Danmachi: The Heroes Tournament

Chapter 24 Little Rookie Challenge

the day's that followed were tough on Satoshi and as the challenges went on and the tournament progresses to its end, a day off of the tournament in the Hostess of Fertility, the Hestia familia talked about if Satoshi could continue with her current state after her father died. when she was in the archery event, she won, but was sad and distracted most of the time and nearly got last if she didn't pull off a miracle shot to hit the blueberry's on the targets near the edge of the targets.
Wiene:"hey guy's, is it just me, or does the food here tastes way better than before"
Ais:"(chewing)...Wiene's right, this is heavenly and way more flavorful without being too rich or drowned in spice's"
Finn:"I wonder how Mia and her maid's got the food to taste this good, did she hold out on us till now, or did we never notice it before"
Jet:"I wonder...did Mia get a new chef to cook the food around here... and if so, who are they and where did they learn to cook like this"
Hermes:"well I would like to meet this person and see if I could let them in my familia to taste this food every day...especially if they're a pretty lady"
Everyone at the table's around:" Capaneus and Asfi won't let you"
Tiona:"all I know is I'll eat all this even if I die trying to eat it all"
the Hestia familia still saw Satoshi upset about her father and tried to help her by talking to her and comforting her best they could.
Lily:"look, we don't want you to be to down, we're your friend's after all... if there's something wrong, tell us what it is and we'll try to help you out"
Satoshi:"sorry everyone...I'm just... upset that's all, I still can't get over it"
then a load of food came and the lady who brought it hugged Satoshi as she looked and saw her mom hugging her to make her feel better.
Lisa:"don't look glume honey, I'm just as upset as you, but I learned to "move forward" as they say, and live my life...it's what Gail wanted after all"
Satoshi:"MOM, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM...and why are you wearing a maid outfit just like the maid's here..."
Lisa:"didn't Bell or Capaneus tell you, they convinced Mama Mia to let me be a co-owner and chef at this place, all they had to do was give her some of my cooking and she instantly agreed to let me cook"
Lily:"Aww, so what your saying is that your cooking was that good, and tasting it first hand like this, I'm not surprised one bit she hired you with just that"
Wiene:" the food is sooo goood, it make's my mouth drool just thinking about it"
Lisa:"and I still was able to make some of them stay healthy so it's not too fattening"
Satoshi took a bit out of the food everyone had and realized her mother's cooking the instant she took a bite and realized she was doing all the cooking.
Satoshi:"yeah, this is your food alright mom, no wonder the food was massively improved...and more expensive"
Mia's thought's:"I know I'm severely outclassed in cooking with the taste of her food still making my mouth drool...but do people have to rub it in like this...well I guess if there spending more money for it, it's worth it, especially since I rose the price of the food between 200 and 500 valis"
Gareth:"you mean you got food this good your entire childhood...i'm jealous now, you're so lucky, when I was a child, I would only get food that was garbage compared to this"
Tiona:"so if I was your daughter I could eat food like this every day...please be my mom, please"
Lisa:"sorry, I already have a daughter and wouldn't trade her for anything, no matter what you offer or give"
Finn:"and aren't you a little too old to be-"
Tiona:"hey a person can dream can't they"
Capaneus:"someone outside gave me this loaf of bread thinking I was pissed when I'm actually tired from working and I instantly realized Lisa's cooking, is she here"
Lisa:"right over here, thank's for finding a cheap inn for me to stay in by the way, and for teaching me important thing's like being etiquette and proper wording when I have free time"
Capaneus's thought's:"she is actually learning faster... I guess she is taking her late husband's last request for her more seriously then I thought...at this rate, it wouldn't be painful to take care of her from now on"
Lisa:"and as thank's, here's some of your favorite food made from me...on the house"
Capaneus:"wow, thank you so much, I'll sit down now"
Mia:"HEY LISA, remember no special treatment, even to friends"
Lisa:"please Mia, I'm giving my thank's for them helping me so much, and I guess all the time they knew me and helped me even when I made Capaneus smash his head on a mountain till he passed out from blood loss, or-"
Capaneus then shut her up and shacked with this to say about it on a past memory.
Capaneus:"...It took me about 2 week's to get those splinter's our from my mouth and butt"
Tione:"ouch, how did you sleep in a state like that"
Bell:"that's an easy awnser...he didn't"
Finn:"Oh, well that's sorry to hear"
Capaneus:"also did you see the scoreboard, we passed the Athena and Demeter familia's, were on our way to first place"
Lefiya:"it's not over yet though, you still would need about 200 point's to get past us"
Capaneus:"exactly, so we will have to up the amount of power we're giving of then won't we"
Rivaria:"Leviya...it would have been wise to keep our mouth's shut"
then after they left the Hostess of Fertility, they saw a few images on the street and then left to home. the next day the event was different and it was called.
Enia:"...the little rookie challenge"
the teams were taking this new's differently, but mainly to Bell having a clear advantage.
Welf:"and now we're at a severe disadvantage, this event has Bell written all over it, literally"
many were thinking, but they thought it would have been a Minotaur battle at level 1 like Bell did on the 10th floor to level up to level 2.
Ais:"I think I know what it is"
Rivaria:"if Bell Participant's it's likely he'll win easily since he had experience with it before"
and for this event, there was a twist that nobody says coming.
Enia:"and dew to clear advantages in this event... this event has a placed ban on it, in this event, Bell Cranel is banned from competing as it would be unfair to other competitors"
Asfi:"right...like that would make the challenge any easier"
Luluna:"if anything, it just mean's that Bell won't fight, and I feel sorry for the sucker who has to go in this event"
then as the members were picked they were given the rules, and Luluna was picked to be in the event and she was scared to the point of nearly peeing herself in front of everyone.
Luluna's thought's:"me and my big mouth"
Enia:"so as you all guess this is a challenge where you're all at level 1, and face a Minotaur with a large sword"
Everyone's thought's:" I knew it"
Ais's thought's:"what other challenge can they give us that we have a chance at...now that I think about it, Bell's accomplishment's keep getting more and more difficult...he may be surpassing me very soon, probably the moment he reaches level 6, he will far surpass anything I can do, even without his black flame's, he will far surpass anything I'll ever do"
Ais was so focused on this thought, she almost didn't hear the rule's that were going to be given.
Enia:"and since the Freya familia's Ottar had a specially trained one to fight Bell, we had Ottar train these like he did the other one but less intense, so it will be like the minotaur Bell faced but it will be easier than what he faced, but still challenging nun the less"
Ais:"a dull down from Bell, are we that needing of a handicap"
Finn:"a handicap may be the thing that saves our live's"
they unleashed the Minotaur's and had them in cages to control them, and they looked mad.
Nevroc:"and we have to fight that, can I quit while I'm still ahead...and still alive"
Enia:"yeah, but your team won't get any point's, but I personally recommend dropping out, you see... the barrier keeping your weapon's from killing is lifted, so if you're given a fatal blow, you can die"
this made the rest scared and shiver, then Gaianda stood up and said.
Gaianda:"if my brother can do it, so can I, I'm not backing down"
Enia:"you understand that you can die from this"
Gaianda:"I know, but I'm an adventurer, and a ninja from the House of Steel, I have skill and technique on my side, bring it on"
Enia:"and since you all are given these condition's, you can choose the 2 knife's you will use, and you will be watched and given support by the very person where this challenge was made from, Bell Cranel"
Bete:"what's he doing here"
Enia:"if he see's your in trouble, he'll save you"
Bete:"...how do we know he won't let us die, or stop the match early"
Enia:"he is too kind to let someone die, besides, if he did do that, his team would lose point's so he won't move until he see's it necessary"
Bell:"don't worry, I will help if you need me"
Luluna:"just, let me have a chance to fight"
Gaianda then pulled Bell to her and whispered in his ear.
Gaianda:"Bell, remember what we talked about"
Bell:"I still don't like it"
Enia:"if it's concerning we must know, you 2 are on the same team, so plotting something will-"
Gaianda:"it's personal, and doesn't involve anyone else"
Enia:"well I'll watch, so let the challenge begin, so these are the Minotaur's you will fight, and also a special event for the end of this event"
Jet was first and he had butterfly's in his stomach.
Jet:"Bell, you got my back right"
Bell:"of course, I'm not leveled down, so I should be fast, and if all else fail's, Bahamut"
Jet:"he's not taking any chance's, good, now I can calmly- wow, oh who am I kidding, I can't last much longer than 2 minuet's against that thing"
as he fought, the Minotaur was about to attack when Bell used his black flame's to stop the attack and kill the Minotaur. as the event rained on it was Luluna's turn and she was so worried she pucked her lunch up.
Luluna's thought's:"that could have come in handy to blind that monster, oh well"
Asfi:"she's so nervous, she's losing her lunch"
Rivaria:"so let's review, the matches are timed, so it's not who can defeat the Minotaur the fastest, but who could last the longest without help, with that said, if you defeat a Minotaur, you get 30 point's, so if Bete could pull it off, we could get more point's"
Finn:"but their's Ottar, Gaianda, and Luluna to worry about as well"
Luluna lasted the new longest for slashing it's left eye out and staying in that blind spot. Ottar tried to outmuscle it, but found that his level strength was nowhere near enough to help him, and when it was Bete's turn.
Bete's thought's:"if some piece of trash could take this thing down, I sure as hell can"
Bete went for a straight charge and he was about to get cut in half, Bell had his black flame's block the attack that would have ended him and killed the Minotaur, the Loki familia lasted 2 seconds that fight, and he was scolded for his agent's and cockiness.
Rivaria:"WHAT REASON DID YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING AS RISKY, STUPID AND MORONIC AS THAT"
Bete:"if that piece of trash could pull it off, I thought I could do the same a million time's better"
Finn:"really, you almost got chopped in half for a stupid reason like that"
Rivaria:"you have no idea how lucky you are Bell saved you"
Gareth:"you should say your thank's to him"
Bete:"why do i-"
Finn:"if you don't, you won't be on the team anymore, we will take no excuses"
then Gaianda came up and Bell was worried.
Bell:"Enia...am I obligated to help when I think they need it"
Enia:"well, it's a matter of preference, why"
Gaianda made Bell promise no matter how bad the fight got, he wouldn't interfere, making everyone question why Bell wouldn't move in the match. it was hectic at first and the Minotaur got a few hits in, but after about 24 minutes, she charged with the knife she had being thrown at the knife already lodged in its eye and she kneed it through to hit the inside of its skull, killing it and winning the match.
Bell:"YES, Gaianda you did it"
Gaianda:"yeah...i did"
Bell had to help Gaianda walk back but they got the 30 point's and passed the Herme's and Soma familia to 6th place and now they had the Apollo, Ganesha, Hephaestus, Loki and Freya left to get past, but it wasn't over yet, now it's Bell's turn.