Hestia had requested a status update for Bell before the battle, and had used that time to call upon some foul play as well.

"Haruhime, give him a level boost so he's on even terms with that Wallenwhatsit."

"Goddess Hestia, that's…"

"Goddess… I'll still be weaker than her. I might as well not have it and play fair."

"Hmm? Seems like I forgot to mention that you somehow ranked up again. What have you been doing?"

Bell was speechless himself. He had no idea that he could grow so quickly, even when he wasn't thinking of his idol.

"I'll fill you in once I've won," he told her, smiling kindly.

"That's my Bell," she boasted, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now go, show them who's the stronger adventurer."

Bell slipped his shirt back on while Haruhime cast Uchide no Kozuchi, raising his level further. He made his way out of the manor, the non-combatants following closely behind.

"You sure took yer time," Loki remarked, already bored to the bone by waiting only a few minutes.

"Shut it, flattie."

Ais had prepared herself in the courtyard, her saber at the ready. Bell stood no more than ten metres in front of her, both knives still sheathed.

"Yer kid's really arrogant, hey?"

Hestia ignored Loki's assumption. She knew Bell's fighting style and that he wouldn't be the one to start the battle.

"Whenever you're ready, feel free to begin, Miss Ais," Bell called over. He took the Hestia Knife out of its sheath, ready to cast a Firebolt into it the second the battle began.

The Sword Princess had expected this to be another of Bell's foolish whims and hoped to finish it quickly and sped forward - but it was no longer fast enough to outdo the vorpal bunny. Bell found himself able to evade every slice coming at him, ducking and side stepping out of its way. In the middle of one such dodge, he threw Firebolt onto the Hestia Knife, encasing it with Argonaut right after. Ais kept attacking him, having had no knowledge of what he was trying to do, unaware of the danger she could face if she stalled out the battle for longer than five minutes - now one minute longer due to his unexpected rank up.

It was a minute and a half into the charge when Ais had decided that she had finally had enough of Bell's skillful weaving. She would use Ariel and have faith that he would survive if he was hit.

Her speed increased noticeably, forcing Bell to do more than just dodge. He slid Hakugen out of its sheath, blocking as many hits as he could, missing only one every ten thanks to the rank up and the level boost from Haruhime. It really would be a disaster if the renart's magic got into the wrong hands.

Ais believed that he would not attack her and instead only used Ariel offensively - on the tip of her sword, sometimes on herself to help her strike faster, but Bell wasn't daunted whatsoever. He kept up his defence, occasionally knocking Desperate out of the way with Hakugen. If it weren't for the morals regarding the use of the level boost lurking in the back of his mind, he would've thought that he had really caught up with the person he admired most.

The halfway mark for his charge passed, and Ais had become more and more annoyed with every second it took. It wasn't right for Bell to be so strong so suddenly. It couldn't be! He had to be using some trick to be keeping up with her.

"How… how is this possible? You could barely match me at all a few weeks ago… what changed now?"

Bell didn't answer. He couldn't. He had to focus on his goal here and that was to defeat the girl that he had chased after for so many months. The one he was fighting for possibly the last time before she refused to have anything to do with him in the future.

Three minutes. The time was coming. Bell just had to hold up for just two more minutes, but the strain of fighting and charging Argonaut was beginning to show. He sweated profusely, every little thought concentrated on the battle he was fighting.

And then it happened. Ais managed to land a solid hit, sending Bell flying. He fell onto the ground, skidding into a stop as he hit the wall of the courtyard. Fortunately, he had kept the Hestia Knife from hitting any objects and wasting the charge, his one and only trump card. He deflected a thrust from Ais who had charged after him, her blade aimed at his heart. It wouldn't kill him if it hit, but it made it obvious to him that Ais was no longer giving him chances. His recent actions clashed with her sense of morality too much for her to forgive. Sure, the vouivre had shown that it meant no harm, but the elf had not. There would be no more mercy from the Sword Princess. There would be no salvation for them now if he lost.

One intended skewer after the other cracked the wall of the courtyard, Bell barely moving his body out of the way to evade each one. He had finally made it to his feet and thus gave himself more room to move, not that he could get away from the trap Ais had him in. He would have to roll to get out of the endless stabs around him, but a roll would surely force his knife to hit something.

Four minutes. Just one more minute to go. He couldn't lose the charge now, otherwise he would surely lose. He had sworn to himself since his battle against Asterius that the black rhinoceros was the only adversary he would lose to and he wasn't about to let the Ais get the better of him. No, he certainly couldn't be defeated by someone who had lost to Asterius.

He threw the knife up in the air and rolled out of the deadlock that Ais had him in. He caught his knife before the tip hit the ground and ran to gain as much distance as he could before the Sword Princess realised he was safe from her attacks. It didn't take long and Ais wasn't happy when she saw him several paces away from her.

This is was the boy she had personally trained - not that she had done a particularly good job at it - but she had seen to his practice herself. She had taught him techniques he would not have known otherwise. It would be shameful for her, the renowned Sword Princess, to drag out a battle against someone as such for much longer. It was time to see if he could still remember the trick she had taught him. She ran towards him and abruptly tripped on seemingly nothing.

Any other person would've seen nothing more than a window to attack her, but Bell knew better. When he dedicated his heart to something, he would not forget. He leapt back, making sure than Ais wouldn't be able to reach him once she recovered from her 'mishap'.

By the time she had, it was time. The bell of Argonaut rang louder than any in all of Orario. Ais came at him for the last time, encased in Ariel. Bell raised his knife, waiting for the perfect time.

Her sword flashed towards him in a forehand slice at his chestpiece that was to have sent him all the way back to Babel, but it was still too slow despite being the fastest blow the Sword Princess had ever tried to deliver.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ais, I really am. I don't want to antagonise you, so please forgive me. It's just that… a dear friend's life may well depend on this."

He gave her a few words of comfort and a bit of a plea before he slammed the Hestia Knife into her breastplate. Ariel could do little to stop the impact of the mighty knife from hitting its caster. Her breastplate shattered, yet the Hestia Knife was still not done. The breastplate had done its main job of protecting Ais, but it certainly didn't stop the flames from spreading and burning through the rest of her armour, nor the inertia from the impact.

Ais practically broke down the already damaged wall, only stopping when she hit another building nearby.

"Return my friends now, please," Bell panted, turning to look at Loki Familia.

"I admire you, Bell Cranel. You're exceptional, to be able to fight so fiercely for your friend. Your companions will be brought over before evening. Until we meet again."

It was a simple message from the Braver himself. Bell nodded to him, happy that the pallum knew how he felt. It would seem that he was the only member of Loki Familia able to speak after watching Ais' defeat.

After they had left, Haruhime cautiously tapped Hestia's shoulder.

"Don't you dare ask me about the ethics of using Uchide no Kozuchi," she snapped, predicting what the renard would say to her.

"But you know, Lady Hestia-" Lilly began, before she was cut off.

"If the leaders of the familia are okay with it, you should just go along with them," Hestia reasoned, and that was that. Haruhime and Lilly had both been silenced.

Finn made good on his promise, dropping off Welf and Mikoto outside the gate in the early afternoon. Both reported that the others who had been on their expedition had also been returned to their respective familia homes, albeit with a warning to not challenge Loki Familia again.

"Bell Cranel… no, Hestia Familia. I have no words to express my gratitude. You have all done so much that I simply cannot return the favour or find a way to thank you."

"Think nothing of it. If Bell is willing to fight tooth and nail for you, I have no objections to any other action we have taken," Hestia reassured her, but somewhat ruined it after by adding, "just don't get too close to my Bell, if you understand my meaning."

"So? What will you do from here?" Bell asked, hoping that she had really taken his offer into consideration. "The Guild has alleviated all punishments against us and cleared all of your charges."

"I… I will leave Orario regardless."

"You have friends here, and yet you still wish to leave?" came a voice unfamiliar to everyone but Ryuu and Hestia. The owner of the voice, with long brown hair and twinkling purple eyes stepped out into the room.

"G-Goddess Astraea?"

"She came here after she heard about you going into the Dungeon to hunt down the remainder of Evilus," Hestia explained, as if it told everyone why Ryuu's former goddess was in their home.

"Ryuu… how many years has it been since I have left? I'm so happy for you, that you have found someone outside of our familia worthy of your trust. Don't leave them. Don't be alone anymore."

"What are you saying, Goddess?"

"Let them be your new family."

"I had intended to leave Orario to find you again."

"In that case, I will return to Orario so that you will not leave behind these people who are so willing to care about you."

Ryuu was finally satisfied. This was an outcome she could be happy with - being able to stay in a city that she honestly loved, to reunite with her Goddess who still cared about her like her own daughter to this day and to spend her life with friends she would never forget, even in death.

"Please accept me as a friend and ally from today onwards. I will do my best to help you in any situation. I owe you all more than you can imagine, so do not be afraid to call upon me in your times of need."

"Forget the formalities, Ryuu. We all know each other here. Now, how about we start finding you some familia members? I can both tell you that being alone in a familia is the absolute worst, even if you do have your deity and friends outside of your familia. You can visit Blue Pharmacy and ask Naaza, I'm sure she'll tell you the same."

Ryuu had no objections. This was what she had always wanted. People who accepted her, people who would never leave her side. She smiled genuinely in what she felt like was years and gave him a reply.

"I'd be more than happy to."

A/N - Well, that's it. The end that I've honestly really enjoyed writing and a the end that you've all been waiting for. For probably NOT the last time (you never know when I might decide to write another DanMachi fan fiction), I am not Fujino Omori and thus do not own Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka? or any of its characters. With that, I hope you've enjoyed reading this fan fiction. Feel free to criticise anything that you didn't like unless it relates to Bell x Ais. Please. I don't want to deal with that anymore. Syr is best girl for Bell.