stood before him. A person whose very essence threatened to snuff out all life around him

and without much hesitation, Apollo reached out with his hand.

''So...do we have a deal, Uncle?'' he said with a grin to which a figure that was just a giant skeleton with bits of rotten flesh and maggots fell from his decaying body. While adorning the skeletons

body was a high priests robe.

The skeleton's visage twisted into a menacing grin as it's empty eye sockets flashed with an inner unholy fire. With his bony hand he reached and took hold of Apollo's hand with a soul wrenching

grip.

"We have a deal, nephew."

It was in that moment, Apollo had just struck a deal with Hades, the God of the Underworld and Guardian of the Well of Souls.

And with it, chaos shall reign from the skies, the Heavens shall weep and the Universe shall know the true meaning of terror.