Aaand here we are, with my brand new fanfic for the new year! This story is posted on Fanfiction.net, Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity, so everyone can enjoy what is being shown here.
This story was partially inspired by and is a recursive fanfic of harouki's Heroic Myth: a DanMachi x Fate crossover in which Bell discovers the Holy Grail and summons Servants, which not only changes how his story pans out but also what will transpire later in the future. It's a very good fanfic that I recommend giving a read. It's also spawned similar fanfics, though these have Bell summon different Servants.
This story will be somewhat similar, but instead of Bell finding a Holy Grail, he will just so happens to find something similar. That being said, we are taking some liberties and making a few changes, so as to void certain problems regarding said item.
In the meantime, enjoy the fanfic and tell me what you all think! Also, huge thanks to SkyRig, author of many amazing fanfics, including his hit Worm crossover Devil Trigger, for co-writing and offering me ideas!
With that in mind!
HIT IT!
In this world, there lies a city where the Gods and Goddesses dwell.
The City of Adventures, Orario, home to the many Familias who brave the Dungeon. Many travel to this place for various reasons. Some venture into the depths to claim fame and glory. Others dive into danger in hopes of wealth. Many more traverse it to gain strength. But among these many would-be heroes, there are some who venture forth to pursue their own epic odyssey.
The Gods who descended from up on high—"Tenkai"—offer their blessings to these mortals who seek to brave the dungeon. By joining a Familia, they are bequeathed the Falna that grants them the skills necessary to face the monsters that spawn from the dungeon's embrace.
Among the many Adventurers who dwell in Orario, there are some who have set foot in the realm of legends.
The Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein the Fenris, Bete Logia of the Loki Familia. The King, Ottar of the Freya Familia. These are but the few who have begun to etch their names into history.
Now, a young rookie adventurer ventures forth into the Dungeon, unaware of the events that will soon unfold upon his return…
DanMachi:
HERO'S EMBLEM
Prologue: A New Awakening
14-year-old Bell Cranel sighed as he walked through the halls of the Fifth Floor, scratching the back of his head. Despite his disappointment in his search, he maintained a constant vigilance of his surroundings lest he be caught with his pants down metaphorically speaking.
It had been two weeks since he joined the Hestia Familia and became an Adventurer. He had hoped that, in that time, he would have gone on a grand adventure, find a girl in need of saving and rush to her rescue like many of the old tales his grandfather used to tell him, yet sadly, that had yet to happen. In fact, most of the female adventurers he came across were capable of holding their own, clearly more experienced than he was.
In truth, he wasn't even supposed to be on the Fifth Floor yet. His adviser had made it clear that newbie adventurers typically stuck to the first and second floors, gathering materials and magic stones and whatnot so they could prepare themselves for further exploration. Bell initially took her advice to heart, but he found himself growing restless. Perhaps it was impatience that drove him to go further down and face greater challenges, but regardless, here he was.
And yet, despite the increase sense of danger, there was little to nothing. Save for a few Kobolds and Goblins, he had yet to encounter anything that would have sent him running for the hills. Of course, this also meant less opportunities for him to raise his stats and to claim magic stones.
"Should I go deeper?" Bell wondered aloud to himself, frowning.
On the one hand, traveling further into the dungeon could prove beneficial to him. High risks and high rewards and all that. On the other hand, he didn't feel
that brave, and the further one went into the dungeon, the more dangerous it would become. He had heard of there being stories of the deeper levels varying, some being a toxic death trap filled with poisonous gas and others housing dreadfully powerful monsters. While there was a good chance he might find something useful, there was also the possibility that he might find himself buried six feet in the ground.
Pondering further, Bell eventually sighed again. He was not keen on dying anytime soon, thus he turned on his heel to leave. Just as he was about to exit the corridor and make his way back to the Fourth Floor, he paused and saw something glitter in the far corner of his line of sight. He had not noticed it, being so absorbed in his own thoughts, but hidden in the shadows was what appeared to be a corridor leading into a room. Inside that room was something glimmering with shine.
"What's that?" Curious, but wary, Bell stepped into the corridor. The room was not very big, but it was what was hidden inside that captivated the young adventurer's curiosity. A beautiful red box adorned with gold decorations sat in the far back, seemingly untouched. "Ooh! A treasure chest? Here?!"
Ordinarily, one might be suspicious of such a thing lying in plain sight. A more experienced person might think it a trap, but Bell had no such thoughts, being either too naïve or inexperienced. He undid the latch on the chest, wondering what could be lying inside and opened the lid. His eyes widened when he saw what was sitting inside.
"A weapon?"
At least, that was what Bell assumed it was. It's shape was odd, forged out of unknown metal with gold plating along a nozzle of some sort. It consisted of a grip with a small ring where his index finger could fit through, a bit of metal inside the ring where the finger could sit and squeeze. He had no idea what this was, but in any case, it looked valuable.
Maybe I can have it appraised? Bell wondered as he stood up and left the room, holding his new treasure in hand.
Goddess said she was a close friend of Hephaestus, wasn't she? Maybe she could ask her if she could look at it and see what she can find out?
Even if he couldn't use it, that didn't mean it had some worth. Perhaps he could use sell it?
Whatever thoughts he had vanished in his mind when he saw something step out into plain view, making him freeze. It stomped down the halls of the dungeon, thick fur covering its loins and upper torso. Though it bore a muscular humanoid body, its head was that of a bull, eyes glowing red and bearing down on Bell.
And it was not alone. Several more pairs of red eyes, all bearing horns atop their heads, stomped towards him.
"M-Minotaurs, here?!"
Minotaurs were monsters that only prowled the lower floors, and one of the many reasons who newbie adventurers were dissuaded from going any further until they made suitable preparations. Bell did not know why so many had gathered on the upper floors, only that he had to escape while he could.
He turned on his heel and ran, fearing for his life as the Minotaurs roared and chased after him.
Bell was not sure how long he ran for. By the time he stopped running, he heard nothing behind him. His body was shaking, certain his legs were about to give out. He collapsed and leaned up against a wall for support, taking the opportunity to catch his breath.
"W-why are there Minotaurs here?" he muttered. "Did-did something draw them here?" He glanced down at the item he found earlier. "Did this attract them?" Did that mean he had set off some kind of trap? He couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he had to escape before-
"UrrrRRRroooOooOOOOoOAaaaAaaAAaaaR!"
Bell scrambled back to his feet, staring fearfully as a Minotaur came out of nowhere. He just barely managed to dodge its attack, finding himself up against a wall and staring at the spot where the Minotaur punched a small fist-sized crater. That could have been him had he not dodged in time. The Minotaur pulled its fist out from the wall and snorted, turning towards him and preparing for another attack.
In a fight or flight response, driven by instinct, Bell raised the item and aimed it at the Minotaur, hoping it would do
something.
"No!" Bell cried out in defiance, squeezing the metal piece.
He felt the item in his hands recoil, the motion nearly knocking him off his feet. A rainbow-colored light shot out from the nozzle of the item, expanding in size until-
*slice!*
The familiar sound of a blade flying through the air, followed by it cutting through flesh, echoed in Bell's ears. Blood splattered across the walls of the dungeon as the Minotaur staggered back, clutching the stump where its arm had been. The dismembered limb bounced on the ground until it went still, then broke down into black smoke.
"Are you alright?"
Bell lowered the item, staring at the person standing in front of him. It was a man, older than him by a few years with dark blue hair and eyes, a warm smile matched by the fire in his irises. Strapped to his left shoulder was a metal pauldron with a white cape attached. His garbs were a mixture of armor and regal attire, obviously made with quality in mind. However, what stood out the most to Bell was the strange mark on his right shoulder and his sword.
He was no expert on weaponry, easily awed and gobsmacked by even the most fanciest of weaponry, but even he could tell that the sword in the man's hand was special. A gold hilt with a hole in the center and a single strip running across the middle of the blade, seemingly humming as though it were singing.
"You don't look injured," the man noted before he turned his attention to the wounded Minotaur. "Stay there for a moment. This won't take long."
"RrrRRrrRRooOOOooOOOOoooOooAaaAAArRRr!"
The Minotaur let out a battle cry in defiance and charged towards him. It swung a fist at his face. The man dodged it with ease, stepping around it and into the Minotaur's blind spot. With a deft swing, he sliced through its torso, spilling more blood. The monster stumbled for a moment, crying out in pain. It was quick to recover however and whirled on its heel to backhand its opponent. The man ducked beneath the swing and brought his sword upwards, carving a clean cut up the Minotaur's torso and ending at its shoulder.
To the monster's credit, it appeared rather resilient to pain and powered through the attack, kicking the man away. It roared again and charged, aiming to punch his head off. It lunged forward and brought its fist down upon the man, only for its attack to be deflected by the flat of the man's sword. The man grunted and pushed back, knocking the monster off balance. The battle was brought to a close with one last swing, slicing the Minotaur's head clean off its neck and shoulders.
Bell was not ashamed to admit that he screamed when the Minotaur's head came bouncing near his feet, stumbling and falling on his rear. The head slowly dissipated into black wisps, much like its body once it hit the ground and remained. The only thing left of it was a small dark purple crystal the size of a softball.
The man slid his sword into its scabbard, getting on his knee and scooping up the stone. "I've fought undead monsters, but minotaurs? And ones that drop crystals? That's a new one." Shaking his head, the man stood back up on his feet and approached Bell, offering his hand. "There are better places to sit and rest, you know."
Bell blushed and accepted the man's hand, noting how tight his grip was as he was pulled up to his feet. "T-thank you for saving me! I thought I was a goner."
"It was no trouble. All I did was answer your call."
"My call?"
The man raised a brow. "You don't know? You…" He paused and stared at Bell for a moment, then at the item in his hands. "Aah, that's why." Bell tilted his head in confusion. "Aah, it's nothing. Anyways, my name is Chrom. What's yours?"
"B-Bell! Bell Cranel, of the Hestia Familia!" the white-haired boy introduced himself.
The man smiled. "I'm Chrom. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bell. By the way, would you happen to know the way out of this place? I'm afraid I'm all turn around down here."
Bell stared at his savior in confusion, not sure what to think. How could he have gotten confused? Actually, what Familia was he from? As much as Bell wanted to ask those questions, he did owe the man for saving his life and wanted to return to his goddess as soon as possible, not wanting to push his luck.
Actually, now that he thought about it, what floor was he on? He had been in such a panic to escape the stampede of Minotaurs that he paid little to no attention to his surroundings.
"I think I might have gotten lost myself…" Bell admitted sheepishly, bowing his head in apology to a rather amused looking Chrom. To his immediate relief, the Adventurer heard the familiar sounds of battle taking place.
XxXxXxXxX
The group of Adventurers Bell and Chrom happened to find were kind enough to inform him that they were on the Second Floor, so finding the way back was easy. Better yet, they came across no monsters so the trip was smooth sailing for the most part.
Wanting to dispel the silence, and curious about the blue-haired warrior who rescued him, Bell spoke up. "So, Chrom-san, which Familia do you belong to?"
"Would you believe me if I told you I don't know what a Familia is?"
Bell abruptly stopped walking and gaped at Chrom. "Bwah? B-but, how?! You fought that Minotaur like it was nothing!"
"Trust me, I've dealt with much worse."
"Even so, to not know about Familias…"
Bell couldn't wrap his head around that fact. Country bumpkin that he was, even he knew of the existences of the Gods and the mortals who rallied under their banner. What astonished Bell even more was that, if Chrom wasn't pulling his leg, then he killed that Minotaur with nothing but pure ability and skill. No falna or anything.
Wait, if he didn't belong to a Familia, then did that mean he didn't serve a God? The thought of him being free to join the Hestia Familia was enticing all on its own, but Bell was hesitant to do so. The Familia had only a single member, that being himself, his Goddess was in debt, and their home was a dilapidated chapel. There was no way that Chrom would agree to join.
"Is something wrong, Bell?" Chrom asked in concern.
Bell realized that they had arrived at the dungeon's entrance, having been silent the entire way. "It's nothing," he told Chrom. "I need to talk with my Adviser about what happened. Um, if you plan on exploring the dungeon, it might be a good idea to talk with someone at the Guild and register. They'll probably recommend that you join a Familia, though."
"You still haven't explained what that is, though."
Bell rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not very good at explaining things, but Familias are Adventurers who have received the blessing of the Gods. Orario is home to several Gods and Goddesses who descended from Tenkai."
Chrom hummed. "I see… So, joining a Familia is a requirement to becoming an Adventurer and exploring the dungeon?"
"Not quite. Anyone can become an Adventurer, but it's recommended that you join a Familia since there's less risk involved," Bell answered. "Of course, that isn't to say that everyone who joins a Familia is an Adventurer. Some Familias specialize in crafts like potions and forging weaponry."
"…out of curiosity, among the deities here in the city, are there any by the name of Naga or Grima?"
"Er, no? At least, not that I know of."
"I see. So, if I was forced to join a Familia, which one would you recommend?"
Bell's smile turn strained. "U-um, there are a lot of Familias in Orario. I'm part of the Hestia Familia, which is pretty new. As in, I'm the only member. The more popular ones are the Freya and Loki Familias, but recruitments are pretty strict. Some have high standards for recruiting, too." Which he learned firsthand when he first arrived. He must have asked at least twenty different Familias before being found by Hestia.
Some days, he felt as though he didn't deserve her.
Chrom didn't comment any further, instead following Bell to the Pantheon.
XxXxXxXxX
"Honestly!"
As expected, Bell's Adviser, Eina Tulle, wasn't pleased. The half-elf's glare was impressive, cowing Bell easily and making him bow his head. He knew going down to the Fifth Floor was risky, and it was likely to incur the wrath of the woman sitting across from him, but he didn't think she would be
this annoyed.
"I understand you feel impatient, but you shouldn't be so reckless," Eina scolded him. "Adventures should not go on Adventures."
"I-I understand…"
Eina didn't seem convinced, but said nothing more and glared at him for a few more seconds before sighing. "Well, what's done is done I suppose. I'm glad you're alright, though." Bell perked up when he saw his Adviser smile. "Most rookies don't have the best of luck when it comes to Minotaurs. Still, for you to encounter that many on the Upper Floors…"
"Could they have spawned there?"
"I doubt it. It's more likely that someone must have accidentally herded them there. I'll look into it. At any rate…" Eina adjusted her glasses and turned her attention to Chrom, who had been watching the proceedings with no small amount of amusement. "You said your name was Chrom, yes? I owe you a great deal of thanks for saving Bell."
Chrom smiled. "It was my pleasure, Lady Eina."
"Oh, please, call me Eina.
Lady just makes me feel old," the half-elf insisted. Chrom nodded. "Good. Now then, from what I understand, you only just arrived here in Orario and more or less rushed into the Dungeon without registering here at the Guild, is that correct?"
"I apologize if I caused any unnecessary trouble for you or anyone here. I simply had a bad feeling is all, and it turned out to be correct if what you said just now is true."
Eina narrowed her eyes. "Even so, what you did was reckless."
To the woman's irritation, Chrom merely chuckled. "I've been told I'm a lot worse than reckless. Regardless, if someone is in trouble, I won't stop or hesitate to save them."
Bell looked back and forth between the two as Chrom and Eina seemed to have some sort of staring contest before the latter sighed and shook her head, muttering something beneath her breath that he couldn't hear.
"…in any event, if you wish to enter the dungeon properly, I advise registering as an Adventurer before doing so again, if only to avoid future problems and whatnot such as turning in any Magic Stones you collect or materials you find from monsters."
"That was the reason I came with Bell to this place," Chrom replied. "How long will this take?"
"Not very long," she answered before turning to Bell. "Bell-kun, why don't you return home for the day? I imagine Lady Hestia is worried about you. It's getting very late."
Bell nodded, bowing his head to Chrom one last time and wishing him luck before taking his leave. He looked over his shoulder, glancing at his savior one last time before taking off. Regardless of what Familia Chrom joined, he hoped they would cross paths again.
The image of Chrom fighting the Minotaur was etched in his mind, constantly replaying over and over in his mind.
I wonder if I'll ever be able to do what he did, Bell wondered.
XxXxXxXxX
Bell returned to his home and the Hestia Familia's base of operations. As always, despite the ruined state of the church, there was little in the way of dust or debris. In truth, their lodgings were located below ground and in the church's basement, reforged into a suitable living space consisting of three rooms.
"Goddess, I'm back!" Bell announced.
The door leading into the living room blew open, followed by a white blur that crashed into him. "Welcome home, Bell-kun!"
Wrapped around his waist was none other than Bell's Goddess; the Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia. She was shorter than Bell by a head and wore a simple white dress with a blue ribbon that somehow supported her rather impressive bust. As always, the feeling of her breasts pressing against his body nearly made him blush several different shades of red. The only reason he didn't was because he had long since grown used to this feeling.
Unlike the majority of Gods who took up residence in Orario and established their Familias, Hestia's was still starting out and was only two weeks old with only a single Adventurer to their name. As such, their name was not well known, if non-existent. It also did not help the fact that Hestia was in debt, having relied a great deal on another Goddess by the name of Hephaestus before the latter finally grew tired and more or less told Hestia to start working on establishing herself in the mortal realm.
Bell had been found by Hestia after he had been rejected by nearly every Familia he went to join. Whether it was out of pity or because she saw a kindred spirit was uncertain, but regardless, Hestia was devoted to her only child and Bell wanted nothing more than to help the woman who gave him the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream.
After Bell had settled down and removed all his equipment and Hestia offered him dinner, the usual leftovers from her job, he told her of what transpired in the dungeon. As he thought, Hestia looked aghast upon hearing the news of Minotaurs nearly doing him in and was relieved to see he came out of the ordeal unscathed.
"I'll have to agree with your Adviser, Bell-kun," Hestia told him. "I know how much you want to go off on your personal adventures, but don't be so reckless. You're my only child, you know?"
Bell nodded strongly. "I understand, it won't happen again, I promise!"
"Umu! Good to hear! Still, I should offer my thanks to this Chrom person for saving you. It's odd that he didn't know anything about Familias, though. I would have thought everyone knew about them, even if they aren't from Orario."
"I hope I see him again," Bell smiled before he remembered something. "Oh, right, I almost forgot. Goddess, you're friends with Hephaestus, isn't that right? Do you think she might be willing to look at something for me?"
He dug inside his bag and produced the item he retrieved from the dungeon. Hestia's eyes lit up with wonder as she took it from him, examining it closely.
"What is this? It looks so strange…"
"I found it on the Fifth Floor inside a treasure chest. I have no idea what it does, though, much less if it's some type of rare weapon."
"That's because it isn't a weapon," a familiar voice called out. Bell's eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder, finding a blue-haired man entering the room. "It's known as the Breidablik, a tool that allows one to summon heroes from across all the realms."
The white-haired Adventurer leaped to his feet. "C-Chrom-san?! What are you doing here?!"
"This
is where the Hestia Familia's situated, right?" Chrom turned his head to Hestia and bowed his head. "And I assume you're Hestia, yes? My name is Chrom. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"T-the pleasure is mine!" Hestia squeaked, hastily returning the greeting. She was a little surprised to receive a visitor, especially the one who saved her precious Child, but she was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "So, you're the one who saved Bell-kun, yes? Thank you so much!"
Chrom waved a hand in dismissal. "It was no trouble. Anyone else would have done the same in my position."
"B-but, what are you doing here, Chrom-san?" Bell asked. "Do you have some sort of business with my Goddess?"
"Actually, I was hoping to join your Familia."
"EH?!"
Bell and Hestia both stared at Chrom in shock, jaws kissing the floor. The goddess was the first to recover, racing up to Chrom with large, pleading eyes. "Y-you aren't joking, right? You're serious? You
really want to join
my Familia?!"
"Is that a problem?"
"No! No, of course not! We're more than happy to have you!" Bell wanted to cry. He felt like he was in a dream. This was real, right? The person who saved him wanted to join their Familia. "Right, Goddess?!"
"Of course!"
XxXxXxXxX
After Hestia asked him if he was really serious about joining their Familia at least three more times, the process of inducting the man into the Hestia Familia began. Chrom removed his shirt and cape, exposing his bare upper torso. Hestia blushed slightly when she saw his broad back, taking in every nook and cranny of his sculpted form.
I hope Bell get's a physique like this, her inner Loki drooled.
What do you have to do to get this ripped?
"By the way, Chrom-kun—oh, is it okay if I call you that?"
Chrom shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it. It's better than being called Chrom-
sama."
As curious as she was, she held off and went to work bestowing Chrom her blessing. She pricked her finger with a silver knife and began tracing her now bloody finger across Chrom's back. Once the foundation was set up, she applied a piece of parchment over it. A soft light emanated from the parchment before she peeled it off. The blood she traced across Chrom's back was gone. Written on the parchment were letters and numbers.
Hestia's eyes widened when she read it, founding herself shocked. "Wha-
you already have two Skills?!"
Chrom
Level 1
Strength: I0
Defense: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Magic
(Open)
Skills:
Rightful King: Parameters increase when fighting alongside other members of your Familia. Increases activation chance of Skills, including members of your party.
Aether: When striking, seize the opportunity to rejuvenate yourself while also inflicting damage to your enemy.
"Wait, hang on a second!" Hestia stared at Chrom with large eyes. "C-Chrom-kun, are you a king?!"
Bell choked and stared at the blue-haired man. Chrom chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "The title is "Exalt," actually, but yes, I am a king. Well, to be more specific, I'm the ruler of Ylisse."
"Y-Ylisse?" Bell drew blanks. The name was unfamiliar to him, but then again, he had been a country bumpkin up until recently. "Where is that? Actually, no, wait, you mentioned something about the item I found in the dungeon. What did you call it again?"
"The Breidablik. In a way, you could think of it as a weapon of sorts, only instead of killing your foe, it summons a hero to aid you in battle. In this case, you summoned me." Bell and Hestia stared at him. "And more importantly, you call forth heroes from other worlds."
"H-hahahahaha. That's a funny joke, Chrom-san!" Bell laughed awkwardly. Chrom's expression didn't change and he stopped. "…you're not joking?!"
"H-he really isn't," Hestia gaped. "Mortals can't lie to gods, remember? B-but how is this possible?!"
"You mean how the Breidablik summons people from other worlds, or how did it end up in the dungeon?" Hestia and Bell nodded frantically as if in answer to both questions. Chrom sighed and scratched his head. "Unfortunately, I have no idea how it does that. You'd have better answers from Anna, though I have no idea if her or one of her sisters is here in Orario. As for how it was in the dungeon, I have no answers for that, either."
Both felt disappointed by the lack of an answer. Despite that, there was no denying the excitement in Bell's heart as he stared at Chrom with newfound appreciation. This man was not only a king, but a hero from another world too. Just like the stories his grandfather used to tell him. If he truly was speaking the truth, that the Breidablik really was capable of calling upon heroes from other worlds, then there were plenty of others who were just as strong as Chrom, if not even stronger!
It had not been until he reached that line of thought that Bell realized what using the Breidablik did. His face paled.
"I'm sorry, Chrom-san! I didn't mean to kidnap you!"
Hestia squawked while Chrom laughed. "It's hardly the first time I've been kidnapped to another world, Bell. Though admittedly, back then I was summoned to help defend a kingdom. This
is my first time being summoned to join an adventuring party, though, especially one headed by a god."
"E-even so, won't your subjects be worried?" Hestia asked out of fear. The last thing she wanted right now was to be the target of an angry kingdom because her child accidentally summoned their king to another time and place. "I mean, this is serious!"
"Again, it's fine. If I remember right, Anna said those summoned by the Breidablik are called upon from certain moments in time. Even though I'm here with you, time in my world hasn't moved."
"B-but, how is that possible?" Bell asked. "I mean…"
He tried to wrap his head around it, but it was hard for him to understand what Chrom was saying. For his part, the king seemed unsure. "I'm afraid you'd have to ask Anna the specifics. She's the only person that knows how it works, but even then, her knowledge wasn't perfect."
"Who's Anna?" Hestia inquired curiously.
"A friend of mine, and with a large family of identical twins to boot. They mostly dabble in trade, but Naga help you if you find yourself on the other end of their swords."
"I-I see…" the goddess sweatdropped. "Even so, are you sure about this? Don't you want to return home?"
"It's fine, Lady Hestia. If anything, I consider this a vacation and a good chance to expand my horizons, and maybe get stronger out of the deal." Chrom looked to Bell. "Is that fine with you?"
"E-eh? I mean, I guess…?"
The white-haired boy looked at the ground. On the one hand, he felt really bad about summoning Chrom and more or less kidnapping him, but it didn't seem like he was all that bothered by it. From what little he got out of their conversation, time in Chrom's world was stopped, but what did that mean? On the other hand, the Familia (and Bell himself) would benefit from having Chrom with them.
He looked at the Breidablik—the item responsible for this mess in the first place.
"…Chrom-san, is-is it possible to return you to your world?"
Chrom nodded. "It is, yes. The real question is, is that what you want?"
"Eh?"
"Think back to that moment in the dungeon. When you were cornered by that Minotaur, what was the first thing that came to your mind?"
That he wanted to survive…no, that wasn't right. In truth, Bell wanted to save someone to save him. He was so desperate that he wanted someone,
anyone, to save him. He remembered how powerless and helpless he was at that time. It wasn't a feeling he wanted to experience ever again.
"You could send back the heroes you've called back to their world, but what is it that
you want to do?"
"I…"
Bell glanced at Hestia. He remembered their first meeting in the backroads of Orario, how she saw him at his lowest point. The cloud of doubt dissipated for a time, his fingers curling into balls.
"…I want to help my Goddess in any way I can!" he declared resolutely.
Hestia weeped. "I-I'm sorry I'm such a useless Goddess, Bell-kun!"
Chrom smiled.
XxXxXxXxX
Chrom, Hestia and Bell moved to the upper level of the church, now standing in what appeared to be the prayer room. The glass-stained window was surprisingly intact despite the rest having seemingly rotted away with the passage of time.
"As a reminder, the Breidablik calls upon a hero at random, so there's no telling who will answer your call," Chrom explained the function of the device to Bell. "Also, you can't just summon them willy-nilly. The Breidablik requires ammunition to be used. Unfortunately, I don't know whether or not this world has Orbs that I remember, so we'll have to improvise."
He dug in his pocket and threw whatever it was he pulled out to Bell. He snatched it in mid-air and looked in his hand, finding a Magic Stone.
"Wait, isn't this the Magic Stone from the Minotaur you killed?"
Chrom nodded. "I figure it might come in handy. It's a long shot, but if my guess is right, you can use a Magic Stone as a substitute. Assuming it is correct, however, you'll have two things to keep in mind. The first is the quality of the Magic Stone, which may or may not influence the power of the Einherjar you summon. The second, of course, is whether or not to use the Magic Stone. You can use it to summon someone or turn it in to the Guild for Vali. In the end, the decision is up to you."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Bell?" Hestia asked. "I mean, you looked so…"
Bell smiled. "It's fine, Goddess. I know there's a chance that I might summon that may disagree with me, and it's selfish of me, but even so…"
He wanted to lighten the burden. He wanted to pay back his Goddess for all the effort she put into him in order to bring him this far.
With Chrom's instructions, Bell opened the Breidablik. The colorless gem that sat inside popped out and crumbled away once it hit the ground. No doubt it was the Orb Bell had used to summon Chrom. He gently slid the Magic Stone into the chamber, then loaded the Breidablik. He carefully took aim and squeezed the trigger, hoping that whoever he called forth would listen to his selfish request.
Bell squeezed the trigger. The device recoiled and nearly threw him to the ground, but he already braced himself by the time the recoil went through him. A brilliant light emerged from the device, growing in size until it formed into the shape of person who gently touched down on the floor of the room. As the light faded, Bell saw their appearance.
It was a young man, only three or four years his senior in contrast to Chrom. He had silver hair pulled back in a ponytail, starting out as spiky but gradually flattening out into a waist-length low hanging style. His attire was similar to those in Takemikazuchi's Familia and citizens of the Far East, a white vest with a high collar over a blue shirt with puffy sleeves, leather vambraces strapped tightly to his forearms by red strings. In hand was perhaps the most beautiful silver bow he had ever seen, carrying a wing in the center.
The young man's gaze settled on Bell, staring at him as if sizing him up before he spoke.
"I am Takumi, Third Prince of Hoshido. Are you the one who called for me?"
SkyRig: So, fun fact, we were originally going to use a Replica Breidablik that would summon Einherjar versions of Fire Emblem characters instead of the characters themselves. The reason for that was because, at first, there were the circumstances for using the original. Askr was being invaded, and since a good majority of heroes summoned by Kiran have gone through that situation themselves, they'd be sympathetic to helping them. That's not going into the semi-possible "brainwashing" aspect behind the Breidablik summoning since Kiran can summon characters such as, you know, Grima. The Einherjar-summoned Replica Breidablik would be a safer option, since the Einherjar are loyal to the people using them.
TheStranger: Buuut after some deliberation on both our parts, we decided to change that and opt for the original! …whiiiiiiiich led to us scrapping the tail end of the chapter and rewriting the vast majority of it, which was a pain in the ass. Some aspects still stayed, like the use of Magic Stones substituting for Orbs and Takumi being summoned. As for why we opted for the original, it was mostly to save ourselves from some convoluted reasoning as to why a replica of a gun that summons heroes even exists, much less who made it or why it's in the world of DanMachi.
SkyRig: And, of course, if anybody asks the question as to why the Breidablik is in DanMachi, you could ask haruoki the same question as to why the Grail is in DanMachi. Sometimes, you just don't need to ask stupid questions and go with it. Though now that I think about it, why did you pick Chrom and Takumi as the first heroes Bell summoned?
TheStranger: Oh, that's mainly because Awakening and Fates were the games that introduced me to the Fire Emblem series in the first place. Granted, most of other series required me reading the wikia and perusing youtube, but for the most part, they were my gateway into the franchise. I was half-tempted to write in Byleth from Three Houses, but I figure we should save "Lord" characters for another time. So, for the most part, it'll be a while before Bell summons Lords like Takumi or Chrom in the near future.
SkyRig: …soooooooo, what you're saying is-
TheStranger: For the last time, if I can't have post-timeskip batshit crazy Dimitri, you can't have Grima!
SkyRig: Dammit!
