18 Chapter 16: Raid Under Moonlight 2

The starry night sky covered Orario.

People walked the streets both to begin working and to retire from their day of labor.

To most, it was another peaceful night, but in the hidden corners of their awareness, it was anything but.

A large-scale raid on a notorious criminal familia was currently taking place, one which had long evaded being gound out. Allowing them to reap and exploit the lives of numerous adventurers.

Every corner, every district, every street. All traces of this familia were to be eliminated at all costs.

The Ganesha familia and guild's forces took the majority of the lower leveled hideouts, their advantage in number easily being able to detain all suspects and accomplices linked to their familia's crimes.

While the Hermes familia were assigned to the more higher-risk hideouts, their skill in espionage and their focus on quality over quantity in their members were a perfect fit for such occasions.

But the plan which had been in the making amongst the experts of the three forces was now being compromised with the appearance of a fourth force, the dungeon vigilante who has made waves throughout the public of Orario, the Gray Ghost.

The stage had been meticulously set and prepared, and with the arrival of this hero in the dark, Hermes has willingly given up his spotlight to witness how this mysterious hero would perform.

'I've always fancied a bit of ad-lib in these types of performances~ So show me an act which will rile me beyond compare...'

The villains? The best forces the Dolos familia had to offer and the god himself.

The protagonist? A hero who has taken the first step in the bloody path to becoming a hero.

The stakes? The ending of organized murder in the shallow floors of the dungeon.

It was a stage that performed to no mass of crowds, nor to the resplendent figures of great renown.

Not a comedy to challenge the gods, nor a drama of the human will to survive

It was a mere sideshow act compared to the grand scale of the happenings of the world, but it was a show that must go on regardless, and that it did.

Hermes would bear witness to this sideshow act, and should the performance reach his longing heart, help raise the stage to the heights the world has never yet known.

The time has come, to test the mettle of this rookie set against the cruelties of the world.

'Lights...music...action-'

...

..

.

"Thud-"

The body of a middle-aged man fell onto the floor, the light in his eyes had faded but his breath still continued. He had been incapacitated.

Powerful blows were made across his body, no doubt soon creating numerous bruises over the course of the next few days.

Blood was dripping, coming from wounds that were made with precision and finesse.

Each one made to injure or tear the numerous tendons and ligaments necessary if one were to consider escaping.

His limbs were dislocated, and many of his bones were fractured.

Unconsciousness saved him from the immense pain he could've been experiencing at this moment.

"Thud-"

This man wasn't the first in the vicinity to have received such treatment.

"Thud-"

Nor would he be the last.

"Thud-"

He was but one of many bodies in a similar condition to him across the building.

All of them differed in physique, race, sex, and many other aspects. But they all were similar in their shared description of being heavily injured at that moment.

Some were better off...and others...much worse.

"Thud-"

The sight of it all would evoke a feeling of fear in most people, seeing such controlled violence applied to so many people...in so short a time.

It was as if a spirit of vengeance had washed over them.

These people weren't innocent in any definition, every one of them was an irredeemable sinner.

Some coldly took the lives of young dreamers who wished for a better life.

Others took pleasure from playing with the desperation of their victims, with the desperation for the people they cherished.

What now befell these men and women wasn't a brutal act of blind violence or sadistic pleasure.

It was merely...

"THUD-"

Accountability.

"Fuu...that should take care of the eastern wing of this complex"

Bell breathed in a heavy breath after the intense task he had just completed.

He had thoroughly and systematically begun to dismantle this hideout of the Dolos familia.

He tried his best to incapacitate each member so that they can answer for their crimes, but Bell encountered targets he knew would create a ruckus if he went at them lightly, so he silently sent them to eternal sleep.

'This just means I have a long way to go...killing is a straightforward method of elimination, but leaving such a bloody public trail will no doubt ruin the image I want to cultivate...I also don't want to become too desensitized to committing murder'

Bell knew better than to become a person who doesn't think twice when taking a person's life.

A hero who cannot sympathize with the people he wishes to protect is worse than any other kind of hypocrite.

'No wonder Camelot imploded in on itself in Fate, but Artoria was a product of circumstances beyond her control, so I can't blame her too much for it...'

Bell pondered on the story of Fate as he continued maneuvering throughout the hideout, his armor, weapons, and cloak sullied from the blood of all his enemies.

'I can't realistically take out all the goons without anyone noticing, so I'll just head to the southern wing before heading out to find Dolos and in most likelihood, the strongest adventurer this familia can offer...'

With his next course of action decided upon, Bell invoked the magic of the necklace his grandfather gifted to him.

「Transient」

Bell's body began to disintegrate into the air until his visage was no longer anywhere to be found.

He was no longer in the room, leaving behind the product of his bloody hands.

Clear for all to see, but going unnoticed by the remaining targets Bell has in his sights.

...

..

.

"Haaaa...this is the life"

A man of pale complexion and raven dark hair said in satisfaction.

On the man's right hand was a smoke pope of garishly ornate design, filled with narcotics that were made illegal to trade and enter the premises of Orario long ago.

On his left, he carried a wineglass, poured with a wine handcrafted by Dionysus. A gift he had received from him long ago.

He lay on a bed of intricately made pillows and stashes of some of the wealth he has acquired over the years. The mere sight of it screamed his arrogance and greed.

The room he resided in was filled with dense aromas and incense, all addictive in nature, as per his preferences.

"To think all it took is a bit of blood dripping to live like this...I truly am a genius am I not?"

This annoyingly obnoxious man was not a mortal but a god, one that presided over treachery and deception, the head of a notorious criminal familia, Dolos.

"Yes Lord Dolos, your ingenuity knows no bounds..."

The man who replied to Dolos in this garish room he considered home, was the captain of his disjointed "familia". One who goes by Mendacium.

He was a man that was born with natural effeminate features but was ruined by heaps upon heaps of scars, burns, and other such injuries he had accrued in his life.

He was a human who stood tall with a muscular figure, which stood in contrast with Dolos' skinny physique.

Mendacium appeared to be the ideal child for this god. Completely subservient to his will and harboring no ill intent against him. Added to his non-stop praise for Dolos, he quickly found a place in the scum god's heart, albeit merely to satisfy his ego and debauchery.

"HAHAHA, you know me too well Mendacium! You truly are the best fit to be my familia's captain HAHAHAHA-"

"You are far too generous Lord Dolos"

Just as Dolos began laughing up a storm in his usual ego-crazed power trip, Mendacium's inner thoughts only wished to tear the god.

'You? The genius? Do you think your endless lazing in opulence and relations with street whores are what keep this familia running? Dolos never fails to show just how idiotic he is...'

Pure disdain for the opulent god.

'If it weren't for me, you would still be some bum who got broke after being scammed for drugs-'

Mendacium had no loyalty for Dolos, he was simply a means to an end. A means for Mendacium to become a large presence in Orario's underworld.

Mendacium was a person who spent his entire life in sin. The abandoned child of a prostitute who didn't care for motherhood, and a father too drunk to care, he began fending for himself at a very young age.

Establishing his position through violence, threats, and exploitation. Mendacium soon became the leader of a small-time gang within the slums of Orario, but such a position wasn't enough for the youth, he wished to climb even higher.

He took in a washed-up god he found off the street and kept him docile to exploit with drugs and sex. He then began to market himself as a service to individuals who he knew wouldn't hesitate to murder for Valis.

He began selling Dolos' falna to low-time crooks in return for getting a percentage of their profits from their crimes.

Mendacium organized the "familia" in such a way that they were all disconnected from one another. So that some incompetent grunt won't be able to be traced back to him and Dolos.

He built up a crime syndicate that preyed heavily on rookie adventurers new to Orario in just a few decades.

His efforts impressed many influential figures within Orario's dark side. Mendacium was even in talks to join the infamous Evilus through a mysterious figure named Enyo.

'I'm so close to my goal...but I have a feeling that we have been exposed...'

Mendacium grew suspicious of his situation two weeks ago.

Stories of some vigilante taking out numerous criminal adventurers in the early floors of the dungeon began spreading around Orario, something which coincided with the disappearance of some of his trusted associates.

'I might just be paranoid because there are numerous criminal familias who do the same as us...but if any of those guys got captured by the guild...those bastards-'

Mendacium knew that should any of his closer associates become caught, they would not hesitate to sell him out. Such was a regular occurrence in the underworld of Orario. Loyalty was only as good as the benefits it provided.

So Mendacium began increasing security in the hideout he resided in, even restricting the movements of Dolos, much to his annoyance due to his endless complaints and desires to visit a whorehouse.

'If things go south...I'll simply drug the hell out of Dolos and run away...I'll keep him alive for my status but wasted enough to not hear his complaining...unless I find a more convenient god then I can just throw him away'

Mendacium began naturally planning for how he would cruelly handle the god, it was nothing new for him.

"Mendacium! Bring me some prostitutes. I'm feeling...peckish~"

Dolos broke Mendacium's train of thought with his carnal desires. The grin on his face would make even the most open-woman shiver at its sight.

Mendacium begrudgingly complied.

'This fucking horny piece of-'

"...as you wish, Lord Dolos"

But just as Mendacium was about to give orders to the other guards which were stationed in the room they were in, it happened.

"Thud-..."

Mendacium witnessed all of the guards he had stationed fall to the floor. A dagger coated in a blue mist was present on each of their chests.

"What in the-"

Before he could react to the situation, a figure began walking across the room, slowly approaching them.

His body became more and more visible as he walked as if it were forming from the air around it.

"Not surprised a room as disgusting as this belongs to an even more disgusting head of a criminal familia"

The figure spoke out in a tone that radiated his anger at the ostentatious room.

Dolos did not take kindly to such an insult, speaking out before Mendacium could process what had happened.

"What the hell did you just say to me peasant?"

Dolos attempted to appear intimidating, but his inebriation coupled with his drugs did not help him at all. Not that he could in the first place.

The figure wasn't fazed by what Dolos had said, merely thankful he had outed himself as the deity of the familia so quickly.

"So you're Dolos..."

In an instant, the figure sprung into action.

Conjuring a chained blade in his arm and immediately throwing it to Dolos with great strength.

"?!-"

Dolos couldn't react quickly enough to dodge it, the blade was fast approaching him, but it was suddenly parried away by a deft sword strike.

Mendacium noticed the intention of the cloaked figure and quickly moved to defend Dolos, barely making it.

The figure wasn't annoyed his attack had failed, he was happy at the information he gathered from it.

"Being able to deflect such a blow...you must be the Dolos "familia"'s captain..."

The figure retracted his parried chained blade with a pull, then conjured another chained blade with his free hand.

Mendacium, knowing that conflict was unavoidable and who his opponent was, quickly spoke to Dolos for him to move away.

"Lord Dolos! Hide behind your resting place-"

But Dolos cut him off, the gravity of the situation and his neat occurrence of being sent back to Tenkai not doing much to humble him.

"Run as when this bastard just insulted my greatness! I have to-"

Mendacium had enough of his bullshit and quickly destroyed his facade and showed his true self.

"SHUT UP AND HIDE YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT GOD BEFORE I MAKE YOU!-"

"HIIII!-"

Seeing Mendacium turn so frightening, Dolos lost all of his arrogance and quickly reverted to who he truly was, a coward who was too scared to confront anything.

Dolos didn't process the fact his captain had been faking his personality for all these years, choosing to only focus on the preservation of his safety instead.

"Wow, how friendly. Do you guys refer to your little group as a familia? Cause that'd be hilarious if so"

The figure spoke in spiteful sarcasm.

"Spare me your humor, Gray Ghost bastard-"

Gray Ghost, Bell, simply continued with his bit.

"It's great you know who I am. It's actually a goal of mine to be in the minds of people like you, so I'm glad you confirmed it for me"

Mendacium simply became even more and spoke out.

"You must think you're hot shit now huh? Defeat a couple of my worthless grunts, and get high on the praises of Orario calling you some hero. You're nothing 'Gray Ghost' "

Mendacium continued to speak, wanting to speak his mind to the figure who had been causing him all this trouble for the past two weeks.

"You're just some kid who didn't grow up. Hero?! What kind of idiot actually goes to Orario wanting to become something like that!?"

He brandished his sword, one he took the lives of countless people to get where he is today. Sinners, innocents, he didn't care. He simply used them all for his benefit.

"The world runs on money, power, and fear. That's how it began and that's how it will always be!-"

Mendacium didn't care about the world, he didn't care about others, and he didn't care even if he had a family. All that mattered at the end of the day was him and him alone.

"You know it just as well as I do. Hell! You probably even agree with me!"

"You and me? We're the same!- Just a bunch of bastards who killed to get where they are~"

Mendacium grinned maliciously as he finished talking. He was the sort who took pleasure from the pain he inflicted, and he wished to see how this fabled "hero" came to terms with the reality of his actions, taking him for some naive dreamer.

Unfortunately for him, however, Bell wasn't so naive.

"You're right. I am just a hypocrite through and through"

Mendacium was surprised at his quick acceptance, expecting distraught, denial, or even silence.

"I am someone who utilizes the same means as you. Resources to accomplish what I want. Strength to be capable of doing so. Fear to dissuade my enemies from stopping me. I am just the same as you"

Where Mendacium stopped his approach, Bell began moving forward, towards him.

"The path I chose will be built on the blood and suffering of my enemies, but I willingly took it on, preparing myself for the consequences of actions with every step I took"

Blue sparks began to radiate from Bell's body, slowly enchanting the weapons he held with a blue mist.

"But where you choose to perpetuate this cycle, I seek to change it. The goal you seek is nothing more than a dead end that can give you the temporary comfort of success"

Bell's resolve firmed as he tightened his grip on the chained blades, his eyes never moving away from Mendacium.

"My goal lays further beyond. The dream of the naive and innocent, unrealistic in every aspect, but something worthy of pursuing in futility"

Eventually, Bell was face-to-face with Mendacim, mere inches apart from one another. The two tension of violence is palpable in the air.

"So that's what differentiates us. Not our circumstances, history, or ability. Just the size of our ambition...and mines far larger than yours"

Mendacium replied, anger apparent in his voice.

"All I'm hearing are the bullshit ravings of a retard"

Bell similarly replied.

"And all I'm hearing is that someone was too pussy to try"

The two immediately swung at each other with all their strength, immediately being locked in a stalemate.

"You think you can change the world?! You're even more of an idiotic bastard than that junkie excuse of a god!-"

Mendacium spoke out as the two clashed their blades, wanting nothing more than to crush Bell's goal. But Bell quickly said.

"Talking isn't going to do anything, so just...shut up!-"

Bell broke the stalemate with his superior sword technique and pushed Mendacium aside with a quick blow to his side.

"Instead of telling me a hundred different ways to explain your parental neglect, just let your sword do the talking..."

Bell's provocation proved effective and Mendacium began to attack Bell with a furious flurry of blows, but none of them were able to reach him,

'What the hell is that bastard doing!?- My stikes...they're being redirected-'

Mendacium quickly figured out what Bell was doing. Every one of his strikes' flow was being subtly shifted by Bell, moving it out of the way so that he couldn't be attacked, and positioning Mendacium for a counter.

'This strength too- Is he a level two as well!-'

Mendacium thought as he blocked a blow from Bell's chained sword, the impact feeling heavy and straining his arm and sword.

Bell's reinforcement of his body could provide him with the bodily strength of a veteran level two, but it would simply drain his mind reserved too quickly.

So by channeling power into areas that require it and less on those that don't, Bell could maintain this level of reinforcement for a much longer time.

Coupled with the reinforcement of his weapons, Bell was confident that he would be able to take down Mendacium.

The momentum of the fight slowly turned against Mendacium as he began to find himself defending more from Bell's flurry of strikes. His chained blades moved unpredictably and suddenly, forcing him to drain his stamina faster than usual.

'Shit!- I'll have to use my curse-'

As Mendacium parried, blocked, and dodged, he began chanting his curse which he earned from his level-up. A curse that allowed him to construct his organization of crime.

「Hear my pleas oh sorrowful world. For I was born from the pits of avarice and deceit...」

Bell was shocked as he witnessed what Mendacium was doing,

'A curse...and concurrent chanting on top of that...'

Curses born from Falna were a rarity among adventurers, even in Orario. An ability that utilizes the energy of mind to perform supernatural feats.

They differ from magic in that curses are invoked mainly to debilitate or hinder opponents in battle, usually at the cost of something from themselves. Making it a double-edged sword of an ability that cannot be underestimated.

Even rarer than curses was the ability of concurrent chanting. An ability that allowed users to invoke their spells whilst moving.

Invoking spells whilst moving was compared to making sure a bomb wasn't going to explode whilst distracted with something else.

'For this bastard to be blessed with both makes it a shame to kill him...no matter. I have to cancel his chant before his curse takes effect-'

Bell began increasing the speed and unpredictability of his attacks, but Mendacium simply blocked them all as he continued chanting in difficulty.

「Dibilitated and weakened from the acts of cruelty done onto me, I rage in defiance-」

'I can sense his mind slowly taking shape. He's almost done!-'

Bell began to move in closer to cancel his cast with close combat.

「Scorn mine enemies. Let them bathe in the eternal torment I find myself bound to!」

Bell was now close enough to strike Mendacium with his fists, but he was too late, as Mendacium invoked the name of his curse.

「Pseudologos Aletheia」

Just as Bell's fist was about to connect with Mendacium. his vision has gone black. The surprise he felt made him hesitate, something Mendacium used to knock Bell away.

Bell recovered from the blow quickly, reassuming his stance, but he pondered on what had just happened to him.

'A fog or illusion type curse?...no...I'm unable to trace...so that would mean...'

"A curse that robs me of my senses huh? Quite annoying"

Bell was able to identify the true effects of the curse that just occurred in an instant upon discovering his inability to trace, something that can only happen with the complete removal of his sight.

"I commend you for figuring it out so quickly. You're not so stupid after all. But what now? You're now just a blind bastard I can beat the shit out of-"

But before Mendacium could continue with his trash talk, Bell was now within his range, preparing to strike him yet again.

Mendacium sword flew and it appeared that it would reach Bell first...but he simply manipulated its flow once more with accuracy.

"?! How did you-"

Before Mendacium could speak, Bell had shut him up once again with a swing of his chained sword. The heavy blow pushed Mendacium away like a ragdoll.

"Didn't I say before? Less talking. But since you want to know so badly...blindness won't be enough to stop me"

Magic circuits across Bell's ears and nose began to radiate beneath his mask, enhancing his sense of hearing and smell. Allowing him to track Mendacium even with his sense of sight gone.

Bell's face was hidden beneath his mask and hood, but his smug grin could be felt from the tone of his voice alone.

Mendacium walked out from the crate he had made from being blown away, coughing from the dust, before replying.

"Yeah? How about you try this you piece of shit?!"

Mendacium quickly spoke out a shorter chant than before.

「Scorn mine enemies twofold-」

But Bell wouldn't simply allow him to chant his curse without resistance. They exchanged blows with great speed and number.

Though Bell lost a vital sense, Mendacium felt the pressure from blocking his attacks only increased, making him struggle to invoke his curse once again

「Take from them yet again?!-」

Mendacium narrowly avoided Bell's chained blade which struck him from behind, cutting his hair but nothing else.

「And let my sorrow rage even more!」

Bell failed to stop the chant a second time. Mendacium doing so by the skin of his teeth.

「Pseudologos Aletheia: Duplex」

Bell immediately sensed that his smell had gone numb, shocked, but not as much as before.

Mendacium tried to use this moment to strike Bell, but he simply knocked him away. The loss of his smell not hindering his ability to fight back at all.

"Huh, so you can repeat this curse more than once...how interesting...I wonder what the price for such an ability is?"

Mendacium recovering from his blow from Bell cursed at him.

"You bitch. What kind of fucked up bastard are you?!"

Being able to fight well even when blinded, and being able to counter him with the loss of his smell. Mendacium had never fought against many people who could survive the first use of his curse, much less the second.

Bell, enhancing his hearing to compensate for the lack of vision and smell, replied.

"Someone who is built differently I guess...built better than you at least"

Mendacium was angered even more by Bell's provocation, immediately moving to fight him once again.

"I'LL KILL YOU! YOU SON OF A BITCH!-"

Bell simply continued manipulating the flow of Mendacium's strikes, his attacks never once reaching him.

"That implies you are even capable of doing that in the first place....and-"

Bell countered Mendacium's flurry of sword strikes with a counter punch to his gut, one made with noticeably much force.

"I don't take kindly to insults against my mother"

Mendacium flew away from Bell's blow, crushing into the wall of the large room once more.

The exchange between Mendacium and Bell continued the same as before.

But this time, Mendacium invoked his curse for the third time.

「Pseudologos Aletheia: Triplex!-」

This time Bell's sense of hearing was taken away. Mendacium began rushing towards Bell once again, assured of his success now that he was stolen of his major senses.

"TRY AND DODGE THIS YOU CRIPPL-"

But just as Mendacium tried cursing Bell once again, Bell deflected his blow just as naturally as before, shocking Mendacium greatly as he recovered his stance.

"!- YOU'RE BLIND DEAF AND HAVE NO SENSE OF SMELL! HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT!-"

Bell simply stood there in silence before speaking.

"Just so you know I can't hear you so I can't reply. But I think you're that much of an idiot to forget about that, so I'll just speak right now-"

"!-"

Mendacium had forgotten Bell couldn't hear him and was embarrassed with himself for such a blunder.

Outside of the awareness of Mendacium, the Hermes familia tried their best to contain their laughter. Hermes was struggling the most, and even the stern Asfi could be seen fighting off a grin.

Regardless of what was happening, Bell continued speaking.

"To which I can only reply with one thing...tough shit"

Mendacium was now at the height of his anger and engaged against Bell once again, with Bell deftly manipulating his strikes with just as much proficiency as he did before.

'You wanna know how I can still fight? I still have my sense of touch you fuck-'

Vibrations produced from the ground. Changes in the air as a result of wind. The tension he felt from the chains and blade. All these sources of information were enough for Bell to continue fighting competently.

'I trained for every possible scenario before arriving in Orario. Hypothesizing and formulating methods for any encounter'

The exchange between Mendacium began increasing in intensity and danger as each second passed by.

'I admit you had a great drive to get this far. You thoroughly outplayed even the major forces of Orario. But your drive... it's self-centered and selfish...that's why you can never beat me'

Mendacium began striking with desperation. Only wishing to take down the opponent in front of him at all costs.

'They say to fear a man who has nothing to lose...but I choose to fear one who has something they can never accept to lose...my family...my friends...those I have met...and those I have yet to meet...this world and its future... it's something I can never afford to lose...at all costs!-'

Bell decided to end this fight once and for all.

「Trace...on」

Bell pushed away Mendacium with a well-placed front kick as he projected two more sets of his chained blades.

Mendacium quickly recovered and sprinted back with immense strength. He too planned to finish this fight with this last exchange.

Bell threw all three sets of his chained blades towards Mendacium, but with his immense strength prepared for this last exchange, he powerfully parried each blade away. Knocking all of them in various directions.

"HAHAHAHA I HAVE YOU KNOW!"

Mendacium quickly prepared to strike at Bell with his sword, but before he could, he could only hear him invoke his magic.

「Reinforce」

A series of circuits began appearing across the chains and blades which were around the room, covering the hall with brilliant blue light.

Mendacium was mere inches away from reaching Bell, just as they were when their fight has first begun, but Bell wasn't done yet.

He pulled back on the chains he held with immense force.

Mendacium sensed it, and it was too late to do anything, he was too invested in the attack to defend or evade-

The blades he had knocked away now surrounded him in all directions. Swinging towards him with immense force. An unavoidable strike devised by a counter-guardian over his many years in combat.

Bell simply calmly spoke the words that would conclude their fight.

「Triple-Linked Crane Wings」

"..."

Mendacium fell onto his knees. Strength was leaving his body rapidly.

"..."

He had been stabbed six times across his body. Each of Bell's swords wedged into Mendacium's body deeply. Each strike was unmistakably fatal.

"..."

And as if things couldn't get worse for him...the backlash

"URGH-"

Mendacium began puking out large chunks of black liquid. His veins began turning black as he was inflicted with more agony.

His curse was one that was fueled by his inner sorrow and hatred for the world. Should he fail to cancel his curse or deal with his opponent before a certain time, the curse would begin attacking Mendacium and burn his body from the inside with boiling black tar.

Mendacium was in immense agony as he howled in pain, screaming profanities as he did so.

"FUCK. SHIT. FUCK- FUCKK- ITS HURTS- SO MUCH-. FUCK!-"

He was bleeding and was spitting out the tar of his curse at the same time. It was a sight that seemed most pitiable.

Even Bell who had been on the receiving end of his malice and hatred couldn't help but pity him, and thus moved in accordance with that,

Bell dispelled the chains around Mendacium's body, only leaving the blades, as dispelling them would lead to his death via blood loss.

「Trace on」

Bell's chained blade appeared on his right hand as he held it overhead, preparing to end Mendacium's suffering with the end of his life.

He was beyond saving. The injuries he incurred would've been manageable, but the price of a curse he used four times?

Only someone like Airmid Teasanare might stand a chance at saving him, but that was impossible given their location from the Dian Cecht familia and the fact he was a criminal who murdered countless adventurers.

'Even if it would mean he would be judged before the law of Orario, Dian Cecht won't risk such a move for his familia's reputation'

Bell readied to take Mendacium's life, but he suddenly sprinted away from Bell, moving past him and past the door to the hall. He was attempting to escape.

'I HAVE TO ESCAPE...I HAVE TO ESCAPE!-'

Mendacium had resorted to his last course of action.

Should he ever find himself cornered, he had a pill hidden in his mouth which he ordered from an underground doctor.

It was a concoction that granted one an immense boost in agility due to the various illegal compounds used in its manufacture. Even granting full-body numbness to not be held back by pain when escaping.

But it came at the cost of vitality. The pill's consumption would begin to drain the user's mind and life force. The extent of which wasn't known since it was the first pill of its kind.

'I NEED TO ESCAPE. HIDE. I CAN ALWAYS REBUILD. IM MENDACIUM. I BUILT A CRIME EMPIRE FROM NOTHING. I CAN DO IT AGAIN! AHA- HAHA- AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-'

Mendacium began to fall into delirium. He probably wouldn't come out alive even if his escape were successful. With the little vitality he had after his wounds and curse, the pill was only hastening his inevitable demise.

As Mendacium was running away, he felt the instinct to look back.

There he saw the Gray Ghost, spinning his chained blade, each spin gaining it immense momentum and speed.

Time slowed down for him.

He wasn't sure how, but he was able to hear what the Gray Ghost was saying to him.

His doomed escape separated them by quite a distance, but he could hear it...his voice...

It sounded so...

'gentle?...'

"I sincerely wish...you are born into a much kinder life next time"

Bell threw his chained blade toward Mendacium.

It was upon him in an instant, then suddenly.

'...?...'

The world began spinning in the eyes of Mendacium.

He could see his body slowly getting farther away from him.

He could no longer process that he had just been decapitated.

'it's...warm...'

A warmth began overcoming Mendacium.

Not the cold embrace of death, but one much kinder.

Mendacium was now on the last vestige of his consciousness.

One last grip before he would fade into the cycle of reincarnation.

He could no longer think. But he uttered one last thing before falling into his eternal rest.

'I wanted...it too'

Flashes of his neglectful parents. Memories of watching families as he hid in the alleyways, too afraid to step into the light from the darkness.

'...fa...mi...ly...'

...

..

.

Bell's chain which he threw out fell onto the floor.

The sound of its metal hitting against the floor accompanied two others.

It was now over.

'As someone who has been blessed with a better life after death...though we were enemies...though you are soaked in sin...one day...I hope you can atone and experience it too'

Bell quietly stood in silence for a moment, but then firmed his resolve and began walking toward the opulent altar at the end of the hall.

'It's not over yet...there's still...'

"Dolos. Head of the Dolos familia. Show yourself"

Bell spoke with a heavy tone, his voice carrying his intent.

This wasn't a request he had made to the gods, it was an order.

"HIIIIIIIIII!-"

Dolos tumbled down the opulent throne he had built himself with riches and drugs. Scared beyond measure.

"L-Lets not be t-too hasty here!-"

Dolos began to quickly reason his way out of his problems.

"I-I wasn't with him y-y'know! I mean did you see how h-he treated me?! He captured me here! Entrapped me! That filthy criminal scum! Forcing me to hand out my falna to criminals. Oh, it was horrible!"

Dolos naturally threw the child who had afforded him his lifestyle which he adored under the bus. Without hesitation or remorse. Even began cursing him.

"S-So you have to save m-me uhhhh- CLAY POSTE! HERO CLAY POSTE!-"

But Dolos was only met with a response filled with anger from Bell.

"Shut your mouth Dolos"

"HIIIIIIIIII!-"

Seeing such a disgusting vermin in front of him. Bell decided to see how far down he was.

"You lavished in the wealth you're so-called captor gathered from the deaths of innocent adventurers'

"You could've easily canceled the falna you gave to various criminals and your captain, leaving you on an equal playing field in terms of strength. A viable method to escape captivity"

"It's undeniable that you looked away as you left numerous innocents to their cruel fates. Never once regretting, only doing so when caught-"

Bell now towered over Dolos who was constantly backing up on the floor as Bell continued to approach him. His shadow looming over the god.

"How do you plead?"

Silence...before Dolos spoke out loudly.

"INNOCENT YOU STUPID BASTARD!-"

His true colors have now shown.

"WHO CARES THAT SOME MORTALS DIED? I'M A GOD. I'M ABOVE YOU ALL!-"

The fear he had once shown was now replaced with a vile arrogance that most other gods would even find themselves disgusted with.

"IM SUPPOSED TO BATHE IN RICHES. SURROUNDED AND SERVICED BY NUMEROUS BEAUTIES. INDULGED IN THE GREATEST PLEASURE. BUT NO! I WAS STUCK IN THE STREETS. THROWN AWAY LIKE SOME FILTH!-"

"I NATURALLY DESERVE ALL THIS. IT'S MY BIRTHRIGHT AS A DIVINE- "

But Dolos was cut off before he could speak any longer.

Bell's foot was firmly planted on his stomach.

"URK?!-"

"Don't speak anything more. Every word you say disgusts me to no end"

Bell held his chained blade overhead, preparing to strike down at Dolos.

"W-WAIT!- MORTALS CANT KILL GODS-"

Bell simply replied curtly.

"Dissuaded from killing gods. Doesn't mean I can't, and I have plenty of reason to do so with you"

Such was the reality of the situation.

"D-DO YOU NOT F-FEAR THE CONSEQUENCES?! I WILL JUST RETURN TO TENKAI. I'LL TORTURE YOUR SOUL WITH MY ARCANUM WHEN DEATH COMES UPON YOU!-"

Eternal damnation. Such was the driving force as to why mortals didn't mess with gods in Gekai.

Should they do so, and enter the realm of the dead, their soul will be available for the mistreated god to play with, fully equipped with their divine arcanum.

No one knows what happens to those who have tried to defile the divine.

No one even knows if it has even happened before in the long history of the world.

But Bell wasn't dissuaded by such threats.

"If eternal damnation...is the price I have to pay...for you to be held accountable for your crimes..."

Bell's eyes glowed, leaving a hazy trail of blue.

"Then its a price well worth paying"

Bell gripped his chained blade tightly. Falling onto the god's neck with immense speed and strength.

"YOU CRAZY BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Dolos screamed as the blade approached him. But before it could.

"HOLD ON THERE JUST A MOMENT!-"

A new voice entered the hall.

Bell stopped his blade mere centimeters from Dolos' neck. The sharpness of the blade could be felt even though it wasn't touching.

"...Hermes"

Hermes had arrived at the hall, with his iconic hat and outfit covering his radiant blonde hair.

"I'm honored to know that you recognize me, Mr. Gray Ghost. But moving on from that-"

Hermes quickly spoke.

"It would be in your best interest to not stab Dolos in the neck. He will surely answer for his crimes. I promise you"

Hermes spoke in an orderly tone to Bell, never breaking away from staring into his eyes as he did so.

"I am well aware"

Bell replied quickly.

"But he will simply return to Tenkai and not be allowed to descend ever again...such a punishment doesn't seem commensurate for his acts"

Hearing Bell's reply, Hermes immediately understood what he was thinking. Truly, such punishment didn't seem appropriate for such horrendous deeds.

"Ah yes, it would appear at first glance that being sent to Tenkai and never being allowed to descend would seem like a mere slap on the wrist..."

"However! Though many of us have descended to the lower world Gray Ghost. There still remains a sizeable portion of our kind in Tenkai. The world would fall into ruin if nobody was left to manage it after all~"

Bell began pondering what Hermes said. He didn't know if the mythological tasks described in Earth translated to the world of Danmachi, but if they have areas which they govern, surely they would have responsibilities to manage.

"Many of our kind foresaw the countless troubles that might come as a consequence of being able to descend, one such group are the numerous gods and goddesses who govern over law and justice!"

Hermes exuberantly said.

"Though most gods would dread this punishment because they would no longer be able to enjoy the lower world and its fun...but...to the more...revile individuals of our people..."

Hermes showed a sadistic smile as he stared into the eyes of Dolos

"Its a fate worse than death"

Dolos soon paled greatly at what he was soon to face in Tenkai. Eventually...pissing himself.

"ugh-"

Bell stepped away from Dolos, repulsing in disgust as he noticed the wet stains of his pants,

Even Hermes was visibly disgusted by this. Embarrassed such a person was the same race as him, but he focused on the conversation he had with Bell/Gray Ghost.

"So...will that be enough to dissuade you from stabbing Dolos Gray Ghost?..."

Hermes watched with bated breath as Bell pondered over it, eventually sighing and retracting his blade.

"I trust you will handle it properly Hermes..."

Hermes quickly followed up with gratitude.

"I'm honored you think so"

Hermes said as he took his hat and bowed toward Bell.

Hermes' familia members and his captain Asfi soon appeared out from hiding to accompany their god.

"So it would seem I had an audience this entire time, how embarrassing for me to not have noticed"

Bell sarcastically said as he witnessed all of them appear one by one.

"HAHAHAHA. Surprise? Quite the thing to say for the one who has invited us here"

Hermes quickly jabbed back.

"So it would seem you have noticed...not that I didn't expect anything less from you of course. Did you enjoy the show?"

Hermes deftly replied to Bell's question.

"I'm glad you placed such faith in my intellect...and...it was the best I have ever seen..."

Hermes said as a sly smile covered his face. Bell knew he had gotten him completely.

"I'm honored. It would seem we will be meeting much more in the future then...and my business here is now finished, so I'll leave you to wrangle up the remaining stragglers...farewell and I look forward to working with you"

「Transient」

Bell's figure soon faded into dust before disappearing completely.

Hermes and his familia members simply stood in awe at what had just happened.

Asfi on the other hand had a pensive look on her face.

'Instant item creation...one which far surpasses my own... He's quite talented as well with information gathering, being able to figure out the location of this base... Along with his unique method of using mind... circuits... it's something I've never seen before...'

Asfi pondered deeply.

'Those knives as well... I should reference their structure for my own throwing knives... and most importantly that invisibility ability. I can recognize the fluctuations of that mind, it's a magic item...A magic item that grants invisibility greater than my own Hades Helm...'

'Did he make it as well? Did he get it from somewhere?...how does he operate it?... So many things I want to know...'

Asfi's frustration at her curiosity was visible on her face. As a woman of intelligence and immense interest in magic item creation, she would naturally grab at any chance to learn more on the subject.

'He said he would meet Lord Hermes more frequently soon...and since I tag along with Lord Hermes most of the time... I'll be able to meet him too'

A rare smile formed on the blue-haired adventurer's face, one which Hermes didn't fail to notice.

'I want to do it...I want to talk with him'

Hermes couldn't help but smile to himself seeing his child so curious.

'Oh, my~ Is spring near for my dear ice queen?~ Hm? Wouldnt I be able to drag Gray Ghost into my familia if I married Asfi off to him?-'

Hermes naturally began scheming as he saw Asfi, but stopped himself, even though it was very fun for him to imagine-

"Alright, guys! Let's get this place cleaned and locked down. Once we got everyone in custody...I'll be giving away our familia's treasured wine collection to celebrate!"

Hearing Hermes' declaration, all of the familia members cheered in motivation. They badly wanted to get hammered.

However, Asfi had something else to say, broken out of her concentration by Hermes.

"YOU MEAN MY TREASURED WINE COLLECTION!-"

And so the night continued on in Orario.

The stage of a performance unknown to many began to draw the curtains.

The lights dimmed.

The music quieted.

'The end'

Authors Note:

Thank you for reading this far!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one, especially the fights and Asfi's interest growing.

Any comments or suggestions about this chapter? I would like to hear your thoughts, both bad and good.

Also, this chapter showed why Bell went with chained blades for his weapons. Until he can somehow imitate the magical attraction of Kanshou and Bakuya, and project items with magical properties, this will be the best way he can imitate Emiya's original fighting style.

It's a scuffed imitation, and I plan on having him add his own touches to it as well.

Nothing I can say for the next chapter, just hope you can look forward to it. Have a nice day!