Chapter 722: *Spoilers, Title at End*
Fresh off the embarrassment he had suffered at the behest of Vahn, Zeus slowly made his way through the sky, supported by his Magic Item, [Sky Chariot]. They took on the form pero-like sandals with golden bands that allowed him to move through the sky as fast as he could run on the ground. Though he would have been able to easily fly in Heaven, Zeus had lost that functionality in the mortal world. Unless he activated the fragment of his Divinity, he was limited by the powers he had developed during his stint in the mortal world. If not for this fact, he would have easily just collapsed the space around Vahn's imposing fire magic.
Remembering the heat radiating from that small orb, which exploded to create a second sun in the sky, Zeus couldn't help but smile with excitement. He knew Vahn was strong, but he hadn't expected the boy to be capable of performing such a powerful attack so quickly. Still, the truly impressive thing was the speed at which Vahn had moved. Zeus didn't know what method they used, but he saw that the Dragon Xenos woman, Terra, had used a strange magic on him moments before. After that, Zeus couldn't even trace Vahn at all until he had appeared in the sky, striking a majestic and heroic figure amongst the dense thunderclouds.
Even so, Zeus couldn't help but feel that the technique Vahn had used was somehow 'evil' and, as hard as it was to imagine, part of his instincts said it could even surpass the strength of normal Divinity one day. It was because of this that, though Zeus had been disappointed by Vahn's arrogance, he didn't harbor any malignant intent towards him. In face, Vahn standing up for his women in such a manner made Zeus feel the boy embodied what it meant to be a true hero. After all, if a man couldn't stand up for his women against the odds, then he wasn't suited to call himself a hero at all. Still, Zeus couldn't easily get the image of that Chienthrope girl out of his mind, realizing it had been a while since he took on a lover with their unique qualities...
Landing in the mountains near the small village where he cared for his grandson, Bell, Zeus walked straight through a wall and disappeared from view. There were hundreds of powerful magic formations in this area of the mountains and, when he wasn't taking care of Bell, this is where Zeus spent most of his time. After all, he couldn't continue the guise of a homely farmer for very long before it became incredibly boring. Here, in this secret retreat Hera had created for him, after a great deal of insistence, Zeus could release the tensions of his body as much as he wanted.
After making his way through the ornately decorated halls, Zeus smiled with a lascivious grin on his face when he saw his current 'companion' splayed out on his circular-shaped bed. Her dark-grey metallic wings covered nearly the entire surface and, even though she had a face full of resentment and indignation, Zeus found her beauty and charm to be quite remarkable. Walking over to her side, earning a glare from the tightly bound woman, Zeus humorously intoned, "Róta, still so resistant? Surely it hasn't been all that bad staying here~? If memory serves, I've tended to you quite a bit...you know, most women would feel gratified being favored by a god..."
Clenching her teeth, Róta tried to jerk her wings free from her restraints once again before releasing a sigh. The prideful expression she wore in the past had lessened greatly ever since Zeus had decided to give her his 'favor'. If her sisters were to see her now, Róta wasn't sure she would be able to live with the shame. The only reason she had even tolerated these grievances, in the beginning, was due to the loyalty she had towards the Allfather, Odin. However, after she and her sisters had unwillingly served Zeus, he had decided to 'keep' her as his prize. Unable to refuse, she ended up in this hell hole and, after finally losing her patience with Zeus' constant demands, he used a powerful magic item to bind her to his bed. Ever since then, she had been stuck in this place, only eating and drinking whenever the despotic god 'remembered' to bring sustenance to her. If not for the fact she was a demigod, Róta was certain she would have died during her stint as this arrogant god's 'pet'.
Zeus, seeing the look of distaste on her face, released a sigh as he began to peel away her robe, remarking, "Things wouldn't have been so difficult for you if you simply accepted my favor obediently. I was led to believe that the Valkyrie's were prideful women who never reneged their duty. Who would have thought that one of their Captains would have set aside her loyalty so quickly just for her pride..." Hearing this, Róta glared towards Zeus and practically spat the words, "I am loyal to the Allfather, not some despotic swine who does whatever he wants without regard for the consequences!" Then, as if not satisfied by her words alone, Róta truly spat towards Zeus but, as she hadn't had anything to drink for nearly three days, only dry spittle flew from her lips.
Now wearing nothing but his [Sky Chariot], and a pair of golden laurel brief that reflected the rather intense lighting within his private bedchamber, Zeus began to laugh uninhibitedly before remarking, "Well, I'm actually quite fond of prideful women, Róta. It is because of that nature of your's that I took a fancy to you, after all..." Zeus stroked his beard in a thoughtful manner, completely ignoring Róta's glare and her futile attempts to break free. He had an interesting thought cross his mind so he said, "Well, I'm certain you want to leave this place, correct~?"
Hearing Zeus' words, Róta's eyes squinted in suspicion as she coldly asked, "What are you playing at, old man...?" Being called old, Zeus' brows furrowed slightly as he retorted, "Hmph, I'll show you that this 'old man' can make a proud woman like you beg like a common whore...tch...!" Róta pulled at the magical bindings with all her might but, with all of her powers completely sealed, they didn't budge a single millimeter beyond the slack Zeus had 'considerately' given her. Zeus enjoyed this reaction of her's but still wanted to play with her more so he said, "I'll give you my promise as a God...if you can satisfy me completely today, I'll let you leave this place. In exchange, you'll have to find a beautiful Chienthrope woman to serve as your replacement. What say you, Róta?"
Róta wouldn't believe Zeus under normal circumstances but, if he was willing to promise on his status as a god, she knew he would make good on his words. The troublesome thing was, he would easily be able to make an excuse that she 'hadn't been able to satisfy him completely', or some other tasteless drivel. She was almost certain, given how he acted normally, this was just a means of getting her to 'willingly' service him, meaning he likely intended to make her do a variety of shameful and nerve-wracking 'plays' with him. Her pride would never let her do such things willingly and, if she could get free of these bindings, Róta was contemplating taking her own life to deny him the satisfaction of his 'games'.
Zeus could see the fire of resentment burning in Róta's eyes and realized she wasn't intending to play along, even though he wasn't actually trying to trick her. Chalking it up to her 'foolishness' as a mortal, Zeus just shook his head and prepared to remove his briefs-shaped magical item before a small alarm began sounding throughout the chamber. It was a very annoying sound that caused Zeus' face to darken in an instant, small sparks of electricity dancing across his eyes. With a loud huffing sigh, Zeus looked to Róta and said, "Think of my offer seriously. If you haven't made a decision by the time I return...don't blame me for using your body to ease my frustrations..."
Ignoring Róta's glare, Zeus ran to a small wardrobe at the side of the chamber and put on a set of clothes that gave him the appearance of a farmer once again. The alarm that was sounding was tied to a small formation he had set on Bell's body in the past. If the boy was ever in danger, or a heightened state of stress. it would begin to sound with a frequency related to the level of stress Bell felt. Since it was currently 'annoyingly' loud, Zeus figured the boy was in a lot of trouble and he needed to act quickly. Thus, after wearing his outfit in a flash, Zeus didn't bother to remove his [Sky Charior] as he ran out of the concealed entrance and bolted towards Bell's location.
As he was quite frustrated right now, storm cloud began to brew in the sky as Zeus raced across the void as quickly as he could, moving several times the speed of sound for a brief moment. He had placed his hopes upon Bell's shoulders as Heracles and Gilgamesh hadn't met his expectations at all. Though Vahn also seemed to have a great deal of potential, Zeus still favored the grandson he had raised since the boy was a young child. Though it was unlikely, with how strong Bell's fate was, Zeus would never forgive himself if harm befell his grandson before his journey could even begin...
Without controlling his momentum, Zeus crashed into the ground and caused small explosions every time his foot struck against the ground. He finally managed to slow himself to a normal pace and ran forward with the speed of an aged man while tracing Bell's tracking signal with the ring on his left ring finger. Zeus was confused about what kind of trouble Bell could have gotten in near their own cottage but, with how loud the signal had been, he couldn't leave it to chance. He needed to confirm Bell's safety and, if the boy was hurt, treat his wounds and give him a pep talk to make sure he didn't stray from his path.
With a great deal of concern in his voice, Zeus called out, "Bell, my boy, are you okay...!?" He had confirmed there weren't any enemies nearby, so Zeus was trying to act as if he just noticed an abnormality. When Bell didn't call back, and the ringing in his ears increased greatly, Zeus furrowed his brows and broke through the small door sectioning off their bath from the rest of the cottage. Inside, he saw his grandson balled up in the tub with his back facing the door, completely avoiding eye contact while he muttered, "Ahhh, please don't look, please don't look...." in a small voice.
Zeus felt his body tilt a few degrees off its axis as he looked towards his grandson with a face full of confusion. He tried making sense of the situation and assumed that Bell was trying to conceal an injury or something by hiding within the tub. The boy hadn't even heated up the water and, as they were rather far to the north, he was certain to get sick if he didn't properly warm himself up. Thus, after releasing a small sigh and uttering a small curse under his breath, Zeus kindly spoke out, "Bell, it's okay...you don't have to hide away from your Grandpa. Here, let me take a look...I can help you..."
Ever so slowly, Bell turned around in the tub with half his face in the cold water, displaying a teary-eyed and confused expression. Zeus always had a soft spot for this grandson of his and, though he lamented how girly Bell was, it still broke his heart to see him in such a state. In as kind a voice as he could manage, Zeus softly said, "Come now, Bell, my boy... it's fine...show your Grandpa what's wrong." This time, Bell's teary-eyes began to full on generate tears, almost like the floodgates had been loosened as he cried out, "Grandpaaaaaaa-!" in a strangely high-pitched voice.
Zeus was stunned as his grandson jumped out of the bath, revealing his fair skinned boy before running forward and hugging his waist tightly. Bell began to cry as if he had suffered a terrible grievance but, the only thing going through Zeus' mind, other than the sound reaching his ears, was the flash of skin he had seen when Bell jumped out of the bath. He was certain his eyes were playing tricks on him but, hearing the high-pitched whine coming from Bell's cries, Zeus' body began to tremble as he placed his hand comfortingly on Bell's soft and tender shoulder...
While his mind was racing to try and make sense of the situation, Bell managed to calm down enough to form words, each syllable doing a great deal of mental damage as the latter said, "Grandpa, it's gone! I don't know what happened, my body, it became strange! Waaaaaaah-!" Zeus swallowed hard as Bell tightly hugged his body, causing a soft feeling to press against his abdomen. With this 'confirmation', combined with what he had seen and heard, Zeus was now certain his suspicions were correct. Though Bell had always had a frail and feminine appearance, Zeus never expected there would be a day when the grandson he had proudly touted as a budding hero...would become a heroine...
Bell continued to cry, hugging 'his' Grandpa tightly as he asked, "Grandpa, what am I going to do!? Please tell me...*sniff*..." Zeus, still feeling his mind dulled by the sudden unexpected situation, habitually pat Bell's back while saying, "Don't worry, Bell, it's going to be okay...I..." Realizing he didn't actually have any advice to give in this situation, Zeus decided to stall by saying, "Ah, yes, this is perfectly natural...don't worry...there is nothing wrong with your body. It's just that you..." As he was trying to find his words, Zeus realized that, though he had talked to Bell about girls a lot, he never really 'explained' the differences between boys and girls to his young grandson. This could have been dangerous as, if he had sent Bell into the world without the 'requisite' knowledge, the boy might not have even been able to function in the capacity of a man until he was 'eaten' by a carnivorous woman...
When this thought crossed his mind, part of Zeus realized that would have still been better than the current situation. He had no experience training female Heroines because Hera would almost always take any capable Demigoddesses to 'protect' them from him. This had always troubled Zeus but he knew her fears weren't ungrounded as it was a fact he had taken an interest in his first daughter in the past. He had also been very fond of Helen but, considering himself a strong a virile male, Zeus didn't believe this was wrong. If any 'man' claimed they weren't interested in Helen's beauty, Zeus would have struck them down with a thunderbolt for daring to lie.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, something made more difficult by the sweet aroma wafting from his grands...daughter's body, Zeus pulled Bell away and said, "Here, let me get a clear look. Don't worry, I'll explain what is going on later. Your Grandpa knows a few people that...will..." When Zeus pulled Bell away, he found his words trailing off of his tongue as a carnal fire began to ignite in his lower abdomen. Bell always had a unique appearance, with fair skin, white hair, and red eyes, but now it had been elevated to another level. His previously feminine appearance, which would have made anyone mistake him for a girl if he wore cute clothing, was now, very clearly, that of a woman's. He, she, was still young, but it was very obvious that Bell would grow into a beauty in the near future...
Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Bell couldn't help but feel the instinct to step back as she asked, "Grand...pa...?" in a small voice. She had never seen her trusted Grandpa look like this, almost like there was a hungry and possessive look in his usually calm and caring eyes. Fortunately, he seemed to snap out of it when she showed her fear, regaining the kind look as he said, "Sorry, Bell...I just got a bit distracted. Even your Grandpa is a bit taken aback by this situation..."
Turning his head to the side, Zeus tried to remind himself that, though Bell was now his granddaughter, she was also the grandson he had painstakingly raised and cared for. If he had groomed her as a girl for the last few years, it might have been possible to make her into a capable Heroine. Now, however, it was far too late for such things and, if he actually acted on the beastly instincts inside of himself, Zeus knew he would 'break' his precious granddaughter. With the powerful flow of fate around her body, such a 'tragic' experience would undoubtedly turn her into a monster that would endanger the entire world...just imagining such a thing made Zeus unbearably sad.
Taking off his tunic, Zeus covered Bell's body and said, "I'm not sure what happened, but your body has changed from a boy's into that of a girl's..." Hearing this, Bell released a started 'Eeeeeeeeh~!?", making her seem even more like the girl she was. Zeus released a sigh, wondering what he was going to do about this granddaughter of his. As a boy, Bell could have gotten away with being airheaded since, with the flow of fate around his body, it would have actually benefited him as a Hero. Now, however, that airheadedness would almost guarantee he became a 'victim' after some disreputable sorts got their eyes on him. Bell could be easily exploited because she had a very trusting nature and, with her exotic and charming appearance, almost like a small white rabbit, Bell would make an undoubtedly popular slave or prostitute...
Zeus realized he was in over his head and, resisting the urge to stroke his granddaughter's head, said, "Bell, I'll be back in a short while. I'm going to get someone that will be able to help you...stay here and behave like a good bo...girl..." Bell was still very confused by everything that was happening so she just nodded her head while tightly holding onto the tunic her Grandpa had given her. She watched as his back disappeared out into the rainy weather and began to feel scared and insecure about the future. Bell had no idea what she was going to do as a girl since her dream had always been to become a Hero that had a large family of girls around her...could she still do that, now that she was no longer a boy...?
After walking off a fair distance, Zeus pulled out a parchment and wrote a message, this time addressed to Hera. She had always been the brains of their partnership and Zeus believed she would be able to come up with a solution. At the very least, she would be able to prepare for dealing with life as a woman. Though Bell might now be able to become the Hero Zeus had desired, it would be enough as long as she was happy and managed to avoid any great tragedies in life. Even if meant she would have to stay and train with Hera for a few years, it was better than his granddaughter becoming the meat slave of some perverted noble, or getting sold to a brothel as an exotic prostitute...
Thinking of tragic fates, Zeus suddenly began to feel very guilty about what he had done to Róta. Truthfully, she didn't deserve what he had put her through and, in retrospect, Zeus understood he had been out of line with a lot of his behaviors. When Hera came to retrieve Bell, he would go and free the bound Valkyrie and, as long as she didn't intend to kill him, he would try to make it up to her. It would probably cost him an arm, but it would eventually grow back after a few months...
While he was lost in thought, Zeus heard the alarm ringing in his ears once again, startling him from his reverie as he looked toward the cottage on the far hill. He understood that Bell was likely very confused right now but Zeus didn't think it justified such a drastic reaction. Bell's emotional state almost made it seem like he was in mortal peril but, considering the protective formations around the cottage, Zeus knew he would be safe. Bell was probably just freaking out after 'discovering' something about his new body. Realizing this, Zeus shook his head with a sigh and tried to get the image of his granddaughter's nude figure out of his mind. He needed to turn her over to Hera soon or, knowing himself, there was a non-negligible chance he would do something regretful...
Unfortunately for Zeus, such an opportunity would never come, regardless of what actions he took as, the moment he had decided that Bell wasn't in any danger, he had sealed the young Heroines fate. As a result of his earlier crash landing, Zeus had caused a crack in the formations protecting the cottage. Since they lived far on the outskirts of the village, they were very close to a forest that was filled to the brim with weak monsters that were the bane of farmers all over the world. As it would happen, Zeus breaking down the door to the bathroom had left Bell completely unprotected when a group of three Goblins wandered into the premises. Bell, seeing the three monsters appear, had completely frozen up. Without offering any resistance whatsoever, Bell was struck down by the sharpened wooden club of the slightly larger Goblin, passing into the afterlife moments later as the Goblins feasted heartily on her soft and tender flesh...
Title: April Fools' Day
(A/N: This is a non-canon chapter, if it wasn't very obvious xD. I tried riling people up by showing Zeus being a scumbag, threw a curve ball at them with some casual genderswap, and then wrapped things up with an ill-fated end to our young Heroine's journey~!...please don't kill me xD...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It's just a prank bro...','Seriously, put down the pitchforks...!','Aaaaaah, I'm sorry, don't bully the Author-san please ( ; ^ ; )...')
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