Danmachi Familia from Hell

Prologue

And so the golden-haired knight in shining armor, along with his black as night steed, made the last gallop of his life.
They died, but not for nothing. The one-eyed giant also fell. Army of monsters without the leadership of Uadeus and Balor was crushed to dust by the surviving heroes. An Amazon sinful in both beauty and strength. A werewolf crushing enemies with the ferocity of a beast. A dwarf with an old man appearance but full of youthful vigor. A trio of knights approaching the end of their lives, who despite their different origins always fought as one man, and their young adept, who ran as fast as the best horses. A young queen with a great fondness for cats. A man who controlled flames from a country far beyond the horizon, and many, many other brave people.

- They... did it? - asked himself Ouranos, one of the oldest gods in heaven.

- They truly did! - another of the deities shouted in confirmation.

- I can't believe it! - one goddess marveled.

- I told you, but you didn't want to listen to me - laughed another of the divine beings.

Gods, seated in their universe, watched with bated breath the spectacle taking place in the Lower World. They lived eternally and had already seen everything. That's what it seemed to them until the "Hole" was created in the world dependent on their will. In the very heart of the continent earth collapsed and creatures that no one had ever dreamed of in their worst nightmares emerged to the surface. Goblins, orcs, minotaurs, harpies, trolls, ghosts, griffins, dragons, all creatures that only a madman could imagine appeared in that realm out of nowhere. Fields and forests burned, kingdoms fell, mountains collapsed, races from pallums through humans to elves died out at an alarming rate. Lower World was supposed to become Hell, and its former inhabitants were about to be replaced by these disgusting creatures. Many people wrongly expected this.
A certain priest prayed to the gods for a miracle, for salvation, for help. Most of them remained deaf to the pleas of their follower. Suddenly Prometheus decided to do something for which he would have to live forever in hiding from other gods because of Zeus'. He stole the sacred Primordial Flame and gave it to the priest. Man gained power that those to whom he so diligently paid homage would not be ashamed of.
Thus Epimetheus was born, and the Age of Heroes began.
Great hero burned millions of monsters to ashes, tore entire countries from the hands of demons and brought hope. Unfortunately, he was unable to defeat Behemoth, Leviathan, Black Dragon or even Antares. His armies were annihilated and covered with infamy, and he himself had to live listening to being called a weakling, a talentless and Fool.
Two thousand earthly years after Prometheus escape from Heaven, a hero named Argonaut was born. His destiny was to rouse all nations to fight and unite the greatest warriors from all over the world, in order to once and for all end the reign of terror of the monsters.
Dwarves drove the monsters out of their mountains. Beastmens pushed them back from the far north to the southern waters. Elves cleared their forests and wilderness of unwanted guests. Humans built strongholds and armed castles where their brave defenders could rest and the common folk could live their daily, unhurried lives.
Argonaut fulfilled his destiny, but he did not live long enough to see the fruits of his labor. Weakened and blinded in a fight against minotaur controlled by a mad king, tired from traveling all over the world in search of the most noble heroes and heroines, he died in a clash with a lion ten years before the most important battle in the history of all the intelligent races.
Pallum with scarlet eyes, riding a black stallion of heavenly origin, led an army of tens of thousands of warriors from all nations against a hundred thousand monsters. The goal of the expedition was to reach the "Hole" that gave birth to creatures and prevent further waves from pouring to the surface for all time. They could say with certainty: "We have won!" After all, the gods themselves were witnesses to their achievement. Even when they pass away, even when stories about them cease to be told, even if by some miracle all the chronicles from those years were burned, they will never forget. Gods will remember to the end of time and one day longer. Some of these beings originated from chaos, others - the younger ones were the result of primal physical pleasures, and sometimes the unearthly biology and power of the older ones. Whether they emerged from someone's head like Athena or were molded from clay like Ganesha, they had insight into the Lower World and infinite resources to store memories in their minds.

- I won the bet! That means you have to turn into a donkey for a year.

- Damn you!

- What the fuck?! When mortals learned these tricks?

- Which one did you like best?

- It's simple, red-eyed pallum with a spear in his hand. Thanks to him they won.

- What nonsense are you talking? That beautiful amazon was like a flower in this barren desert - one of the gods, known for his love of lust, butted in.

- Think with your mind, not your dick! - the patron of war scolded him. - Have you not seen the ferocity and strength of this werewolf?

- And you don't think with your muscles, but with your brain - another goddess disagreed. - If it weren't for...

Gods' conversations continued for many hours. Fans of alcohol such as Soma and Dionysus opened barrels of the best wine and drank to the victors' health. Goddess of crops Demeter decided to bless the earth so that the battlefield in the future, instead of being filled to the brim with the dead, would shine with the golden colors of wheat and a multi-colored palette of vegetables and fruits. Zephyr and Strzybog blew the winds only at the heroes' backs. Poseidon and Njord decided to direct the tides of local rivers so that all the fish swam close to the shore and fishing nets. Aphrodite, Hathor, Ishtar and Freya sent love so that women and men would give rise to long lines of families with a wonderful history. Zeus himself decided to give up throwing his famous thunderbolts for a long time, giving respite from the storms to the tired warriors.
Everyone wanted to use their powers to make mortal life more pleasant. Each of the heavenly beings had something to do. Everyone, including the death deities.
They were definitely not the souls of the party, but they were held in high regard due to the burden of their work. For others, the battle in the Lower World meant entertainment. For them, they were souls awaiting judgment. Those who lived with love for their fellow man in their hearts could count on hundreds or thousands of years of paradise before reincarnation. Those with a list of sins longer than Odin's beard would face a well-deserved punishment before they could gain a chance at a new life. Regardless of the transgressions, each soul had to be cleansed before the judgment was carried out. Eminences with other attributes did not envy this task. Pain, fear, hatred, anger, trauma, resentment. These impurities were removed from all souls, but it didn't happen with the snap of a finger. Gods had to review the entire life of a mortal, experience their torment, feel their suffering, before they could finally praise or punish them.

- Is it you again, my beauty? - The god whispered tenderly.

Soul didn't define a person's future life. A fool could become a sage after reincarnation, a brave man a coward, a murderer save other lifes. However, this one was exceptional. For millennia, she had landed in his hands many times. Each time she was just as wonderful. This woman was smiling, helpful and warm in every life. For a god living since the dawn of time, this lady was a consolation in the wheel of being a witness to the sins of mortals. Regardless of the suffering she came through, she never broke. She shed tears only to laugh again soon. God of death, analyzing her life, felt warmth in his heart. His secret dream was to remain by the side of this mortal. He wished to intertwine his hands with her delicate hands. Listen to her wonderful voice. Watch her smile from a front row seat. Even an eternal being who inspired fear among his brethren could not forever resist the power of love.
Unfortunately, this was just a fool's dream. After all, gods and mortals did not live in the same universe, right?

Author's Note: Those waiting for the continuation of my other stories will write them soon. I have no intention of closing any of the works I've created. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for updates.