Destiny's Reshaping: A Danmachi Reincarnation Tale

"So you're telling me the fragment is inside that monster forming over there?!" -Mark shouted, running his hands nervously through his hair, his eyes fixed on the crystalline colossus slowly taking shape behind the Great Wall of Pain.

The memory of the hobgoblin's uncontrollable power crossed his mind like a cold blade. That creature, once a mere level 1 monster, had become a devastating threat after consuming a fragment. The thought of what could happen if Goliath, a level 4 monster already feared by seasoned adventurers, came into contact with that power was enough to chill anyone's blood.

The calm and steady voice of the Guide broke his state of agitation.

[It seems there's a misunderstanding.] -It began with its usual impassiveness. -[The fragment hasn't been consumed by the monster; it's inside it.]

"…What exactly is the difference?" -Mark asked, trying to understand a situation that, while strange, only seemed more unsettling.

[In simple terms, instead of being in its solid state, protected by Origon's blessing like the last one you found, this fragment has reincarnated inside the monster.]

"Is that… even possible?" -Mark's tone was filled with disbelief.

[The answer to your question is both yes and no. Theoretically, the fragment shouldn't have been able to reincarnate, being too unstable. But this world...] -The Guide paused as if carefully choosing its words. -[Has too many anomalies, especially in this Dungeon. There are forces at play that alter the traditional rules.]

"Whether the world is strange or not, I don't care. Just tell me how I can recover the fragment." -Mark wasn't willing to get lost in theoretical explanations; he wanted practical solutions.

[The situation is complicated.] -The Guide continued. -[I can sense the fragment, but I can't interact with it directly as long as the monster is alive. Your only option is to kill the Goliath and then extract the fragment from the magic stone it will leave behind. That's where the fragment will be, and it's the only moment we can interact with it.]

Mark thought over the Guide's words for a moment, fully aware of the challenge this posed. Killing the Goliath was already an almost impossible feat for anyone unprepared. But there was another issue.

"Even if you're right, why is the fragment still here? That monster has been killed who knows how many times. I doubt adventurers left the magic stone behind." -Mark questioned, casting doubt on the situation's logic.

[Your doubt is valid. I guess that this room acts as a sort of "cage" for the fragment. Every time the magic stone is taken out, the fragment detaches and reincarnates with the Goliath when it revives.] -The Guide explained with its usual calmness.

"Do you think the monster will be stronger?" -Mark asked.

[I highly doubt it. What empowered that hobgoblin wasn't the fragment itself, but the blessing released by Origon. At most, the monster might be more aware, but that's it.]

"…Haaah." -Mark sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the situation press down on him.

He didn't understand anything about reincarnation, souls, or fragments, and he had to rely on the Guide's theories. However, knowing all this, it was clear that there was nothing he could do at that moment. He was too weak to face a Goliath and retrieve the fragment. He'd have to give up for now and come up with a plan.

"Let's head to the 18th floor and see how far we can go. Maybe we can find other fragments." -Mark said, trying to stay positive despite his growing frustration.

[Affirmative.] -The Guide responded without hesitation.

****

On the surface, unlike Mark, Zoe's day had just begun. After spending the entire night talking with Ryuu and Astrea in Ryuu's room at the Hostess of Fertility, the three women had finally fallen asleep, exhausted. The next morning, the warmth of the sunlight filtered through the window, filling the room with a soft golden light.

Zoe stretched slowly, trying not to disturb the other two as she woke up. Even though it had been a long night, she couldn't help but smile, thinking back to the conversation.

That night, Zoe and Ryuu had quickly grown closer, considering that their common link was Astrea. Ryuu was happy that Astrea had someone by her side during those years of isolation, while Zoe felt relieved knowing her mother had reconnected with her old Familia. It was a bond that seemed to strengthen their relationship.

With a mix of anxiety and determination, Zoe decided to share her secret with Ryuu. Initially hesitant, the girl realized that the trust Astrea had placed in her was a sign that it deserved to be reciprocated. So, she opened up, further deepening their bond. However, she didn't go into too much detail, especially regarding Mark. It wasn't about withholding information, but rather out of respect for him.

Shortly after, when the two of them woke up, they decided to have breakfast together. But as they descended the stairs, they encountered a figure neither Zoe nor Astrea had seen before.

"Hoh, Ryuu, it seems you woke up late today! Hmm… who is the lovely girl and the lady next to you?" -A young woman asked, smiling brightly.

She had bluish-grey hair tied in a small knot hanging in a ponytail. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, shone with lively intelligence, while her smooth, light peach skin made her both beautiful and charming.

"Oh, Syr, they are...! Yes, she's a friend from my old Familia and her daughter." -Ryuu responded, nodding, satisfied with her quick improvisation, while Astrea and Zoe exchanged a look, half amused, half embarrassed.

Astrea had no reason to maintain her disguise, but she knew well that caution was never too much. Her Familia was loved by many but also had numerous enemies. She didn't want her appearance in public to cause any trouble for Ryuu and Zoe.

"What a pleasant surprise, I'd say. A pleasure to meet you, I'm Syr Flova, a friend and colleague of Ryuu's." -The girl introduced herself with a warm smile.

At her words, the two opened their eyes in surprise. Ryuu had talked at length about how much Syr had helped her in her early days and how their friendship had saved her during difficult times, so they immediately formed a good impression of her.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Syr. Ryuu has told us a lot about you; I'm glad she had a friend like you." -Astrea responded, returning the smile.

"Oh, it's nothing, but sit down, I'll bring you something to eat." -Syr said, with a friendly gesture.

Ryuu wanted to protest, eager to help, but Syr waved her hand with a smile, telling her to relax.

A little later, she returned with hot, delicious-smelling plates, and the group invited her to join them.

"Sorry for the delay, Miss Syr, I'm Zoe Elpis." -Zoe said.

"Oh my, Zoe of life and Elpis of hope, I must say, that's a wonderful name for such a beautiful woman like you." -Syr replied, giving her a bright smile.

Zoe's cheeks flushed slightly. It wasn't uncommon for people to compliment her, but hearing those words from Syr, so genuine and sincere, gave her a special feeling, like a ray of sunshine piercing through a cloudy day.

Unconsciously, she activated her ability, but what she sensed shocked her.

/'I never expected to meet Astrea after all this time. That would also explain why Ryuu is so happy. I don't understand why she's back, though. Perhaps to rebuild her Familia? I doubt it. However, this girl... there's something wrong with her color.'/ 

'How did she recognize my mother, and what did she mean by "color"?'

"Zoe, are you okay?" -She heard Ryuu's concerned voice, and Zoe snapped back to reality, regaining her smile.

"Yes, I was just thinking about how delicious breakfast was."

Zoe wanted to activate her ability again, but Syr seemed busy with work, so she got up, and Ryuu appeared to have somewhere to go as well.

"See you this evening, Ryuu," -Astrea said in an affectionate tone.

"See you tonight," -Ryuu smiled happily, her eyes gleaming with joy.

As they walked through the lively streets of Orario, Zoe kept thinking about what she had heard, and eventually, she couldn't hold it in any longer. -"Mom, about Syr—"

"She's strange, isn't she?" -Astrea asked, watching her closely.

"I could hear something, and it seems like she recognized you..." -Zoe said, her voice uncertain.

"I suppose so. The moment I saw her, I immediately had an unnaturally good impression of her. Honestly, I only know of one other with similar power, but..." -Astrea found herself thinking of Freya, the goddess of love and beauty, but recalling the girl from before, she realized their personalities were too different. Syr seemed to live in the moment with disarming sincerity, while Freya was shrouded in mystery and manipulation.

"She's likely a goddess, and while I have a vague idea of who she might be, there's little I can do." -Astrea sighed, her expression a mix of concern and understanding.

She had seen how happy and comfortable Ryuu was with Syr and didn't want to be the one to break that bond. She hadn't sensed any ill intentions from the girl, and even if she was probably a goddess, Astrea didn't mind as long as it brought Ryuu joy.

Zoe could imagine what Astrea was thinking, and she too sighed.

The two continued walking, heading towards the blacksmiths' district, where the Hephaestus Familia's building was located.

From the name, it was clear that the blacksmiths' district was an area filled with workshops, where the most skilled blacksmiths crafted their work, and at the center of the district was the building where Astrea's friend, Hephaestus, lived and worked.

"Looks like she hasn't moved, fortunately." -Astrea said as they approached the gates.

"Stop! What are you here for?" -The guards at the gate said.

"We're here to see Goddess Hephaestus." -Astrea said simply.

"Haaa, you should know that our goddess is busy. She can't meet with every person who wants to see her." -The guard said tiredly.

Many people wanted equipment made by the goddess, but due to the high number of requests, they had to wait a long time, so people would come here to make a request directly, hoping to save time.

"Just tell her it's the second friend of the little one." -Astrea said mysteriously.

The two guards looked at each other, and the one who had spoken decided to go to Hephaestus.

"Mom, what did you mean earlier?" -Zoe asked quietly.

"I was talking about another friend." -Astrea said, smiling.

(A few minutes later.)

In a small sitting room, Astrea and Zoe were seated on a couch, and in front of them, on another couch, was Hephaestus, looking both happy and surprised.

"It's good to see you again, Astrea. You look well." -Hephaestus said, smiling warmly.

Hephaestus had a crimson eye and red hair that reached her neck. She had a rather sharp face and a slim body with an eyepatch over her right eye.

"You too, Hephaestus. You look well." -Astrea smiled back at her.

"So, why are you here? I thought after that event, you had decided to leave Orario." -She asked sadly.

She had heard what had happened to her Familia, but apart from offering words of comfort, there was nothing she could do for her. The life of an adventurer was full of dangers, and you never knew when it might end.

"I wanted to fulfill the wish of my adoptive daughter." -She said, indicating Zoe.

"Goddess Hephaestus, I'm Zoe Filips, Astrea's adoptive daughter. My mother has always spoken very highly of you." -Zoe said respectfully.

"Don't be so stiff, dear. You've found a beautiful daughter, Astrea. I'm happy for you." -She said, smiling at her friend, then grew more serious. -"But I advise you not to create your Familia again."

"That wasn't my intention, but may I ask why?" -Astrea asked, noticing the drastic change in Hephaestus's expression.

"These are just vague rumors, but it seems that Evilus has become active again." -Hephaestus said.

Astrea's expression immediately hardened. -"I thought they were all exterminated."

"That's what many think, but Loki says otherwise. As I said, nothing serious has happened yet, and their power has been reduced to a minimum, so they can't cause any real damage." -Hephaestus explained calmly.

Hearing her words, Astrea felt more at ease. She couldn't bear to take Zoe away, but she wouldn't have been able to relax knowing that Evilus was at large.

"I understand. Then I'd like my daughter to join your Familia. I'd feel better knowing she's with you." -Astrea said.

"I have no problem with that, but she doesn't seem like a blacksmith." -Hephaestus said, studying Zoe. -"But it's fine. I have some groups that handle Dungeon exploration to gather the materials we need to work."

"That would be great since Zoe also wants to improve her studies in alchemy." -Astrea explained, but at her words, Hephaestus's expression became complicated.

"Haaah, then you've come to the wrong person. In recent years, I've had terrible relations with alchemists." -Hephaestus said wearily.

"What do you mean? Aren't they the ones who supply you with enchanted metals?" -Astrea asked, confused.

"Exactly. We gave them discounts, and they provided the enchanted metals, but for the past few years, they've been trying to break into the blacksmithing market. As you know, my brand is recognized by everyone, and they asked if I could grant them sales rights in some kingdoms, and of course, I refused. Since then, they've been increasing the prices of our orders, and we did the same. Now, we barely tolerate each other.

For this reason, if you want your daughter to enter the world of alchemy, she should have nothing to do with us. I'm sorry I can't be of more help." -Hephaestus said, feeling down. She wanted to help her friend, but doing so would only harm her daughter's future.

"Don't worry." -Astrea reassured her.

"I have an idea, you could ask Hestia. She descended from heaven about half a year ago." -Proposed Hephaestus.

"She came down too?" -Said Astraea, happily surprised, but then her expression became skeptical. -"As much as I'm glad, Hestia is... Hestia."

Hearing this, Zoe tilted her head. It wasn't the first time her mother talked about Hestia and every time, she described her the same way, which started to make Zoe curious about what kind of goddess she was.

"Astraea, it might surprise you, but Hestia is no longer as lazy as she was in heaven," -Said Hephaestus, smiling.

"Really?" -Astraea asked, not believing her.

"Exactly, now she's working to pay off her debt."

"What kind of debt?" -Zoe asked curiously.

"She wanted me to make a weapon for her child, and I did. Also, that boy is the current record holder for reaching level 2 the fastest."

(Author's note: Just to avoid confusion, some gods call members of their Familia or simply inhabitants of the world their children, but they don't have a familial relationship like Astraea and Zoe do.)

"Now that's a surprise." -Said Astraea, mouth wide open. -"So, Hestia already has a child... Wait! Hephaestus, you said you made the equipment, exactly how much is the debt?" -Astraea asked, turning pale.

"...200 million." -Hephaestus said, looking away.

"...Hahaha, Zoe, come with me, it seems we'll have to look for someone else," -Astraea said with a smile.

"Wait a minute, the debt is only for her, not her children. I already told her that if I knew she had taken the money from her children, I would have doubled the price. Besides, Hestia might be a little... peculiar, but you can trust her." -Hephaestus said, trying to calm her down.

"Haaa, fine, I'll give her a chance. Do you know where she lives?" -Astraea said with a sigh.

After receiving directions, Astraea and Zoe said goodbye to Hephaestus and started heading there. The place was on the other side of the city, and when they arrived, both had strange expressions.

"Is this place even habitable?" -Zoe asked, confused.

"Hestia, where have you ended up?" -Astraea said, rubbing her temples.

The building Hephaestus pointed out was a small, damaged church located in a nearly deserted area of Orario.

Having no other choice, they knocked, and soon after, the door was opened by a chienthrope girl.

"Do you need something?" -She asked, suspiciously.

"We're looking for Hestia, is she home?" -Astraea asked.

Turning her head towards the disguised Astraea and Zoe, the girl decided to let them in, then headed towards a door near the altar.

Soon after, she returned with another girl of short stature but with a chest barely contained in her dress. She had black hair tied into two pigtails and deep blue eyes.

"She told me you were looking for me." -Said the girl.

"Hestia, it's been so long since I've seen you." -Said Astraea, removing her disguise.

"Astraea!" -As soon as Hestia saw who it was, she ran towards her and jumped on her.

"I see you're as energetic as always." -Astraea said, petting her.

"Why are you here? I thought you had left the city." -Hestia asked, curious.

Since Hestia had recently descended, she didn't know what had happened to Astraea's Familia. She only knew that she had decided to leave the city.

"I wanted to help my adopted daughter achieve her dream." -Astraea said.

"Nice to meet you, goddess Hestia, I'm Zoe Filips," -Zoe said politely.

"That's a lovely name," -Hestia said, smiling at her.

"Is she a member of your Familia too?" -Astraea asked, pointing to the chienthrope girl.

"No, this is Lili, she's the supporter for my only child. He should be back soon." -Hestia said.

"Hestia, can I speak with you in private?" -Astraea asked seriously.

Seeing Astraea's serious expression, which she had never seen before, Hestia asked Lili to wait outside.

"Now you can speak." -Hestia said.

At that point, Astraea explained what had happened to her Familia and why she had left the city. Then she spoke about her meeting with Zoe and her desire to become an alchemist, but with the issue that she couldn't belong to her Familia, so she was looking for someone to entrust her to.

"That must have been hard." -Hestia said, squeezing her hand. Astraea was an important friend to her.

When they were in Heaven, they spent a lot of time together, and Hestia enjoyed being with her. Moreover, Astraea had that motherly feeling that always made you feel at ease, which was why Hestia felt sorrow for her experience.

"Yes, it was." -Astraea nodded sadly.

"As for your daughter, there's no problem. I might not have the means to buy alchemical materials, but a friend of mine, a god, runs a potion shop with his Familia. She could make and sell potions there, so using their tools wouldn't be an issue." -Hestia proposed.

Hearing Hestia's idea, Astraea didn't think it was bad. Zoe would have a new teacher and the tools to work, and Hestia lived in a quiet place that wouldn't attract attention.

"Alright, Hestia." -Astraea nodded.

After making the decision, Astraea removed her blessing from Zoe, and Hestia placed hers, though she was shocked when reading her status.

"Surprising, isn't it? Even I couldn't believe it. Well, I think it's time to go." -Astraea said, standing up.

"Mom..." -Zoe called her hesitantly. She had spent so much time with her that it felt strange to part ways.

"My dear, what are you worried about? You can always come to visit me, you know I'm leaving you here only so you can make new connections and become more confident." -She said, gently stroking her head. Then she turned to Hestia.

"Please, take care of her." -Astraea said.

"You can count on it." -Hestia said seriously.

Meanwhile, Astraea had an objective: to gather more information about what was happening in Orario.