Chapter 1

Chapter 1

[Tenkai-Land of Mortals-10XX]

The 3 Great Quests that the world placed on the Labyrinth City of Orario.

To kill the Tyrants of the Land, Sea, and Sky that plagued the mortal realm for a thousand years.

The Behemoth and Levithan were killed by the combined might of the Zeus and Hera Familias.

Yet they failed to kill the Tyrant of the Sky, The One-Eye Black Dragon.

The One Eye Black Dragon wiped out all those in the mortal realm called Heroes and those who had survived were nothing more than the hallowed version of their once proud vestige.

Despite all the despair, the world felt there was a fleeting hope. The One Eye Black Dragon was forced into a slumber and left the world in peace.

Until Now.

(***)

[Labyrinth City of Orario-10XX]

"It has awakened."

Ouranos, the leader of the Labyrinth City of Orario and the first god to descend to the mortal realm. He opened his eyes as he felt the heavens shake once more. Even the Dungeon below can sense its return.

"What do we do?" A voice called throughout the oculus.

Ouranos looked toward the magic crystal in front of him to see the image of his ever-loyal child, Fels.

"The Dungeon is reacting to The One-Eye Black Dragon. Monsters are becoming frenzied."

A terrifyingly rapid earthquake shook the floor and walls of the Chamber. The god remained impassive, even as a few debris of stone and marble fell from the ceiling. From the outside, he could feel the people screaming and crying in fear. The waves were growing stronger by the moment.

"I'll contact Royman and have him deliver a message to all the Familias who can fight the One Eye Black Dragon," Ouranos said and Fels looked at his God questionably.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Fels asked

"No," Ouranos said as he sighs with the pain of his decision, "But what choice do we have?"

None was left unsaid. Ouranos felt powerless once more as he knows the fate of those who he would be sent to fight the One Eye Black Dragon.

While he knew there were many Heroes in this current era but none of them could match the Zeus and Hera Familias. Death was all that awaits them but what else can he do? He was the God whose job was to make sure that Orario fulfilled the quests that the world had given to them.

Ouranos slammed his fist onto his chair in frustration. Why now!? There were many mortals, who if given time, could rival or even surpass those in the greatest in the Zeus and Hera Familias. But now he had to send those to their deaths.

There was no Hope to face the embodiment of Despair that is known as the One Eye Black Dragon!

(***)

Gods cannot have children.

It was a fundamental law of the world. Gods are born out of concept and faith. Such things cannot have children of their own. Everyone knew that no matter where you are from or who you are it was an established law.

After all, mortals are flesh and blood while Gods are conceptual beings. They are completely separate beings, living in different worlds, times, laws, and existence. They were no compatibility between the two.

Thus: Gods could never have children between themselves or mortals.

It was simply the law.

The Gods and Spirits belong to a superior existence in exchange for their inability to bring life into the world. It was why they fell in love with mortals, not just on the romantic side but not just the romantic way. They were able to enjoy the wonders of having a family they could call their own.

So they descend from the Heavens so that they can live among. The Gods wished to help mortals grow and mature; for they provided great entertainment for them. Yet the mortal realm is not without danger.

The Great Dungeon that birthed the Three Tyrants was a danger to every being on Tenki. The monsters born from the Dungeon have inhuman strength that even the weakest of monsters could kill an entire army of mortals. For the Gods to enjoy the entertainment of the mortals they granted the mortals their divine grace.

Their grace, known as Falna, allowed mortals to grow stronger than ever before. The Falna was a representation of a God adopting a mortal into their family. Those blessed with Falna could gather excelia through their deeds to grow stronger, through unnatural skills, magic, and the potential to be known as Heroes.

The Falna was a way for Gods to have a family of their own. By bestowing their Falna the Gods gained "children" of their own. They loved the feeling of having a family and finally found a loophole of Gods not having any children. So many Gods decided to leave the comfort of Heaven to form their own Famalias. But in order to do so, they must seal away their powers that come from their divinity.

That was fine with them. As long as they could live with their mortal family and experienced life with them, the Gods were satisfied.

Yet like every law, there were always those who broke it.

For there was a Spirit who bore a child of her own.

And there was a God who did the same.

This is not a tale of a glorious Hero, no that story is for someone else.

Nor a tale of an Avenger who simply wished to see her mother again.

No this is a tale of a broken boy who has seen the tragedy that befalls Heroes. Who wishes to be forgotten by the annals of history.

Yet his destiny will not allow him to be forgotten.

For this story is proof that his story has not been forgotten.

(***)

[Labyrinth City of Orario-10XX]

Orario, the Labyrinth City.

Also known as the Center of the World; the city of legends where dreams come true, and where heroes had ballads written in their honor. It was the only city in the world that had a Dungeon, and also the undisputed destination of countless people of all races. Humans, dwarves, elves, demi-humans, and many other races came to this place every day from all the corners of the globe, seeking wealth and fortune or – much more frequently – aiming to join a Familia and become Adventurers. It was a process that had been going on for centuries and that still showed no sign of abating even after all these years.

Countless were the Familia who resided within the city. Some of them were powerful and famous, others more small and restricted, and some were even completely unknown to the public eye. What was certain, however, was that their number was incalculable; and the fact that all of them were ruled and led by very powerful and peculiar beings. The immortal entities descended from the very same realm of Heaven: the Gods.

Said Gods who were, at this moment, utterly confused and terrified by what was happening in the lower world of their children. The entire city of Orario was constantly shaken by earthquakes, throwing the entire population into total panic. Seismic tremors had been following one another at irregular intervals of time for more than twenty minutes now, so powerful and incessant in their release that they visibly threatened the stability of the districts and caused numerous buildings to collapse. Even the very same Tower of Babel had started to crack and moan under this incessant assault. Everyone had been ordered to evacuate the Tower, including the Gods and Familias who resided there like the Freya Familia.

Civilians, Adventurers, and everyone who lived in the city had fallen into panic. Even the Ganesha Familia and the guards of the Guild themselves didn't know what to do; while at the same time more and more earthquakes shook the earth and more and more noises and gruesome moans could be heard coming from the Dungeon. It was complete chaos, spreading throughout the city for some unknown reason. Never before had such a situation occurred in Orario's entire history. Everyone was frightened and perplexed, especially the civilians since they could not fathom what was happening and why.

In other words, it was an unprecedented situation, and as such, no one knew how to respond.

Finn Deimne, also known as the Braver and the Captain of the Loki Familia, did not like it one bit.

"Aaaaah! What the hell is this?"

"Loki, please calm down."

The blonde pallum sighed as he pinched his nose, ignoring his goddess' constant rambling.

Currently, he, Riveria, Gareth, and most of the rest of their Familia were gathered in front of the so-called "Pantheon", the main building of the Guild and the main meeting point for Adventurers aside from the Tower of Babel and the entrance of the Dungeon. But they weren't the only ones there. Plenty of other Familias had been summoned in this place just like them, flooding the main square and street of Orario and gathering in front of the Guild, waiting.

In addition to the Loki Familia, Finn could clearly see members of the Hephaestus Familia, the Familias of Miach and Takemakazuchi, and – a sight that definitely put him on edge – the entirety of Freya Familia as well, along with countless others. The Braver had never seen so many Adventurers gathered in a single place in years, not since the Evilus War which had happened several years prior, and this could not mean anything good. His thumb had started throbbing quite a while ago.

His eyes narrowed as he shot a glance at Ottar and his Familia Executives on the western side of the square. Many gods had gathered here along with their children, but much to his confusion, he could not see Freya anywhere, even if the majority of her children were already here along with the King. Finn mentally assumed that she had been escorted somewhere safe by the rest of her Familia.

The strongest pallum of the city closed his eyes in an attempt to keep focused. No, he definitely didn't like this situation. And his goddess' constant apprehension was not helping either.

"Captain… I'm scared," an Amazoness with dark green eyes and long brown hair stepped closer to him, her face visibly tense as she glanced around along with the rest of their companions. "What is happening all of sudden?"

For once, Finn had no answer for his fellow Familia member. "I don't know, Tione. But it is our duty to find out," he sighed, trying to keep focused as his blue eyes opened and remained fixed on the Guild's entrance.

Another earthquake shook the ground all of sudden, and several people among the crowd of Adventurers cried and were startled in panic. In a distant district, the crash of a collapsing building could be heard all the way here. Screams and shouts followed suit.

Bete Loga, the werewolf of their group, spat on the ground with a snarl; his eyes fixed on the Tower's direction. "Tch. What the hell are we doing?" he growled in clear irritation. "These tremors are coming from the freaking Dungeon. We should be heading in there and finding out what's happening instead of wasting time here!"

Clearly, this fact did not sit well with him. At all.

"For once, I agree with our dumb wolf," the other Amazoness – Tiona – said in a worried tone. She exchanged a nod with her sister, snickering a bit when they saw Bete round on them with an enraged face.

"Hah?! Who are you calling dumb, you bitch?"

"Calm down," Gareth ordered sternly, slamming the pommel of his Grand Axe on the ground. "The Guild has summoned us all here. There must be a reason."

Loki sighed in frustration. "But still! This suspense is literally killing me!" the goddess of mischief exclaimed. "Monsters are screaming inside the Dungeon, the city is threatened by earthquakes, and no one knows what's going on! I even heard that the Guild is ordering all the Adventurers to leave the Tower and the Dungeon no matter the floor they were in! I want to know what's going on. I want to knoooow!" she moaned like a petulant child.

Riveria Ljos Alf, Top Executive and Vice-Captain of their Familia widened her eyes slightly. "Leaving the Dungeon? What about the people in Rivira?"

"They're being escorted back to the surface as we speak," Finn answered, crossing his arms with a scowl. "The Ganesha Familia is working on it."

Next to Finn, a young half-elf with long golden yellow hair, round dark blue eyes, and pointy ears gulped nervously. "I-I have a bad feeling about this. This can't mean anything good," Lefiya Viridis muttered, her hands clasped tightly around her staff in a nervous gesture. "What do you think Aiz?"

No answer came from the last member of their current group. Seeing the silence, both Lefiya and Finn turned toward the girl in question.

Aiz Wallenstein, is a very beautiful woman with long golden hair and eyes, and a slender body. Just like the rest of their Familia, she wore her battle attire and her sword was already strapped to her side, ready to be drawn at the first sign of trouble. She was usually quiet and cold, but even the Braver could see that the girl was tense right now. Extremely tense. Ever since the earthquakes had begun, she had been quieter and more vigilant than usual.

But it wasn't her silence that surprised him. Finn immediately noticed the girl's narrowed and stoic eyes aimed towards the right, fixed on something distant. The Captain of the Loki Familia followed her gaze, and he felt his own eyebrows furrow a little. As expected…

The Hestia Familia had joined the crowd as well, led by the goddess herself and a white-haired boy wearing light armor.

Bell Cranel. The fastest Adventurer to reach level 4 and the half-brother of Lefiya. Welf Crozzo the only Crozzo in a hundred years to have the skill that has been passed down through his family for a thousand years. Yamato Mikito, the greatest disciple of the sword god Takemikazuchi.

Upon seeing them, the Familias of Miach and Takemakazuchi, who were particularly close to Hestia, immediately moved to join them. The Goddess Hephaestus joined as well.

Aiz went to Bell. Finn looked at the two with a small smile. Despite their conflict a few weeks ago he was glad that it ruin the relationship between Bell and Aiz. Once Lefiya explained the situation to him about the Xenos, intelligent and kind monsters. It was an unexpected development but given Bell's character, it made sense why he fought against them.

He hoped to talk to the Hestia Familia about establishing contact between the Xenos and the Loki Familia. The Xenos has the most knowledge of the Dungeon than them and if his gut is right with their knowledge they might be able to get rid of Evilus for good.

Bell Cranel's voice was the first one he could hear. "A-Aiz-san!"

"Bell. Are you ok?"

"Wha-? Yes, of course! We were just startled by the earthquakes like everyone else, but we were fine. What about you? Are you ok? And your Familia?"

"Yes. Thank goodness."

"Aiz Wallenwhateveritis! Why are you here?! And get away from my precious Bell!"

"I just wanted to make sure he's fine."

"Aiz-san, d-don't tell me… you were worried about me?"

"I was."

"Eeeeeeeh?!"

Finn sighed in mild amusement.

"Bell-sama! Why are you blushing in front of the Sword Princess? And here Lily thought you were not a philanderer!"

"Lily! I'm not a philanderer! I swear!"

That's when the Captain of the Loki Familia decided to enter the discussion.

"Pardon my fellow Familia member's intrusion, goddess Hestia," Finn said with a cheerful tone – a fake one, but one that very few could directly discern and see through – offering a small bow to the tiny goddess and the rest of the group. Among them, apart from Bell Cranel and the goddess, the strongest pallum of the city easily recognized Welf Crozzo, Yamato Mikoto, Sanjouno Haruhime, and Liliruca Arde. "She has been quite worried ever since the… incident," he spoke in a polite tone.

Every single member of the Hestia tensed up at his words. They ready their bodies for an attack, that will never come.

"I would like to apologize for my Familia's actions," Finn said as he bows before the goddess. The Hestia Familia was speechless at his words and actions.

"We misunderstood the situation. It only became clear after Leyfia told us about the whole situation." Finn said

The Hestia Familia looked towards Leyfia and nod her head. Signal that she told her Familia everything she knew.

Hestia sighed but accepted his apologies.

"Though I do I have to ask is our current situation being caused by our mutual acquaintances?"

Much to her credit, the goddess Hestia managed to recollect herself in a split second. Her eyes openly glared at him as the air around her dropped several degrees. "I have no idea of what you're implying, Braver," she stated with a low tone of voice, both her face and voice dangerously cold. Braver didn't miss the silent threat that was implied by her words. The message was clear.

One more word about them and I'm not gonna let it slide.

Finn knew even though he stated that the Loki Familia now knew the full picture they weren't enemies, they wouldn't trust them. But he needed to know if it was the Xenos making a desperate gambit to live on the surface or if it was Evilius.

As Finn looked into Hestia Familia's eyes he could not sense any deceit from them. That means the earthquakes and the Guild closing is something else.

"Very well," he sighed with an apologetic smile. He could see that Hestia and the others were not involved in this case, at least this time. Everyone is visibly relaxed as he decided to relent. "I apologize. I was merely worried―"

Whatever he was about to say was abruptly interrupted when the crowd began to grow quiet and tense.

Finn, Aiz, Bell, and the others turned their attention to the Guild's entrance, confused by the sudden shift in the air, and they immediately noticed the change.

A fat Elf with white hair, green eyes, and short legs had just exited the building: Royman Mardeel, the head of the Guild himself. He was followed by Eina Tulle, Rose Fannett, and other staff members, along with the god Ganesha, his Captain Shakti, and a few guards from the Ganesha Familia. As soon as everyone took notice of them, the crowd quieted and all the Adventurers waited with bathed breath even as the rumble of the earthquakes continued to echo all around the city.

"Everyone listen up!" Royman ordered, his voice calm but authoritative. "Those you're about to hear are direct orders from Ouranos. You may ask your questions if there's something that needs to be clarified, but do so only after we've finished explaining!"

Finn narrowed his eyes and bit his thumb while Riveria, Gareth, and the rest of his Familia immediately moved to join him. They all shared a silent glance while Loki and Hestia glared at each other.

Here goes nothing.

"As you can see, the city is clearly in danger. These earthquakes are threatening Orario's stability, and civilians are growing worried," Royman stated with a high tone of voice, speaking louder so that all the Adventurers could hear. "Unfortunately, neither Ouranous nor the Guild was able to locate the threat, nor to understand what is causing such a mess. However, there is no doubt about one thing: whatever is happening here is being caused by the Dungeon. And we must discover what it is and put an end to it before the city suffers extreme damage."

A few murmurs ran among the crowd. Finn remained focused and silent while Bell and the others exchanged a worried glance with each other. Ais remained completely still as well.

Royman raised a hand to quiet them down. "The Gansha Familia will stay here ad focus their efforts to defend the civilians along with a few others that I will list to you later. But on the other hand, Ouranos has ordered that all the major Familias in the city are to enter the Dungeon in order to discover the source of the crisis and put a stop to it as soon as possible."

Braver inwardly sighed. He was already expecting this kind of decision from the Guild. Not that he couldn't understand where they were coming from, though. He could clearly see why Ouranos had taken that decision. Entering the Dungeon had suddenly become extremely dangerous for the majority of Adventurers right now, so it was only logical that only the strongest ones would be allowed to go inside and search for a solution.

"I will now list the Familias who are being ordered to enter the Dungeon," the fat elf declared solemnly, opening a small scroll with his hands and reading its content out loud. "Those who are the Demeter, Goibniu, Hecate, Bheara, and the Eris Familias."

"As for the Freya, Loki, and Hestia along with every other available Famailias you are to wait for Lord Ouranos to locate the…" As Royman scanned the letter his face became pale and filled with fear.

"...The One-Eye Black Dragon," Royman said and everyone went deathly quiet.

Everyone held their breath. Royman fell to his knees. The Guild members stood frozen as statues.

And the entire world fell silent upon hearing Royman's declaration.

For what seemed to be an eternity, no one was able to move.

Seconds passed, followed by minutes.

Slowly and hesitantly, Finn turned to his Familia members. He was wide-eyed and stunned; and for once, he discovered with a growing sense of frustration that his horrified expression was shared by all of his friends and Familia Members, along with the rest of the crowd.

The shock and fear were physically palpable in the air.

"A-Aiz… san?"

Bell Cranel's voice broke the silence with a nervous tone.

And much to his growing disbelief, Finn Deimne's thumb began to physically hurt as soon as he turned to a certain Familia member. His eyes widened even more, as did those of Bell, Riveria, Loki, and all his friends around him; and everyone stared at the Sword Princess with wide eyes and mouths agape.

The temperature dropped several degrees.

The look on Aiz Wallenstein's face was a mask of hatred and horror that she had never assumed before that day.

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Danmachi AU!

Bell and Leyfia are half-siblings

The MC is a demigod (An impossibility in the Danmachi world but hey if Aiz is half spirit then the mc can be a demigod.)

Future Arcs will take inspiration from Memoria Freese (Argonaut!)

The Mc will have a small harem: Ryuu, Tiona, and Airmid