Reverse Hero

Goodbye

(Ais POV)

I was still going through all of the evidence handed to me for Bell's interactions. He mostly kept it to a minimum when meeting people, but there weren't any standouts where it screamed he had to be here. 

I breathed a sigh, as I looked out the window.

'Was this my fault?'

I was slow. People say I'm the fastest adventurer in Orario, but in truth, I'm the slowest. I couldn't save Finn. I couldn't find Bete. And, even when I had Bell right in front of me, even though he told me he was going to continue his horrible deeds, I let him go and only now went after him afterward.

I cursed myself internally. Why did I not try to apprehend him then and there? 

People often spoke of love a lot around me, but I wonder...Was that what kept me from arresting him? I think it was, but I've never had this emotion before, I didn't know what to do.

As I continued to think my thoughts as I gazed out the window, I noticed a blur that hadn't moved in a while. When I adjusted my eyes and saw who it was, Hermes was talking outside of his base with a merchant.

'...Hermes?'

He was on the list of people to investigate, but we had no evidence that he was keeping Bell. In fact, we had no proof he was even hiding with someone. We were just going off of any leads we could find. Yet, something was screaming suspiciously.

I continued to watch him, and for the briefest of moments, his eyes looked directly at mine. A normal person would have missed it, but I could see it.

'...'

My eyes widened as my suspicions became even more clear.

"Assistant, gather everyone in the reception room."

I didn't know their name, but there was a boy a little older than me working as my assistant. He quickly nodded and proceeded to gather people as I got out of my chair and went to go down there myself.

.

.

.

When everyone was gathered, I spoke. Taking an odd stance of leadership that I never did before. Perhaps it was because I felt like it was my responsibility for letting this happen, but I would take the burden for this whole incident.

All the sadness, rage, and anger, of it would be placed on my shoulders.

"We will first storm Hermes HQ, that will be our first place of searching!"

"I-Is it alright to just barge in?" Asked one of the familia members.

"Yes, you have my word."

"RAHH!" 

Everyone then let out a battle cry, to take down the madman that had destroyed years of history and had caused two of their leaders to go missing or lose themselves.

(Bell POV)

"Hoho! So you fought the juggernaut, did you?"

"Did Hermes tell you about it?"

"Of course. He fills me in on everything."

Right now, Me, Zeus, and Asfi were all in a meeting room. Playing a game of waiting. 

"Other than that, you probably know the rest. So why don't you tell me about yourself a little? Why did you fake your death?"

"..." His eyes then looked down and had a sudden look of sadness to them "I did die...I died with the rest of my familia when I found out all of them died. From there, I decided to take whatever measures possible to kill the dragon. Even if it meant creating a monster who would destroy all of Orario to do it."

"...Then, can you tell me who my parents are?"

He smiled and looked back up at me "Still worried about that? You asked that every day."

"Naturally."

"Your mother died of illness, she entrusted you to me and died soon after you were born. She doesn't really look like you though, she had snow-white hair. Your father, he was a member of my familia, a supporter. Me and him had a lot of fun together, but he died in the battle. Despite normally being the first to flee, he refused to leave anyone behind for this battle. He was where you got all your looks from, from your hair to your eyes."

"I see..." 

Hearing this, it gave me all the more reason to pursue the dragon. However...even I knew how messed up I was for doing my method. Doing it like this, where everyone would be forced to depend on Ais, would burden her to a nearly unbearable amount. However, if anyone could do it, I was sure it was her.

"Do you wanna play one last game of chess?" He asked as Asfi then took out a board with pieces.

I let out a slight smile, "Sure."

.

.

.

"Haha! To think you would actually beat me for the first time! Took you long enough, that's 1 win against 5,844 losses!"

"..."

I kept silent as I stared at the board. It gave me a feeling of loss, something I couldn't quite explain.

Was finally getting my first win like losing part of who I was as a kid? 

"You know what's going to happen," I said I stared at the board "Why do you plan on getting sent back to heaven?"

His eyes widened, but the same sad look from earlier overcame him again "...Why would I want you back to the countryside when you've already set out for what I've wanted. I guess I just did this because...I wanted one last chance to talk with you one on one, Bell.

Just then I heard the door in the other room get broken down, I kept staring forward.

"Your mom and dad are gonna yell at me when I get up to heaven and your aunt...She may really kill me."

"? My aunt?"

The footsteps got closer

"She's 5 times worse than Hestia," he laughed

The door was broken down, and I activated my skill and stood completely still.

"Z-ZUES?!" 

The guards were all in shock, and they couldn't see me directly across from them. Zeus put his hands into the air when a girl with golden hair walked in.

She was staring right at me.

"So you're not afraid anymore?" I asked as I stood up, making the other guards see me.

Asfi turned invisible the moment she heard the door get broken down, so she was already gone.

"Bell Cranell..." She readied her sword right at me "I will kill you."

(Hermes POV)

I was enjoying the rain right outside my base when Asfi appeared right next to me.

"Why are you out in the rain?"

"Because...I'm gonna be lonely for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"...Don't worry about it." I then turned my eyes to Asfi, "Hestia familia is all away for right now. For the first time, Bell is truly alone. No allies, and only enemies."

"...Is he not the lonely one then?"

"Maybe he is, but my loneliness comes from the loss of one good friend, one that I've known for years and years. After all, I don't plan on going back to heaven until the end of this world."

I then turned back to the sky, my whole outfit soaking wet.

'...'