บท 81: Chapter 64: Start of a New Origin
AN:
Hey guys. It's been a while since I last updated this story. To keep things short...
College life started. Also got burnt out. Will be writing shorter chapters if I get the mood to continue this fic. I simply don't have the time to write 10k-word chapters, all the time. I'm sorry.
I also have a new story. An original one this time, not fanfic. "Reformed Villain's Redemption in the Reversed World". A usual reincarnated in a world with few men and simping women. Check it out if you like. Much more laid back.
Will update my other fics when I feel like it. Thats all. Hope you all have a nice day!
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In the dust-filled battlegrounds, an intense battle took place. Amidst the ruined remnants of countless buildings that held the bustling going ons of countless lives in Orario. Bell Cranel stood tall as he emerged victorious.
His enemies had disappeared in the veil of dust, and the shock of his actions. Their current conditions were unknown, but no doubt it was severe enough to warrant a full retreat despite their long-time enemy standing deathly still and open to any attack.
The observing crowds who looked upon the unmasked vigilante couldn't formulate any words to describe what had just occurred in front of their eye.
A phenomenon that challenged their perception of reality had just been witnessed by their minds, and even the most experienced of the crowds couldn't make heads or tails of what had happened.
He had manifested a sword that appeared to be nothing, and yet every sword ever forged all at once. As if the manifestation of the concept of a sword itself were brought into material existence.
It glowed with the light of a thousand suns, yet it didn't sting the eyes nor burn the skin. It simply glowed with a radiance that exuded its majesty. One that mere mortals couldn't directly gaze upon.
The weapon in his hand swung true, and yet, it rendered neither bone nor skin. But it certainly struck something. Some poor construct was rendered severed by terrifying existence.
It was as if their very souls could feel something had been sliced apart by the reality-defying weapon, but they couldn't see it.
But now wasn't the time to ponder on such things that they couldn't even begin to understand. Rather, they should focus on the matter at hand, on the matters their mortal perceptions can process.
Beyond their knowing, a terrible force of monsters and villainous adventurers lay dormant within Orario for so many years. Their fangs, tendrils, magic, and weapons were eager to draw the blood of the innocent and upright.
Something that not even the most keen-eyed of familias was able to spot, but one person was able to see through their veil of villainy. Someone who also hid behind a veil of mystery, but himself in the service of those who could hardly fend for themselves against such a threat.
The Gray Ghost. He alone saw through the ploy that had been brewing beneath Orario's notice and shielded them from a more despair-inducing outcome. No, not just Orario, he saw through countless ploys of malevolence wherever he went.
Under the vigilante's eyes, all masks and pretenses were ripped clean off. Revealing the true form of the world that surrounded the general populace.
Such a great figure accrued the love and support of so many people, and yet he hid behind a mask. Was it for some other greater purpose? To protect the people closest to him? To become identified with the mask and not by the person who wore it?
The people didn't know, but what they did know was it was now removed. The final barrier separating them from the mysterious individual was now gone, and he was now within reach.
"That's Gray Ghost?..."
A single voice broke the silence of the aftermath of the battle, hesitantly asking if the person who was the last one standing amidst the rubble was the very same person as the vigilante all of them idolized.
"All those achievements and victories…done by some human kid?"
With his youthful appearance apparent for all of them to see, many people were shocked that such an accomplished hero was so young.
Of the powerhouses of the world, many of them were usually older in age. Utilizing their robust experience along with any talent they might possess to trailblaze their own path, such as Ottar.
Of the minority of this group of elites, there also existed a couple few talents who were able to identify themselves as powerhouses at a young age, such as Ais Wallenstein.
But the Gray Ghost was simply too impressive to be categorized in the same league as them. His actions in such a short amount of time equated to those of the long history of an influential familia.
To realize that such a person was so young? It was something their minds failed to process, on top of failing to comprehend the actions he had just done to bring about an end to his bout with the mysterious enemies he was facing.
"I expected someone older. Like an experienced veteran adventurer…"
"I expected him to be some powerful race like a beast-man with his physical strength, or an elf with his magical prowess…not a human…"
"Does anyone recognize who he is? Is he some sort of famous individual from a notable familia?"
"Isn't he that guy people are talking about in the guild? The gigolo? How can such a person be the Gray Ghost?"
As Bell was open for anyone to witness, countless unsavory opinions began to flood in about who he was. Small criticisms that had been held back due to his identity being hidden now began to make the rounds in the public consciousness.
Even after all he had done, it was still the nature of people to find fault. No matter how good of a job a person was able to do.
But, though reality was cruel, it also held its fair share of good. For every evil, there would be a good that would try to defy it, and such was true for the voices of dissent that began to be made about Gray Ghost.
"Hey! What the hell are you saying?! Race?! Age?! That guy chased away some terrifying bastards! What kind of people are you to start criticizing him all of a sudden!"
"No matter what kind of person he was behind the mask, isn't he still the same Gray Ghost who saved us?! All of you, have some shame!"
"So what if he wasn't like what I imagined? I still owe that man for saving my friend in the dungeon! You lot can just sit there and gossip! I have a debt to repay!"
With spirited voices, the hesitant crowd that had been silent for so long began to approach where the Gray Ghost currently stood.
Many of them readied their common potions if the need arose. Others called upon their adventurer comrades who possessed skills or magics that might aid their hero.
The first few that were the first to approach the unconscious vigilante recognized his current state. Mind Zero. A state where one's mind is completely consumed, leaving the user utterly unconscious until they can recuperate enough energy to regain their consciousness.
"!!!"
And more surprising of all, was the fact that his status was on full display for anyone to see. A result of his armor and clothes being completely torn off in his last attack.
But rather than take this moment to peer through the widely coveted information and status of the Gray Ghost, one of the people untied his coat and wrapped it around the unconscious young man.
"Shit, he's cold! Everyone, wrap more clothing around him! We need to preserve what little heat is in his body until we can take him to a healer!"
Bewildered by the lack of heat coming off the Gray Ghost's body, the man who had wrapped his coat around him began to ask the crowd for more clothes, and to his shouts, the people complied quickly. Passing along their articles of heavy clothing to provide assistance.
"Are there any middle-floor adventurers here? We need some heat-preservation potions!"
"Some of you start running towards the Dian Cecht familia's home! They need time to prepare to begin treating the Gray Ghost!"
"Are health potions needed? I have a few high-tier potions I recently bought from the Miach familia!"
"My party has a couple of level three healers. We can provide some assistance while help is trying to arrive here"
"Make way! Open a path for the Ganesha familia to enter! You will only slow down the professional who can treat Gray Ghost!"
A mysterious scene began to unfold in Orario. Though all of them were just in a panic a few moments earlier. Fearing for the safety of their lives amidst the danger, they were now unified under one goal. To return what little help they can to the hero who had done so much for them.
Even as many of the crowd continued to remain still, the few who took action grew more and more in number, carving their goodwill into the minds of all those who witnessed it.
Convergence is the proof of one's ideals, as proof of these words, the will of those the Gray Ghost had helped began to converge with one another. Creating a sight of mortal triumph over fear and despair.
Such as how the hammer glows brighter as it tempers the steel of the blade, so too did the spirits of these pawns of a large ploy begin to glow as they struggled to do good deeds amidst the temptations of evil and sin.
"..."
For the people who knew the Gray Ghost on a more personal level, they simply remained quiet as they watched everything unfold before their eyes.
The culmination of his idealism and stubbornness was laid bare for all of them to see. His actions were the undertaking of a fool, but between dark nihilism and cold pragmatism, it was undeniable that his dream was beautiful. Some of them smiled, others wept in relief, and a few entered deep thought on what he had done.
Beyond the affairs of mortals, the gods stood in fear of what had just transpired. The severance of bonds, certainty, and karma. The termination of enmity. The freeing of one's fate.
How had a mere mortal tempered with the affairs that not even most gods could dare to meddle with? How could a mortal so blatantly reverse the doings of a terrifying malevolent force that shook the very earth itself?
In the chess game between the gods and the primal forces of the planet, he alone approached their great game and swept the board completely clean.
All predetermined courses were now left to be decided by the present. Determined future? Foretold prophecies? Great promises? All undone by his sword.
The mounting and storming butterfly effect of his actions had now gone quiet. The alterations of the future were now complete.
The Gray Ghost, no, Bell Cranel had undone everything he had known about the story of Danmachi, and he would now rewrite the ending of such a tale with his own two hands.
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"Hm?…"
With his eyes slowly opening with immense strained effort, Bell managed to wake himself from a bout of deep unconsciousness. His mind is woken by the presence of a gentle light that radiates his vision through his eyelids.
"Ugh…"
But perhaps it was better that he was unconscious, because as he regained his senses, Bell felt all the pain he had been oblivious to until now, strike his mind like a collapsing tidal wace. Causing him to groan and moan in discomfort, despite having grown his tolerance for such sensations for so long.
"My leg, oh my leg…"
The white-haired youth began to regret testing such an absurd ability like 『Tsumukari Muramasa』He had been confused about how his cheat ability worked specifically for so long.
But he came up with a working theory that seemed to line up with his current experiences. Though he currently possessed all the abilities of Emiya Shirou, it was as if each ability was locked from him until his body reached a certain level of quality. As if someone was autonomously managing it for him beyond his notice.
Structural Analysis. Projection. Basic Reinforcement. Sword-Barrel. Overedge. The timing he gained each ability was a match with the increase of burden it would have on him.
But now that he had a sufficient status that empowered his body, it seemed as if all restrictions on his abilities were removed. It was now only a matter of how well and how long he could manifest them.
'When I manifested 『Tsumukari Muramasa』in the last battle, I believe it was only manifested for a split second. It's far from the amount of time Senji Muramasa can handle. The guy gave an entire monologue in Shimosa while he prepared to swing the thing'
'There's also the matter of why the requirement of each ability suddenly increased for me when Shirou was able to manifest UBW as a normal human…but I'm too tired to think about that…I'll just chalk it up to reincarnation shenanigans'
Ending his over-speculative mind from scrutinizing every minute detail of his situation, Bell eased his consciousness as he tried to avoid straining his already injured body any further.
"..."
Turning his eyes around his surroundings, the white-haired youth examined the room where he was currently placed.
It was decorated in gentle colors and furniture that emitted a homely atmosphere. Given what he could imagine to be a severely injured person, coupled with the concern and influence of his friends and lovers, Bell could quickly guess that he was placed in the most prestigious place of healing in Orario.
"The Dian Cecht familia's hospital…and with Freya and Hephi's wealth and overprotectiveness, I can guess that Airmid was the one assigned to treat me…if the best healer in the world left me in a state where I'm still in pain, I can only imagine just how messed up I was. Hahaha…haha…ah, my back"
Turning his head to the side, Bell's eyes were met with a window that rained down the light of the sun upon his body. It seemed to be noon, and beyond the encasing glass panes, he could faintly make out the noise of people going about their day around Orario.
Seeing that he was able to safeguard the world he loves once again, he didn't go on another deep contemplation on ideals and the beauty of his dream. He simply uttered a casual response for repelling multiple antagonists of the story all at once.
"Another job well done for the Gray Ghost…though, if I'm like this, I suppose I won't be needing that moniker and mask any longer"
At peace with the situation, Bell sighed like an old man as he prepared to continue resting for his health, but it would seem fate had other plans for him. Seemingly taking revenge on the bastard who decided to stick a sword against their strings.
𝙈𝙐𝙍𝙈𝙐𝙍...𝙈𝙐𝙍𝙈𝙐𝙍...𝙈𝙐𝙍𝙈𝙐𝙍...
"Oh no"
A crowd of voices began to emerge beyond the door leading to his room. But what frightened Bell the most was the distinct feminine tone that dominated the crowd of voices.
"Please, fate, I can't handle such a thing when I'm like this!"
He began to pray to any god who would be willing to listen to his plights. But considering that there were probably a lot of goddesses in the group approaching him, perhaps it was a form of divine punishment from the heavens for his hubris in messing with worldly affairs.
Realizing that praying would do nothing, Bell began to ascertain the extent of his mobility and capabilities, and as he expected, unless he wanted to explore the dungeon in a wheelchair, rough movement of his body wasn't available to him.
Soon, the crowd of voices grew quiet as they approached the door to his room. Most of the people in the group grew quiet out of concern that their voices might disturb what they believed to be a still-unconscious Bell.
But for a group of three goddesses, their quiet held a different meaning. As their divine constructs resonated with the already conscious Bell, the abilities he had gained began to snitch on him to his lovers about his current state.
『Odr?』『Orion?』『Bell?』
Freya, Artemis, and Hephaestus respectively began to call out to Bell through their mental link. And to their calls, the terrified white-haired youth tried his best to achieve zen and rid his mind of any thoughts.
『I can hear you, Ord』『Achieve Zen? What's that?』『I believe that someone related to the Hindu pantheon in Tenkai talked about it extensively but for now…let's focus on the fact that Mr. Hero is currently awake』
Damnit! Bell had been caught red-handed! Why must he gain consciousness with such terrible timing?! Can't a tired man get a rest for saving an entire city?!
『You reap what you sow, dear. Now get ready, there's quite a crowd with us today』『Yes. Expect quite a lot of tears and fuming anger. Also, stop referring to yourself in the third person』『Mostly tears to be then proceeded by fuming anger. We had the fortunate privilege of meeting a lot of the women whose relationship with you still remains vague, you know?』
Fuck.
『Fuck indeed. We'll be doing lots of it if you ever wish to keep me happy after the stunt you pulled, Odr』『Orion is a gigolo…』『Why did I have to fall for such a lady's man…』
Can you fair and beautiful goddesses find it in your hearts to help your dear lover escape from this moment of peril? Freya the beautiful, Artemis the dextrous, Hephaestus the artistic?
『Compliments won't get you nowhere, Odr~』『I suggest deploying the gift Athena gave you to avoid breaking bones from the sheer weight of hugs you will be receiving in a moment』『Opening the door in three…two…』
But before the countdown could finish, Bell felt his body tingle as a different goddess took notice of his consciousness. For a moment, he grew confused as he was sure he hadn't slept with any goddess after Hephaestus, but it was then that he realized.
'The head god of a familia can check the presence of their children through their status'
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈
"BELL! YOU'RE AWAKE!"
Exceeding her weak body's physical limits and appearing like a white and blue blur, Hestia charged through the door to embrace her familia's only child as soon as she sensed activity stirring within the blessing he had given him.
Seeing the two swaying weapons of mass destruction, and knowing the negative consequences it would have on his still-healing body, Bell burned his magic circuits to life to bring forth his greatest protection.
"TRACE ON!"
『RHO AIAS』
Calling upon the shield of Aias from UBW, Bell intended to secure a barricade around his bed by deploying multiple projections of the structure, but it would seem that either his senses had dulled, or Hestia had somehow learned to break the sound barrier, as the goddess of the Hearth somehow found herself wedged between his projections.
"Eh?! Bell?! Call off your shields this instant and let me hug you!!"
"No way! Do you want me to still be bedridden? You'll break me!'
"Who cares?! I'll take care of you myself! You should be resting in our home and not some other god's home!"
With tears of joy intermixed with a fuming complexion, Hestia did her damndest to try and break apart the shields that not even a Leviathan could fully shatter.
But though he could rest assured that he was safe from Hestia's strength, there was someone a bit more concerned who was willing to have a swing at breaking his projections.
"I just need to break these shields, and I'll be able to cuddle with Lord Bell?..."
"Lili, let's not be rash here"
Appearing behind the stuck Hestia, the pallum girl approached the shields Bell had projected. She eyed them with a burning crimson gaze as she tightened her fist immensely.
"These damned shields…separating me from Lord Bell…unforgivable…unforgivable!"
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…
Immediately, Lili began to strike the shields with her fists which glowed with an ominous aura. Strike after strike bouncing off the projection. An attack released from a stance that optimized penetrating force, something Bell himself taught the young girl.
The white-haired youth, though unnerved by Lili's expression, was confident that someone like her was still far away from breaching the durability of the shield he was so proud of.
𝘾𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙆
That was until he remembered that for a girl in love, nothing was impossible. His eyes grew chill with fear as he saw the face of Lili begin to peer through his projection. An eerie and crazed smile on her face.
"Lord Bell…here's Lili!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!-"
The hole Lili somehow managed to open through Rho Aias was only large enough for her face to fit through, but from the increase in the wideness of her smile, the little pallum was far from done.
"Don't worry Lord Bell, Lili will soon be by your side to comfort you…so just…hold on tight…"
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈…
Seeing more and more cracks begin to form on the shield she struck, Bell took immediate action. If he projected another shield and allowed the first to break, Hestia would be free.
But the structural integrity of the second shield Lili was damaging was beginning to fail. Stuck between immediate injury and prolonged fear, Bell decided to take his chances with the latter option.
『REINFORCE!』
Outstretching his hand with immense effort, our poor hero began to fight a war on two fronts, with the sanctity of his body on the line. But just as he thought the battle was reaching a stalemate.
𝙋𝙄𝙀𝙍𝘾𝙀
An arrow tied with a rope flew overhead his projections. Where did the rope originate from? A certain group of hardened archers who loved their goddess above all else.
"Lady Artemis! We have secured a path for you to reach Gray- Bell Cranel!"
The huntresses of the moon goddess began to urge Artemis to pursue her love and become the first to reach the struggling hero.
Unable to go against the innocent good wishes of her children…and being the only among his lovers to not have sexual relations with him yet, she decided to begin making her way to her Orion by climbing the rope.
"ARTEMIS?! WE CAN TALK THROUGH THIS ARTEMIS!-"
But despite his shouts of protest, the moon goddess simply replied to his pleas of desperation with a glint in her eyes. A glint that originated from her eyeing up the bedridden Bell like a predator assessing her prey.
"ARTEMIS!-"
Seeing the goddess of the moon begin to make her move, the children of the other accompanying goddesses begin to show their support for their respective goddesses as well. Having long learned of their relationship with Bell Cranel.
"Children of Freya! We mustn't let our goddess be beaten to the punch! We must maintain our dignity as the strongest familia!"
"Ready your hammers, you bastards! If I don't see Lady Hephaestus smiling gleefully with her love, I will hammer your shins myself!"
With the small group from the Freya and Hephaestus familia emboldened, they both began to chip away at the other remaining shields that separated Bell from utter doom.
Standing idly on the sidelines as they watched their children, Freya and Hephaestus remained quiet. Not doing anything to calm down the fires in their children's hearts. After all, it was a stepfather's responsibility to ease his wife and accept his children's love.
"I AM NOT A STEP-FATHER, DAMN IT!"
Reading their thoughts through their mental link, Bell grew annoyed with the lengths they were willing to go to justify their actions.
"Hm? There seems to be noise from the room up above…has the Gray Ghost finally regained consciousness?!"
Unexpectedly, the strained Bell began to hear a crowd of noise begin to stir from beyond his window. In a short few seconds, he would eventually come to know who exactly was making such a commotion outside.
"♩♪♫♬THANK YOU FOR SAVING US, MISTER BELL CRANEL! THANK YOU FOR SAVING US, MISTER BELL CRANEL!♩♪♫♬"
It was his fan club that he hadn't thought about in a while. Being led by a very spirited Tiona, the group of admirers of the vigilante gathered together to begin singing a small chant to convey their appreciation of the figure who was trying his best to recover.
To add further insult to injury, when Bell felt that his body was on the verge of collapse due to the sudden exertion, he began to feel his『Avalon』begin to awaken. Healing him just enough that he could continue struggling, but not enough to allow him to escape his predicament.
'AVALON! WHAT THE FUCK!-'
As he cursed the scabbard embedded within his inner world, a white-haired woman laughed with glee as she watched the entire scenario play out. Believing it to be the right amount of chaotic energy to welcome Bell back to life he had done so much to protect.
Though it seemed like he was fighting a losing war, ever the adaptable person, our protagonist was able to somehow bring the conflict to a stalemate. But gods forbid he had a moment to breathe, as a different threat began to emerge. One that would seal his fate.
"...Eina?..."
The brown-haired elf slowly made her presence known amidst the chaos, and she would inflict upon our struggling hero a wound he would be hard-pressed to recover from.
Although he was able to overcome the physical limitations of his current predicament, he wasn't immune from mental assaults.
With cold eyes that seemed to lower the temperature of the room, and with a mind full of things she wanted to chastise her adventurer for, Eina simply condensed it all into a phrase that struck terror to the soul of a hero like Bell.
"I'm disappointed in you, Bell"
𝘾𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙆…𝘾𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙆…𝘾𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙆…
In an instant, all of the projections of Bell shattered, as his heart no longer possessed the strength to continue reinforcing them.
The women and goddesses he had acquainted himself with began to swarm en-masse around his location. Barraging him with a tidal wave of questions, shouts, and tears.
Beyond the corridor leading to his room, the few male companions Bell had looked upon his situation with pity. Welf chose to idly inspect his magic swords, Hermes whistled a tune to pass the time, and Soma took a swig of a new batch of alcohol he made.
Further beyond them, Bell's female companions whose relationship with him was vague, held a variety of opinions about what was happening.
Naaza prepared some potions to begin treatment after Bell inevitably emerged from the crowd like a certain Z-fighter who had crashed into the ground pathetically.
Aphrodite clasped her hands together and gave a prayer for her best friend, despite knowing the futility of it as a goddess of heaven.
Scaith stood quietly, not knowing how to best navigate her relationship with Bell after their tense meeting prior to his identity being revealed.
And Asfi simply prepared to welcome Bell into her office when he inevitably asks for her to comfort him.
A hero is a figure who receives immense love from the people they save, but sometimes, the weight of their love ends up crushing them…both figuratively and literally.
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Editor:
The Darkest Knight#4796
Word Count:
4.5k
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