Bell awoke to the smell of antiseptic and clean air. His body was aching in places he did not even understand. [Ittou Shura] really had done a number on his body. He could still feel the phantom pains of internal injuries.
'Man, I really have to get some kind of [Regeneration] skill from the wheel, or I might someday just kick the bucket while having a simple walk.' Bell thought inwardly with a grimace.
He looked around. His surroundings were similar to a hospital ward from the old world. Groans of injured people from adjacent rooms brushed against his ears.
Bell's gaze stopped on the stool besides his bedside. Goddess Astraea was lying there. Her hands wrapped around his arm, her sleeping face laying on his sides. Her luminous brown hair spilled across the sides of the bed.
He gazed at her sleeping face, his emotions complex. His hand came to rest on her cheek, hold gentle with a slight tremble.
There were many times during his fight with the Viola that he felt death was close, yet every time death was about to claim him, he was reminded of Goddess Astraea's gentle smile. That gentle smile gave him strength to keep going.
And once, seven years ago...Evilus had bought crushing pain and deep suffering to that same face, which was now becoming something precious to him.
His hand tightened protectively over her cheek, his grip firm and gentle. Bell looked towards the wall ahead of him.
Thoughts returning towards Evilus.
A decision he had thought long and hard about before finally solidified in his mind.
Bell decided, abyssal black flashing deep inside his ruby red eyes for a moment.
After idly letting his hand rest protectively over Goddess Astraea's face for some time, his rest was interrupted by a women with silver hair and purple eyes, wearing a elaborate doctors attire with white and blue accents.
The Dea Saint, Airmid Teasanare.
"It is nice to meet you, Mr.Bell...I'm Airmid Teasanare. I was the one who patched you up earlier. You body was pretty broken. It was even a miracle that you were alive when you were bought here."
Airmid spoke as she walked up to the other side of his bed.
"It is nice to meet you too, Ms. Airmid. Thank you for your earlier help." Bell looked into her eyes. Expressing his sincere gratitude.
"Is your shoulder still hurting?" Airmid asked in a professional and curious tone.
"Now that you mention it...Yea it's hasn't been hurting since I woke up." Bell was reminded of his shoulder and gave it a light spin. Feeling no pain.
"Well, your shoulder was dislocated and there were countless lacerations all over your body. It even took me some serious focus to treat them, especially your internal injuries." Airmid spoke in a rapid fire way, expressing both her annoyance and wonder at his body's state.
"It was just backlash of a special skill...sorry for making your work harder." Bell spoke. His free hand rubbing his hair. Sheepishness radiating from him.
"I don't mind. A perk of treating too many oddballs apparently." Airmid gave a charming laugh at his gesture.
Their voices apparently woke up the sleeping Goddess Astraea. Who upon seeing Bell awake, hugged him desperately without regard for their surroundings.
"If you'll excuse me." Airmid took her cue and left while flashing a gentle wave at Bell.
Bell returned the movement with a gentle nod as Goddess Astraea clung to his side. Her face buried in his neck.
He bought his focus back on Astraea and wrapped both of his arms gently around her.
"Goddess, I'm here... calm down, I'm not going anywhere." Bell spoke gently, reassuring her with his touch.
The only reply he got was the sound of her gentle sobs against his neck. Soft tears dripping across her face, onto his neck.
Bell felt his heart ache at her sobs. He gently held her against him as she cried, pouring all her grievances and fears out, in the form of tears.
After crying for some time, her sobs subsided.
A hesitant and uncertain voice, tinged with pain rang out. Muffled against his neck.
"B-Bell, I was scared when I saw you gravely injured before...Will you promise not get hurt again?" Her voice was fragile for the first time. Tinged with fear and and a hint of pleading.
Bell went quit for a moment at her question. It would be so easy to say yes and reassure her. But he knew she'd know his lie in a heartbeat.
Lying would hurt both him and her.
He spoke, his voice coming out a bit choked, but filled with burning determination.
"Goddess, I can't guarantee that I won't get injured like this again, or with even graver injuries,"
Bell stopped for a heartbeat, feeling her arms tighten around his waist painfully.
"But I can promise you, I won't die... No matter how much danger I come across... I'll always come back to you." His voice was no longer choked. It was more firmer and solid — not with determination — but with a certainty of having glimpsed a probability of future.
"Yes, I would stumble. Yes, I would get injured. Yes, I would feel weak," He continued.
"But I won't leave you behind alone, to suffer." Bell concluded, his red eyes firmer than ever.
Goddess Astraea was quiet for a moment, digesting his words. Then, she let out a relieved sigh against his neck.
"Even if you died somehow, I'll wait in Tenkai for you soul. You can't run away, even by dying." Goddess Astraea whispered after a moment. So quiet that it went unheard by him.
_____________ 2 Days Later ___________
Bell walked through the streets of Orario, once again feeling that repulsive divine gaze stalking his movement from the top of Tower of Babel.
It no longer carried the same intensity as before. Much more mellow and less covetous. Though the interest and intrigue in that gaze was more than double compared to before.
Was that Goddess mad? Even after having tea with the Asura, she still dared to stalk him?
There really were a few bolts loose in her head. Any other person would have gone mad by now and committed suicide after coming in close contact with that much bloodlust.
Abyss Submersion of Asura Soul Reaping technique was created to make the people it was used upon go mad.
But what if someone was already a lunatic before that technique hit?
Even the creator of that technique did not take that into account.
Though his threat seemed to have worked somewhat. She probably won't send her whole army of simps down at him in covetousness.
Bell changed his direction after feeling that gaze, going from the pathway to the dungeon towards a different pathway leading towards the infamous 'Hostess Of Fertility'.
He walked in the pub famous for it's waitresses across Orario and his old world.
"Hello, would you like a seat?" A waitress walked upto him after he walked inside.
She was a human women with light gray hair, tied in a short ponytail. Her eyes were light gray, alight with a strange curiosity.
Syr Flova
Or rather
Freya.
Exactly whom he was here for.
"Yes, I would like a table at the corner. One with less noise." Bell spoke to her gently. His gaze warm. Posture sincere.
But something else was going inside his mind.
'Since you still dare to covet me, Freya...Don't mind me using you for my own benefit.' He thought inwardly while following her to an empty table at the corner.
Bell sat at a table at the corner of the pub, people rowdy even in the morning and started to order whatever was recommended by Syr.
He waited for some time. His thoughts ruthless while outwardly he projected a harmless persona.
It left a bad taste in his mouth to do something like this, but as he was now, he wasn't strong enough to crush everything beneath his heel.
Syr bought back the food while he was lost in thought. Bell started to eat the food with gusto as Syr attended to other orders.
As his food was close to being finished, Syr walked to his table. The wooden plate in her hands hugged to her chest.
"How was the food...Mr...?" Syr questioned with an innocent voice and gentle posture.
"Bell Cranel...You can call me Bell." Bell replied with a gentle voice. His hands on a cup of water.
"I see, It is nice to meet you...Mr.Bell...Did you like the food?" Syr asked after hearing his name. Bell caught no surprise in her eyes.
"Yes...It was good, better than other pubs I've been to before." Bell replied, this time with sincerity. Food was really good here.
"Mr Bell...Are you alright? You seemed a little unwell." Syr spoke quietly, a gentle question in her tone.
Bell looked down at his uninjured body. Then looked at his energetic limbs. Understanding flashing in his eyes.
"Oh...It's nothing Miss waitress...I was there during the Viola incident two days ago and was gravely injured in the aftermath." Bell spoke, like genuinely sharing his struggles with someone trustworthy. Only there was no trust in his eyes.
"Oh...I'm so sorry to hear that." Syr spoke, brining one of her hands to her mouth.
"There is no need for you to be sorry Miss... It's just that one of the Viola's targeted me specifically during the incident. Probably because I'm a new member of the Astraea Familia," Bell spoke, his voice gentle yet devoid of true warmth.
"I almost died during that incident, though luck seemed to be on my side. The Viola chasing me exploded on it's own." Bell continued like sharing a big secret.
He watched as Syr's gaze flashed with frost at the mention of almost dying. Though it was buried a moment later by worry.
'Now Freya, what would you do when someone wants to kill something you want for yourself?' Bell thought inwardly, keeping his focus on her reactions.
"Mr.Bell... You were lucky, but luck is also a faucet of strength for a adventurer. You should focus on the present now, since that incident is now behind you." Syr spoke with gentle concern.
"Thank you for your kind words Miss." Bell spoke after a moment and got up from the table he was occupying after paying the bill.
'Freya, don't disappoint me. Go ahead and release your army of simps behind Evilus like rabid dogs.' Bell thought while walking out of the 'Hostess of Fertility'.
He was not yet done.
Bell walked to a medieval stationary shop. He bought a new envelope, ink, quill and paper.
After walking to an isolated bench, he put down his newly bought stationary. After which he dipped the quill in fresh ink and wrote on the newly bought paper.
Hope you liked the Violas we sent you, Loki Familia.
We sincerely believe you will become a second Astraea Familia, harvested like livestock by us.
Best wishes, Evilus.
Bell wrote these words dripping with sheer disdain and provocation and folded the page in two. Further sealing it in a envelope.
He wore a clown mask he had bought earlier. Further covering his body fully with a dark cloak bought from another shop.
Bell then started to walk towards the Twilight Manor.
After reaching there,
He watched the guards at the main gate while checking the surroundings for any other Loki Familia member nearby.
After making sure there were no other Loki Familia members nearby, Bell walked up to the guards at the front gate.
"Halt! State your purpose, this is the Twilight Manor of Loki Familia." A guard yelled at him. It was the same guard who had once chased him away at the manor gates of Loki Familia weeks ago.
[Ittou Shura] revolved to life. His strength surged. His limbs feeling light.
One moment Bell was standing in front of them. The next...
Slap!
The sound of a slap resounded as the same guard who had held him up at the gates was bitchslapped across the face, directly fainting.
The other guard pulled his sword out to swing. But Bell was already behind him, holding his neck like a chicken.
He bought his mouth close to the guard's ear and spoke with disdain.
"Send Evilus' regards to that flatboard Loki. 'Enjoy the little time you have left with you Familia. Soon you and Orario will no longer exist.' Pass on the exact words." Bell whispered in his ears, his eyes behind the mask flashing an abyssal black for a moment as bloodlust of an Asura leaked along with a mad laugh from him.
The guard directly fainted at the momentary burst of his bloodlust. Bell led go the wind pipe of the unconscious guard.
[Ittou Shura] deactivated as he stacked both fainted guard's like sacks.
Bell left the letter he had written earlier on top of their fainted forms.
He walked away after making sure no one else saw what he did. A Spring in his steps.
Clown mask covering his identity. Cloak covering his body.
'You're going to absolutely love my gift Evilus,'
'Both Freya's simp army and Loki's Familia can't wait to tear your people apart now.'
'Hope you like my return gift for the Viola you sent my way.'
Since Evilus dared to send a gift to him. It would be bad manners to not give them a reciprocatory gift.
He hoped they had enough guts to accept his return gift.