Bell was stunned by the realization that his childhood friend was the infamous witch of betrayal he had read about in the story of Fate/Stay Night.
'Looking back on it now, there were obvious signs pointing towards this...'
A father named Aeetes, a mother named Idyia, and a daughter with purple named Medea. The signs couldn't have been more obvious for any person well-versed enough in mythology and fate lore, yet Bell didn't realize such a fact due to the fact he didn't believe elements from another story would collide with another.
'How are elements connected to Fate appearing in the world of Danmachi?... Is it related to my reincarnation?'
Such was the only conclusion he could draw. During his training with his grandfather, he would ask Zeus to verify if his knowledge of the world of Danmachi held true. The age before the gods' descent from Tenkai. The promise between the gods and the dungeon. The three great quests. Everything that was vital to Bell's plans for the future, and to his relief, all remained the same.
Bell's main concern at the moment was how many elements from Fate were present in the world.
'I have to determine whether or Alaya and Gaia exist in this world. If they do, which one is the more dominant force?... If Gaia were to be more dominant...'
Scenarios of dead apostles going on killing sprees around the world, aiming to rid the world of humanity, flashed through Bell's mind. It was a horrifying prospect to consider.
'I'll have to run this through grandpa first. He and his familia were a dominant force in the world for hundreds if not thousands of years, he's bound to have encountered any possible elements from Fate in his long life.'
Bell pondered so deeply on the ramifications of what he had encountered that he completely forgot about the elf-eared girl beside him.
Medea slowly but surely removed her drowsiness from her sudden awaking. Once she had done so, she began slowly analyzing what she was seeing.
'Oh Bell's awake, and I'm beside him in bed....hm?...Bell's awake...and I'm beside him in bed...BELL'S AWAKE AND I'M BESIDE HIM IN BED?!-'
Blood began rushing to her head, embarrassment boiling in her heart. Bell was unaware of this and continued looking towards her, not actually perceiving Medea, but stuck in deep thought. Unable to bear the sheer absurdity of the situation she found herself in, being stared at point-blank range by the boy she fancied. Medea did thusly.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!-"
She screamed.
"Huh?!-"
Hearing Medea scream, Bell was immediately taken out of his pondering, surprised at the sudden action of his childhood friend.
Bell wanted to ask what was wrong, so he immediately reach his hands out to Medea. But before he could ask her what was wrong. The door to his room burst open.
"Medea?! What wrong-"
Idyia came rushing in, concerned at the scream her daughter made, but what she saw left her dazed for a moment.
Bell, still sweaty from his awakening from his dream, had his arms around Medea. Medea, embraced by Bell, was blushing profusely, almost as if she were a ripe tomato. Both are beside each other in bed. The atmosphere was tense enough to be cut with a knife.
Such were the observations Idyia had made in 2.7 seconds upon entering.
'oh my...oh my...OH MY OH MY OH MY!!-'
She was positively ecstatic seeing the kids she raise share a moment of heated passion together.
"So sorry to disturb you two. You can carry on. Just forget little 'ol me even came here in the first place~"
Idyia spoke whilst wearing a wide smile. Bell couldn't help but think a misunderstanding was taking place before his eyes.
Before Idyia left, however, she sent a silent message to her blushing mess of a daughter.
"I'm so proud you're already using the lessons I gave you! Go get 'em, tiger!-"
Idyia then promptly closed the door, and the sounds of her footsteps could be heard, a series of quick footsteps that faded in volume as she got farther away.
Medea, having experienced a myriad of various stimuli in quick succession, promptly broke down as she could no longer handle the level of embarrassment she was going through.
"Awawawawawawawawa-"
Bell, seeing his friend undergo a mental breakdown in front of his eyes, immediately rushed to help her, not even thinking about what had just occurred.
"Medea?! Hang in there! Medea?...MEDEAAA!-"
For Bell, it had only just been a short moment since his life-or-death battle against a fearsome foe, but he was already back in the comfort of the second life he so dearly cherished.
...
..
.
Finally calming down from the mental breakdown she experienced from an emotional overload, Medea began regaining a steady breath, held in the embrace of Bell atop his bed.
The situation would've normally embarrassed her, but after what she had gone through, it brought her a sense of great relief and comfort.
"You alright now Medea?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm alright now Bell"
Hearing Bell call out to her, Medea replied to his question with a quick reply and a bright smile.
"Geez, why were you so worked up? Haven't you seen me wake up before?"
Though Bell was a bit surprised to see that Medea was sleeping beside him in his bed, he had many times slept with her in the meadow they played in, so it wasn't as shocking as it might've been to him.
Medea, hearing what he had said, began to wear an expression of anger on her face. Bell was confused seeing her like that, but before he could ask, Medea embraced Bell tightly.
"You almost died, you idiot!"
Medea shouted as she embraced Bell, her arms trembling from recalling what had happened"
"What?..."
Bell was confused but stayed quiet to hear what Medea had to say.
"two days...You were asleep for two days straight...Grandpa Zen brought you back to the village shortly after I called for help..."
"You...I was unable to say anything when I saw you Bell...stabbed in the stomach...scratches everywhere...blood all across your body...your skin was white..."
"I-I...I thought you died...I thought you died protecting me..."
Bell began to feel the trembling in Medea's embrace tighten and tremble even more. Moistness on his chest as the little girl began to cry in his embrace.
"Grandpa Zen said you would be fine...but when you didn't wake up...even after getting a potion...I was scared Bell...I didn't want to lose you...I didn't want to lose you because of me"
"I'm-... sorry-...I'm-... so sorry...for being weak-...for leaving you...I'm!-"
Medea began choking on her words as she cried whilst apologizing to Bell.
But before she could speak another word of apology, Bell wrapped his arms around Medea. Embracing her tightly, not to the point of discomfort, but to convey the gentleness he wishes for her to feel.
"You have nothing to be sorry for Medea. Nothing at all"
Medea was fully prepared to be hated by the boy she loved, but hearing and feeling the kindness he exuded, she just couldn't accept it.
"B-but!-"
But before she could speak yet again, Bell cut her off. Looking into her eyes with a piercing gaze.
"Medea"
Seeing how serious he had looked. Hearing the tone which commanded her attention, Medea couldn't find it in herself to speak.
"..."
Now that his friend was listening to him, Bell began to console the poor girl.
"Medea...when I was asleep, what did you do?"
Hearing his question, Medea quickly replied.
"I-I helped mom take care of you..."
"so much so you even slept beside me?"
"...y-yeah"
Medea blushed a bit at having her clinginess be known to Bell.
"Then...if I was never able to wake up...would you stop taking care of me?"
When Bell posed that question, Medea did not hesitate to give him her answer.
"Of course not! Even if I had to wait forever...e-even if you never woke up...I would never leave you again..."
Seeing how passionately Medea responded, Bell could only smile at how earnest she was.
"Then in the same way you would dedicate your life to me. I would dedicate mine to you Medea. Without question. Without hesitation"
Bell gave the trembling girl a smile filled with all the kindness he could muster. Giving off a genuine appreciation for the words he had heard, one that could only be gained after going through a life of endless loneliness.
A gentle breeze blew into the room. Fluttering the curtains and Bell's hair as he gazed into Medea's eyes.
'...that's...not fair...'
Medea had fallen even deeper in love. In the face of such a declaration, how could Medea find it in herself to refute it? The words she had always wanted to hear him say. The dream she constantly yearned for. A promise. That no matter what came in life, they would never be separated. No matter the distance. No matter the time.
'Together...forever...'
Medea's feelings reached a boiling point. Not of embarrassment, but of love, of admiration, of desire. Her throat didn't disavow her attempts to confess what she felt. She gathered strength in her lungs and prepared to give unto Bell her own declaration. But before she could do so-
"I'd do anything for my little sister!"
...
"...Medea?"
Bell became worried. The teary eyes of Medea which were once filled with innocence and emotion had all of a sudden turned lifeless. He prepared to ask if something happened to her, but before he could.
"HMPH-"
A slap ran across Bell's face, knocking him out in an instant. It was a maneuver that exuded precision and skill. A slap taught to Medea by her mother. One of the very first techniques she taught her when it came to dealing with love.
The name of this fearsome technique? 「Heart-wrenching Punisher」. A slap powered by the emotions of a maiden whose heart had been played by a sinful man. A just punishment for sinners who took advantage of their fragile love.
Though Bell was able to overcome a semi-variant surface monster, he had unknowingly stepped into the territory of an opponent he could never defeat, a girl in love.
"ack-"
And with one swift strike, Bell was knocked unconscious. Perhaps it was karma for all the ragdolling he dealt the two regular goblins before.
"..."
Seeing her strike had been successful, Medea promptly hopped off of the bed, tucked Bell into the covers, and left his room.
After closing the door behind her, Medea took a deep breath to regain her composure...and immediately failed.
"Bell you idiot!- you idiot!- you idiot!- you dumb adorable idiot!-"
Medea silently complained as she stomped on the floor whilst covering her face with her hands. She hated Bell for ruining their moment with that single comment. She hated how he still saw her as just his little sister, even after all the subtle hints she had been giving him over the past few years. She hated how awkwardly dense he was...but...the way he so easily declared how he would sacrifice everything for her...
"Even though I hate it...It's the entire reason I fell in love with you..."
Medea whispered.
She simply resolved to wait for another day. Another chance will come to confess her feelings, she was sure of it.
Having accepted she had lost the battle, but not the war, she began making her way to the pantry of Bell's house, wanting to prepare him a snack for when he woke up.
But, unaware that she had been observed, Idyia could only sigh and smile empathetically at her daughter who was fighting an uphill battle of love.
'You'll get him next time Medea. Mommy will always be here rooting for you'
Authors Note:
Little fluff chapter. Busy with celebrations, so I couldn't write much. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas! Also do give your opinions about the writing for this chapter. Too cringy? Too fluffy? Let me know.
[Update]
I agreed with the comments that the age progression didn't really suit the events playing out.
So their current age is now 7 years old. After chapter 5, instead of only having a 1-year pass, it's now 4. Bell trained for 4 years with Zeus before he fought against the goblins. I also updated the dialogue of previous chapters so that it stays consistent with this change.
Some people might be weirded out about a kid talking about romance, but I just want to say that I won't make them pursue anything as children. It will stick to just being a one-sided childhood crush until I age them a ton later on.
(One last tidbit on the relationship of Bell and Medea, then we're going straight into Bell developing and exploring his UBW abilities. You could skip this chapter if you want.)
Slowly waking up, Bell groggily opened his eyes half an hour after his unexpected knockout by Medea. There were no lingering pains, but it would appear that his memories leading up to the fatal blow have been lost to him.
'Hm?... I feel like I just forgot something...with how frequently I feel this way after waking up, I'm afraid I might have developed some ultra-rare early onset Alzheimer's...'
Bell slowly raised his body as he stretched out his muscles. Yawning and taking a look around his room, he heard the door begin to open, and there he saw his friend Medea carrying a plate of porridge.
Seeing that Bell had woken up while she was preparing his food, Medea was startled a bit when she saw him.
"O-oh- hi Bell..."
"Hm? Hey Medea, what you got there?"
"Some porridge for you to eat. You haven't been eating for two days while you were recovering, so I got you something light and fulfilling..."
"Oh! Thanks, Medea! I'm actually starving"
Medea, seeing Bell thank her after she had just struck him unconscious, couldn't help but feel extremely guilty.
"Anytime Bell..."
'He doesn't remember?... Grandpa Zen did tell me Bell has a habit of forgetting things after big events...'
Medea began preparing to sit by Bell's bedside. Positioning a nearby stool to do so.
Bell saw the worried expression on Medea's face and wanted to know what caused it.
"Medea? You worried about something?"
"!-"
Medea, having been caught, jolted. Bell, his concern now increasing pressed for more details.
"What happened Medea?"
"H-Hm? Oh uh...nothing much..."
Bell knew Medea was a terrible liar. He had heard from his aunt Idyia to never dwell too much into a girl's personal life, but if Medea was troubled he couldn't help but feel the need to help her.
"Medea, if it's something I can help with, be honest with me. I don't like how you seem so tensed up..."
'...Bell just can't help it huh?...but what if you caused the problem...and it got worsened by me...'
Medea, after the high of the situation, had run out, realized just how horribly she had treated Bell. Some part of her just wanted to blame Bell for being so dense, but she knew it was mostly her fault.
'Mom did say love makes people irrational...'
If Medea confessed to Bell the truth, it would no doubt lead to her feelings being revealed. She would want nothing else but to do so, however...
'That look Bell had when he first woke up...He definitely is planning something'
Bell had always talked to Medea about the grand adventure stories his grandpa would talk about it. The enthusiasm he had when he recounted each one was deeply ingrained in Medea's memory.
This led to Medea developing a fear that Bell would sooner or later leave her behind in pursuit of his dreams. Wishing for him to stay right by her side, but not wanting to dim away the spark he had. She didn't know what to do.
'But that promise Bell made to me...'
The promise he made was that he would never hesitate to be there for her.
It was a vague promise. Medea didn't know just how wide the world was, and how much wider Bell's ambitions were. But the determination in his declaration allowed her to suppress that fear.
'I'll trust in Bell to keep that promise true...it will hurt...hiding my feelings when my goal is so close...but I would rather see Bell chase after his dreams with glee than possibly limiting himself for my sake...'
Medea decided to trust Bell. No matter the hardships, no matter the signs which may say otherwise, Medea will always trust in Bell.
Just when Medea had made that resolve in her heart, a faint yet familiar feeling passed through her mind. Memories of adventurers on a ship one day arriving on the shore. Love at first sight. Sacrifice beyond compare. Betrayal at the hands of her love...But before Medea could try to figure them out, they left her just as abruptly as they came.
As Medea deeply contemplated her personal growth. Bell was only getting more worried for her.
'Why is she thinking so deeply about a bowl of porridge?...'
Unknown to Medea, it would seem she had picked up on Bell's habit of staring at something while deep in thought.
For a while, Bell saw how Medea had switched between glaring at the porridge, then proceeding to look guilty at it, then finally looking towards the porridge with kindness and acceptance.
'Is this what Medea sees when I zone out?... I need to get that habit of mine in control then...'
After deciding to fix up some of his interactive issues in the future, Bell was cut off by Medea, seemingly fresh out of her deep pondering, ready to reply.
"It's really nothing Bell. I just had a bit of an overreaction. I was thinking about whether to continue pursuing it...but I believe it would be best to just leave it as is"
'Though I plan on making it up to you in secret'
The explanation Medea gave didn't really give Bell much information, but seeing that she was now less tense overall, even wearing a bright smile, he decided to not push further.
"All right, as long as you're fine"
"Thanks for the concern Bell. I appreciate it"
The atmosphere between the two childhood friends had returned to what it once was. The area around them radiated an aura of warmth and wholesomeness.
Though Bell wanted to enjoy the atmosphere, his eyes were drawn to a particular quirk that had left his mind until now.
'Medea has elf ears...'
Seeing the happy Medea, stir the porridge, Bell noticed her ears seemed to wobble up and down. The gesture captured his attention immediately.
Medea turned her attention away from the porridge and back onto Bell to begin another conversation, but she noticed him staring at her ears.
"Bell? Why are you staring at my ears so much? Something wrong?
She said to Bell, as if nothing were wrong.
"Uh..."
'Does she not realize she has elf ears?... or have I finally gone crazy?'
Bell didn't know what to do. Medea was acting just as normally as she had been.
Determined to see whether his eyes were real, Bell reached out to touch the elf ears of Medea, once he had done so, Medea's whole body jolted.
"eek?!-"
Seeing the intense response from Medea to his touch, Bell immediately pulled back his hand. Apologizing on the spot for what he did.
"S-sorry Medea I just-"
But before he could complete his sentence, Medea cut him off with a question.
"Did you just!?... Bell...you can see them?..."
"huh?-"
He was confused, but Medea repeated her question.
"C-can you see them?...my ears..."
Seeing the genuine worry in Medea's eyes as she asked that question. Bell decided it would be best to answer quickly and honestly.
"Yeah...I can see your ears"
Medea visibly shook at what Bell had said. Wanting to be absolutely sure, she asked him another question.
"What...do they look like"
Having been given another question, Bell did the same as he did last time.
"They look just like any other elf ear, but I guess it looks shorter and more...rounded?"
Hearing how Bell describe what he saw, Medea's mood immediately dropped.
"y-you really did see them..."
Bell was about to ask what was wrong with seeing her ears, not knowing what he had done wrong. But Medea put the porridge aside and grabbed onto Bell's shoulders with a firm grip.
"Bell!"
"Y-yes?!-"
Medea stared at Bell with a fervor she had never seen from her before.
"Never tell anyone what you saw. Not to grandpa zen. Not to my dad. And ESPECIALLY not to my mom. Understand!?"
Fearing what his friend might do otherwise, Bell immediately swore himself to secrecy.
"I swear never to tell a soul about your ears Medea. I promise!-"
Once Medea heard Bell's oath, she released her grip on him, breathing in relief.
Seeing how emotional his friend became at the topic of his ears, Bell couldn't help but ask a question of curiosity.
"Medea? Why do you not want anyone to know about your ears?..."
Medea, hearing this, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to share what she knew. Bell was already part of the secret, telling him a bit more would barely make a difference.
"... I'm not exactly sure why I need to hide my ears. But my mom has always taught me to never reveal them. Something about a family secret we must never reveal"
Bell carefully listened to each word of Medea. With her similarity to the Medea of Fate, there was no doubt in his mind that this might be related to the anomalies he has found in the world of Danmachi.
"In order to properly hide my ears, my mom taught me a spell I could use to make my ears appear like those of a human. It's something like an illusion"
"Because of the constant paranoia of having to hide my ears...I was rather afraid of all the people around me. My mom assured me that no one would notice, but the fear still remained...until I met you"
"I became close to you. You became close to me. And now, you somehow saw my ears..."
With that, Medea finished her explanation. There was very little Bell could gather, but he began analyzing what he had heard regardless.
'In the world of fate, Medea was the child produced from the human king Aeetes and the nymph Idyia. Nymphs were generally the greek mythological equivalent of elves, so Medea and aunt Idyia could either be a variant of elves or a new race altogether'
'Though the family secret Medea mentioned could mean a multitude of things, I'm guessing it has to do with the illusion magic she used to hide her ears. Cause it's a pretty impressive magic if even grandpa Zeus couldn't detect anything wrong.'
'Given the secretive nature of their ears, I doubt Aunt Idyia involved herself in a famila, so her magic definitely didn't come from Falna. So it either originates from spirits or utilizes the ancient elvish magic system. That or a new system altogether.'
'There are too many possibilities. Not enough information to draw a definite conclusion. I was shocked to learn that I had already encountered elements of Fate before awakening UBW. But there is one thing I can definitely say. The world of danmachi I find myself in has contained small hidden elements from Fate long before my birth or reincarnation...'
'I have to run through my knowledge of the history of this world. See if grandpa Zeus encountered any elements from Fate I can recognize. He was one of the first gods to descend to Genkai, and he led his familia all around the world in order to complete the three great quests. If anyone knows, it's him'
Resolving his analysis and plan of action, Bell snapped out of his ponderings and looked to find a fidgeting Medea, hiding away her face.
"Medea?"
Bell had a general idea of what she could be thinking about...
"Are you mad?... that I lied?"
...and it would seem he was correct. Bell prepared himself to console his mystery elf friend yet again.
"We all have our own secrets Medea, secrets we aren't always comfortable sharing with others. As long as I trust that you care about me, and you trust that I care about you, then nothing else matters"
Bell spoke in a gentle tone, so as to uplift the moody Medea.
"I...actually have a secret of my own...something I can't share with you as of yet...but in the future, I promise to tell you about it myself...I'm telling you this so that you don't feel as if you are the only one at fault"
"I'll always be on your side Medea, remember that"
Hearing Bell reaffirm his promise to always be by her, Medea promptly shook off her moodiness.
This day had been a bumpy ride for them both. But they have both come out of it more aware and trusting of each other.
"Thanks, Bell. I'll always be on your side too"
Now that they have both washed out their issues, the atmosphere between the two became very awkward. They were so caught up in the wave of emotions, discovery, and decisions, that they both found it hard to break the ice.
Bell, not being able to take it anymore, decided to ease the atmosphere the only way he knew how.
"So Medea, the reason you were so shy before was because?..."
"because I was afraid of having my ears discovered"
"huh...heh-"
Medea, hearing Bell snicker, questioned if what she heard was true.
"Did you just snicker?..."
She bit the bait, now all Bell had to do was reel her in.
"I mean. I can get it because of your past, but once you take a step back to look at it all...being so shy because of your ears...heh- pft- HAHAHAHAHAH"
Medea's face flushed in embarrassment, but she would not simply let this stand. The glover was now full off. Now was the time for payback. Payback for the teasing he had put her through.
'So that's how you wanna play? then let's play'
"Kettle calling the pot black much? I seem to remember a certain scared boy who always hid in his grandpa's library a few years ago..."
"ack-"
A critical strike directly to Bell's psyche. His dramatic years were still a sore spot for him, even after 4 years.
"H-hey! You promised not to bring that up-//"
But before he could protest, Medea forced a spoon of porridge into Bell's mouth, denying him the chance to defend himself.
Seeing the shock on Bell's face at such an expertly made tease, Medea could only look at him with a smug smile on her face.
"Payback~"
Having been utterly defeated and annoyed his friend is learning how to tease him back, Bell could grumble his grievances while chewing the delicious porridge his friend had made,
"I'll get you back, mark my words...and the porridge is delicious..."
Medea, experiencing a high for having finally put one over Bell, graciously replied with the grace of a winner.
"I'm glad you find it delicious... and bring it on, library loner"
"You-"
The awkwardness thoroughly broken, Bell and Medea went back to the playful friends that they were.
...
..
.
Outside of Bell's room, Idyia smiled to herself idly in the kitchen. The position of the kitchen wasn't close to the location of Bell's room, but she somehow was able to listen in on the kids' conversation, amused at hearing what had transpired.
Mystic energy radiated from her pupils, runes from an age long gone hovered around in. The shape of her ears, revealed their true form as if a mist that had been covering it had been blown away.
'My my. Who would've thought the child I helped raise that one day would have intertwined his fate with ours so soon?'
Idyia found herself rather more active in recent times. A situation she did not seek out, but one she didn't mind having occurred.
'Bell Cranel...when I raised him as a babe for old man Zen I did sense a faint peculiarity within him. But after tending his wounds I am more than certain'
'Pure mind patterned into a series of circuits which are then imprinted on the body. Such a concept was never heard of before, and I doubt any besides Bell would be able to utilize such a technique'
The silver-haired boy showed immense promise. The most she had seen in her long life. But Idyia wouldn't move to help the boy's journey forward.
'I love Bell to death, but I'm sure he's more than capable of having an adventure without my intervention. That peculiar old man Zen seems to be doing enough for him already'
'The only time I would make a move myself...would be if that daughter of mine wished to follow a similar path to his...I guess I should start preparing then...'
In an instant, the arcane phenomenon vanished around her. She had returned back to being a simple housewife in a rural farming village...how ironic for [҉ᕯ҉ᕯ҉ᕯ҉ᕯ҉]
Authors Note:
Can you guess where I struggled to write more content for this chapter? HAHAHAHAHA
If you read this chapter in its entirety, thank you and sorry.
I am honestly rather disappointed with this one. It has a lot of stuff I wanted to foreshadow, but I couldn't find a way to write it that personally interested me. So the general flow of this chapter could be best described as a slow ride with a lot of annoying bumps.
I'll start working on the training arc tomorrow.
Btw. Are you guys fine with Bell having a harem at age 14? Or should I alter time a bit so that he has one at 16 instead?
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