Danmachi: Bell Gojo

Flashback: The Day Before the Descent

The grand hall of the Pantheon was filled with some of the most powerful and revered figures in all of Orario. Bell Cranel sat at the head of a long table, his gaze sharp as he studied the magical diagrams and notes scattered across the surface. Surrounding him were the leaders of the most magically gifted adventurers and the gods and goddesses who specialized in magic, mystery, and sealing.

Freya sat at his side, her eyes filled with both pride and curiosity. Across from her, Loki leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, while Hecate, goddess of magic, looked intrigued. Several other gods and goddesses of arcane arts, like Hermes, Demeter, and Hephaestus, had also gathered.

"Sealing off the Dungeon floor by floor," Loki began, tapping her fingers on the table, "it's not something anyone's ever done before, kid."

Bell nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly. The monsters spawn endlessly, and the Dungeon itself seems almost alive, but if we can block off each floor as we pass through it, we can stop them from respawning behind us. That way, we can make sure they don't overwhelm us from the rear as we descend deeper."

Hecate, her voice as deep and mystical as the night, spoke next. "Sealing magic on that scale, especially in the Dungeon, will be incredibly draining. Are you prepared for that?"

Bell placed his hand on the table, releasing a pulse of magic that caused the room to tremble for a moment. "I've been training for this. I can handle it."

Hermes leaned forward, his mischievous smile slipping for once as he considered the gravity of the situation. "And if it doesn't work? If the seals break or the Dungeon finds a way to circumvent them?"

Freya interjected before Bell could answer, her gaze intense. "It will work. Bell's magic is unique, and he's capable of adapting in ways we can't predict. If anyone can succeed in sealing off each floor, it's him."

Hephaestus, who had been quiet until now, cleared her throat. "The real question is what we'll find once we reach the lowest depths. There's something more dangerous than monsters waiting for us down there."

Bell's eyes hardened. "That's why we're doing this. We need to control the situation as much as we can before we reach the bottom."

Loki sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, it's worth a shot. But you better be ready, Bell. No one's ever made it past Floor 82. What lies beyond is uncharted territory."

The discussion continued late into the night, as the gods, goddesses, and adventurers fine-tuned their plan. Hecate, Freya, and other magic deities would provide Bell with additional magical tools to strengthen the seals. But the weight of the mission rested on his shoulders.

Present Day: The Descent

Bell's eyes scanned the dark stone walls of the Dungeon as his group descended another flight of stairs, entering Floor 60. Behind him, the members of Freya Familia and the elite adventurers of Loki Familia moved with practiced precision, their weapons drawn and eyes alert. Every few floors, they had paused to clear out the monsters, methodically eliminating every threat before Bell and the magic users sealed the area off.

Bell walked calmly at the front, his hand resting on the hilt of the divine weapon strapped to his back. Crafted by Hephaestus and infused with the essence of several godslaying artifacts, it was a blade unlike any other—a weapon meant to end whatever dwelled in the deepest depths of the Dungeon. Poisons so potent that no mortal or immortal creature could withstand them had been woven into the blade's very metal.

Freya's voice broke through the tense silence. "The next floor should be a safe zone. We'll rest there before continuing."

The group descended another level, and Bell sent out a pulse of magic, his senses spreading out in all directions. His eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the layout of the floor shift in his mind. "No abnormalities," he confirmed, "just the usual monster spawns ahead."

At that, the group surged forward, weapons flashing as they cut through the oncoming wave of monsters. Ottar led the charge, his massive axe cleaving through the larger monsters, while Ais and Gareth dispatched the smaller ones with swift precision. It had become routine over the past few weeks—clear, seal, rest, repeat.

Finally, they reached the safe zone, and Bell raised his hand. The air shimmered around them as a barrier of intricate runes spread from his fingertips, enveloping the entire floor. The seal snapped into place with a faint hum of magic.

"Sealed," Bell said, exhaling slowly. Even though he had grown accustomed to the strain of sealing magic, the deeper they went, the harder it became to keep up the pace.

Ais sat down near him, wiping her blade clean. "We're halfway there."

Bell nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere. They had reached Floor 82, the last known floor anyone had explored. From here, every step was a venture into the unknown.

A Month Later: Floor 82

The adventurers stood in front of the staircase leading to Floor 83, tension thick in the air. Bell stood at the edge, his magic already spread out like a net, scanning the area below for any sign of danger.

"This is it," Ottar rumbled, his voice low. "No one's been beyond this point."

Bell, his katana gleaming in the dim light, closed his eyes and extended his senses further. He could feel the subtle shifts in the atmosphere, the deep rumble of the Dungeon's structure as if it were alive. "There's something down there," he said quietly, "something... different."

The remaining adventurers stood with bated breath as they descended. For the first time, Bell had them all on high alert. They were in uncharted territory now, and no one knew what to expect.

As they reached Floor 83, Bell's pulse of magic detected strange movements. He halted the group and turned to his companions—Ottar, Ais, Finn, Gareth, and the other Level 7s and higher.

"There are abnormalities ahead," Bell explained. "Monsters we haven't encountered before. They're faster, stronger, and... they're converging on us."

Ottar gripped his axe tighter. "Then we'll also move faster."

Bell nodded but stepped back slightly. "I'll hold back for now. You all handle what's in front of us. I'll save my power for when things get critical."

They moved swiftly, clearing the floor with deadly efficiency. But the deeper they went, the stronger the resistance became. New monsters, larger and more fearsome than anything they had faced before, poured from the shadows.

Bell's pulse of magic detected something else—a vast, swirling energy below them. Whatever lay in the deepest depths of the Dungeon was waiting, and it was powerful.

As they descended deeper into the Dungeon, Bell couldn't help but think of the gift the gods had given him before the mission began. The divine weapon strapped to his back hummed with energy, crafted from the strongest godslaying artifacts in existence, imbued with poisons that could kill even the immortal.

And beyond that, Bell had been trained in divine swordsmanship and martial arts by the gods themselves. His movements had become sharper, faster, more precise. His magic, already formidable, had grown in ways he had never imagined.

"You're ready for this," Freya had told him the night before the descent. "The gods have given you everything you need to succeed. Now, it's time for you to use it."

Bell's hand tightened on the hilt of his weapon as they approached the final staircase. "I'll win," he whispered to himself.

As the last seal snapped into place behind them, the adventurers stood at the precipice of the unknown. The standoff between them and the entity at the bottom of the Dungeon was about to begin.

And Bell Cranel would be the one to bring it to an end.