The author could always retcon the movie into being canon, but by that same metric considering how mobile games have plotlines that complicate things you get questions about why wasn't in the main series earlier. I personally treat it as an AU with the current anniversary event also involved.
I don't remember the movie very well, but I remember noticing lots of things in the story that didn't make any sense , as in they were incompatible with the main timeline, or contradicting lore/worldbuilding info from the main story.
So no, I don't think the author can suddenly make it canon. He built t from the start with the idea that it isn't, so it's full of conflict with the main series, that wouldn't go away magically if the author decided to make the movie canon.
I don't remember the movie very well, but I remember noticing lots of things in the story that didn't make any sense , as in they were incompatible with the main timeline, or contradicting lore/worldbuilding info from the main story.
So no, I don't think the author can suddenly make it canon. He built t from the start with the idea that it isn't, so it's full of conflict with the main series, that wouldn't go away magically if the author decided to make the movie canon.
Just going by timeline, the movie made no sense, because there's no time it could have happened.
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Illusion, illusion, this is illusion. It cannot harm me.
Yeah, he really goes into obsession mode when it comes to Bell becoming hero. But, I kinda wonder why it is Bell's connection to Zeus? I know Zeus has one of the strongest familia at its peak but why the connection to Zeus made Bell the largest prize to Hermes??
It's not. If Bell didn't show such promise and potential, then he wouldn't be interesting at all.
regarding the time line, it is possible to squeeze it in there especially for the anime and side story.
before the start of S2 of the main story line and before v6 of SO
i think I remembered it was mentioned in the movie that the loki familia was supposed to go to the port but all familia were forbidden to leave Orario during the event of the movie
the novel format for v6 of danmachi on the other hand might need a little bit of stretching to squeeze in the event as the time period between the post Goliath fight to v6 is 3days.
If the author change the time a bit (maybe extending the time between a few events, it could fit in properly. The short timeline between events in Danmachi makes any other events hard/ near impossible to fit in.
Some update in the game
looks like Apro wants to make 'Orion' pay for whatt it did to Artemis.
Too bad she doesn't seem to recognize it was Bell in part 1
There was a special thing where she asked Hermes if he killed Artemis though. Granted, the timing is wonky. And I think they are redoing the Arrow of Orion event and adapting the short story included for Japanese viewers when they went to see the movie.
Edit: Here it is and she does know Artemis fell in love with someone who killed her, referring to him as a sinner at the end.
* Picking up where we left off after Mama Hestia decided to become a Firekeeper and sacrifice her life to send the first flame back to Heaven before the age of fire could spread. Vesta thinks on if what Artemis did was right while Bell thinks about how he could have fallen in love with her. So as he wakes up and finds her in front of him, he's struggling to rationalize why she's there because he failed to protect her. And we're talking some heavy guilt here.
* But before he can suffer, Flammegon's appear and Bell gets reminded he's basically so weak he can't even defend himself. However, he remembers his promise to protect her and gets stomped into the dirt because without his Falna he's nothing. So he's screwed until he tricks them into hurting each other once they tried a pincer technique, giving him enough time to run with Artemis.
* Bell notes that Artemis had a way of messing with his heart and questions why she had to appear now of all times
* Back with the others, Apollo is basically having a field day at being the hero for once and to save Bell, because he is apparently in love with him. I feel bad for Hyakinthos. If there was ever an unrequited love story it'd be him. However, Apollo then gets serious and points out that he's there because he's also a god of flames and only a few can control the Primordial Flame. He actually feels upset that Hestia, who he once loved, has basically turned herself into firewood, but immediately reverts to trying to get Bell since he's available.
* Hyakinthos and Lissos (who apparently followed him too) are then commanded to protect him and he's so confident in their ability about it, which the others point out is because Hyakinthos apparently hit Level 4. However, they have to babysit Welf and Lili and Haruhime since the only one of them who knows how to fight is Mikoto, who was trained to fight under Takemikazuchi as a warrior. She still gets curbstomped, but credit where its due she at least puts up a fight until Hyakinthos pops in and reminds her at this point she's not an Adventurer. Then Ryuu pops up with the other Veteran Adventurers who do have their Falna in place.
* Apollo then reveals they've been there long enough to find a village and takes them there before night falls. However, without the Falna the others can't really travel for long showing they are really weak without it. They arrive and find that Apollo has basically guarded a village of native Olympians who were outside of the city, making it a refugee camp of the decendants of those who fled when the flames went out of control the first time 300 years ago rather than stay and fight. Apollo basically states he's a decent God when it doesn't involve love, which matches the Light Novels as they state he goes out of control when his passion runs wild. Still a pervert though.
* Then we get exposition that the Onsen event where he tries to once more take Bell's chastity was canon, but Hyakinthos suggested he travel the world to get over Bell. So he did and heard about Olympia, traveling by land rather than sea, and finding the village. He had his remaining children save whoever he could, but a lot of them still died, and Aphrodite helped him sneak into the barrier using a secret pathway she discovered by charming one of the Olympian agents that were sent out to gather information on the world outside of Olympia (which is why they knew about Bell).
* Once the others tell them about Hestia's situation, Hyakinthos calls them a bunch of idiots who not only failed but got sent away. But Apollo defends them because he would have done the same if it were him who were burning away (why do I feel this is foreshadowing). They do get pissed that Hermes knew this would happen to Hestia, so Welf jacks him up only to be stopped by his former Goddess since they are all tired and worn out.
* Back with Bell, Artemis notes that Bell was born a quick runner since he could outpace them even though he lacks a falna. He then begs her not to call him Orion because that name reminds him of his failure. He can't even call her Artemis, so she tells him to pick a name for her. He chooses "Elpis", which means Hope in Olympian. Then she basically coaxes him into saying her new name over and over like a girl in love, which Bell doesn't know how to handle.
* Bell rationalizes his decision by stating that her personality wasn't exactly as he remembered, even though they shared the same appearance. She would never joke around or laugh like the current iteration does, He thinks it was like they met after 10,000 years only to realize they weren't in love after all. To which all I can say is "ouch", even my black heart felt that. This right here is prime suffering.
* But Elpis states she knows he doesn't want to be around her, but still wants to protect her, and she has always loved that about him. Then they camp out for the night in the forest, once they find a cave. Bell managed to find time to collect fruit as they were running for their lives along with some water from the river, so they won't starve. But then Elpis basically reveals she knows him better than his Goddess and Lili because she has always been around him, with only his Grandfather knowing more. That basically hints to Bell something is off since he never told Artemis that.
* Bell tries to get answers but she is cryptic and states he needs to find the answer himself. However, he still acts like a gentleman and states if she wants something comfortable to sleep on he'll get some leaves for her, but she states she'll be fine anywhere as long as she's next to him. Then Bell has a dream about Hestia, where she tells him that he can't stop her and to let her go through with this. He should just go back to Orario since there are no need for heroes here.
* Then he gets woken up by Elpis giving him a lap pillow, since she always wanted to do that. She then mentions she enjoyed watching him sleep and considers it happiness. I'm sure Freya is already planning to put a hit out on her. Honestly, at this rate he's going to have half the Gods and Goddesses going to war over him.
Part 2 of 4 (2-6 to 2-11)
Spoiler:
* Back with Hermes, Asfi reveals she can't even get close to the barrier without getting turned to cinders. Hestia's children are basically struggling with the fact that they are useless and confirm they were looking at Hell in regards to the city, while the others acknowledge that Vesta is doing a decent enough job. She's currently trying to take control of the flame, but once her altar is complete she's gone. She's turned herself into the hope inside of Pandora's box, meaning she knew she was coming there to die.
* All the Gods knew in Orario knew that if Hestia died the world would be saved, so they didn't stop her. However, Hermes states they need "Elpis" as it is another hope they can rely on other than Hestia. The moment that he states that, we cut back to Elpis who notes a change in the altar. Bell then sees the Flammanoids for the first time, being unaware of what they are since he was away from the city when the reveal happened, so he decides to hide for the moment.
* Then we cut to Ilia, who is running for her life because she's all alone but can't die because she hasn't atoned for her sins yet towards Bell. Thankfully, she gets saved by the Aphrodite Familia and offers herself to the Goddess as a charmed slave if she would grant her a boon. Namely, she wishes for her to save her master, Bell. So she's firmly part of the harem now.
* Aethon also got kicked out of the barrier so that he couldn't interfere with her, but he's determined to get back in and get control over her. Rhea then appears, missing his rant, unfortunately, as she reveals everyone but Vesta is outside of the barrier. Aethon being an ABSOLUTE DICK manipulates Rhea into seeking out Hestia's children, believing that they can use them as sacrifices to open a path back to the flame, putting on a sad face and reminding her that he's been protecting everyone longer than anyone else.
* Back with Elpis, Bell is basically babysitting her and she is loving it because its a sign he cares about her. However, she feels that some kind of flame is coming for Bell's pure soul and it turns out to be a goddamn Minotaur made of fire. Bell is basically about to get killed again by it when he recalls that he has gone through too much to repeat the events of Volume 1 and then baits it into charging off the cliff. However, Bell notes it acted just like the minotaur he fought before and Elpis reveals the flames based it off his fears of the past, which was the Minotaur. Bell fears that if that's the case she might also be one of them.
* As for Apollo's village, they're under attack by the flames as well since they are searching for bodies to increase their power and so Lissos and Ryuu are working together to fend them off. They bring up the War Game but shelve it because they have bigger issues. Meanwhile, Aisha confirms Hyakinthos is Level 4 and he mentions training like crazy to wipe away the shame of defeat, which is right around the time the Flammanoid reveals it can transform based off negative emotions by turning into Bell. Hyakinthos immediately attacks it.
* The Gods believe the children with Falna can handle the fighting but are worried about how often they are being attacked. They figure the flame is trying not to die so its gather people, while Mikoto is lamenting her weakness when Chylos (the robed God) pops in to tell her its okay for children to be weak since they aren't almighty. He then states he's basically just going to sit around, being a bystander by choice rather than someone who can't like her. Chylos tells her to search for what she wants to do and that she should fight and struggle for her own place in the world. She questions why he's helping her, but he mentions its because of her hair before brushing the question off and then disappearing. She isn't sure whether to hate him or not because she's pretty sure he's Prometheus but he's also giving her guidance.
* Welf goes to his former Goddess and asks for answers since the others are cagey, but when she gives the same lines about they let it happen he stirs her anger. She wanted to do it instead, but she doesn't have a sancitification skill. She can extinguish the flames if needed, but that would involve wiping out a ton of the lower world, so she's a backup plan if Hestia failed. She has no choice but to let Hestia do it and die.
* Hermes, meanwhile, speaks with Asfi as she explains even the skies are dangerous. She has seen no sign of Bell, Ilia, or any of the others. So he has her take a break and she remembers that she was going to clobber him for what's happening with Hestia, so she gets to beating on him because she remembers this is the second time he let a Goddess die including Artemis. Then she gets serious and begs him to tell her he has a plan so this doesn't end in tragedy and Apollo ruins the goddamn mood. Apollo also refers to him as a homie because the localizers are having a field day.
* Haruhime is at least making herself useful by tending to some of the injured villagers with first aid, rather than wallowing, which Lili points out is a huge change for her. She mentions she's just trying to keep working to distract herself from feeling helpless before bringing up Rhea and her daughter, remembering how she tried to kill them for her children's sake. Lili herself doesn't know whether to hate them or feel bad for them considering how terrible the situation is.
* Back with Bell, he once more dreams about Hestia telling him to give up and uncharacteristically bullying him about not being ready to be a hero. Then he wakes up once more to Elpis giving him a lap pillow because she believes she should compete against Aiz for his heart. Bell can only run and hide as they continue their search, with Elpis trying to cheer him up along the way, but he's starting to get annoyed because her appearance is proof he was weak and he couldn't do anything. Eventually, they make it out to the shoreline and Bell snaps (you can hear the glass break) and shakes her by the collar telling her to not mention the 10,000 Years of Love.
* Elpis is still happy because she's seeing the sides of him he never shows anyone. Bell realizes he's being a dick and then starts crying and asking why she showed up now when he was at his lowest. So she asks him if he wants to run away and Bell admits that he can't when Ilia and Aphrodite show up. Ilia is happy but Aphrodite immediately orders her children to arrest Bell.
Part 3 of 4 (2-12 to 2-17)
Spoiler:
* Aphrodite states she was using Ilia to get to Bell, likening arresting him to keeping him safe but with the power to decide whether or not he lives or dies. Bell doesn't even put up a fight since he's been running from flaming monsters, is hungry and thirsty, and just done before he collapses. She has them take him with her to their island on a ship, whereupon he eats his fill while Ilia pampers him. Even Aphrodite's named henchmen calls their relationship a romcom and she calls them an old married couple.
* But once the joking ends, we get serious with an explanation of the fact that the island they are on is within the barrier. Since Bell wasn't there when the others got a confession from Rhea, she enlightens Bell to the situation in Olympia and explains he got in her way of stopping the Chancellor manipulating the Order. The work journals reveals that the original plan was to capture the agents who travel outside of the barrier for information and then shares that information with the outside countries who have stronger Familia, but apparently she pissed off Hera (so she's still around) so she's decided to take things into her own hands.
* Bell wants her to help him go back to the city, but she reminds him that if Vesta doesn't do this the world will end. The Order needs to be stopped, but Vesta has already outmanuevered them. If they let her finish the job, then its fine, but her children could make her change her mind so locking them up keeps them out of the way. Aphrodite knows that's what Hestia wants to do so she's letting her do it, but Bell isn't having that because he doesn't want her to die. Then she questioned why he doesn't want her to die when he let Artemis die, telling him she felt horrible when that happened.
* Bell breaks. He literally can't even bring himself to resist because he needs to atone for killing a God as Aphrodite then tells her boys to lock him in a room so he can't do anything stupid while he's too weak and powerless. However, he recalls at that moment Elpis is missing and Ilia mentions that she never saw that person with him, so he starts to wonder if he's losing his mind. Ilia then asks how Bell keeps pushing himself when he's injured and covered in blood, terrified that he'd be gone the second she closed her eyes even though she'll always be by his side. He's ruminates that he's not afriad of all the pain he's suffered but hates that he was unable to fight. He couldn't save his Goddess and he made her cry over him. Can someone give this boy a hug?
* Aphordite also blames herself for being no different than Hermes by letting Hestia shoulder the burden. But then Elpis pops up and Aphrodite smells the scent of flames, allowing her to guess that she's a replica of Artemis with the real one's memories. Elpis then states Aphrodite believes that Bell will overcome the challenge and become the hero they need. The two then call each other Tsundere, which they are, before Aphrodite asks if she was able to do anything for the real Artemis. Elpis reveals she did by trying to teach her what real love was and she ends up crying.
* Meanwhile, Ilia promises to make amends for everything she did to a sleeping Bell until Elpis pops up and has a girl-to-girl chat with Ilia. She wants Bell back, but Ilia calls her out on treating him like an object. So she relates him to her "Master" in the same way that Ilia does, which angers Ilia because she thinks Elpis is pushing Bell too hard in expecting too much from him. Elpis agrees that Ilia's doing the right thing in trying to protect him, so she backs off and lets her have him... for now.
* Back with Aethon, he figures out where Hestia's children are from how the Flammanoids are gathering to the south and west. That's where the village and the island are, so he sends the Order to the village while he'll think of what to do with the Island.
* Bell wakes up next afternoon after going a night without dreaming about his Goddess when Aphrodite's men allow them to leave because without a ship they can't leave the island anyway. There's no point in locking them up, so the guys decide to let them tour the island to get to know her better. Turns out she has a ton of people there as they had been evacuating the Olympians they saved, including the members they charmed, much like Apollo did. She's super-demanding but she's a good goddess, and even though they know Bell is in pain from Hestia's sacrifice but this was what she was trying to save.
* Bell is forced to confront his actions in wanting to save Hestia even at the cost of all this but before he has to think on it too long the island comes under attack because Aethon is an ABSOLUTE DICK and sends the Flammanoids to attack the island by walking under water. He literally walked over the sea by creating a bridge of flames and has them continue to attack innocent people to use as fuel before the flame fades. He's like Gywn from Dark Souls, but an even bigger douchebag, and since Bell is helpless he can only take Ilia and run as Aphrodite's children try to fight him off to save the island. He basically nukes the island.
* Meanwhile, Apollo's village see the Flame of Heaven being used on the island after it caused an earthquake and figure out that's where Aphrodite and Bell are. Since they want to help them, Hermes intends to have Asfi transport them there using a Gondola made of straw with her as the balloon along with Apollo and Hyakinthos. Aphrodite's Familia members surivived the blast due to the fact that he doesn't want to kill Bell by accident yet, but when asked why he's doing all of this he states he wants to burn the world to ashes.
* Bell calls him insane, which he is, but Aethon reveals the flame being containminated is proof that the lower world is irredemabe. To him it is a cesspool of filthiness capable of sulling even something from the Heavens. If that's the case, he thinks its better to destroy it all as one who has been fighting to keep humans safe for the last 3,000 years. That's right, to no one's surprise he's the hero who first took up the sacred flame and the one who failed every step of the way, Epimetheus. Rejoice, Bell Cranel, the hero you admired more than your past reincarnation has basically become the thing you hate the most.
* Turns out the Primordial Flame allows humans to live a stupidly long time since Epimetheus has been kicking for three millenia and Rhea and Ilia are all a couple of hundred years old. He's basically sick of being a hero, saving countless lives only for people to mock him over constantly failing as a jester and a clown. Ilia states they didn't treat him like that but worshipped him, but he calls them out on worshipping him without knowing him or his pain, as someone who needed to be saved can't understand the one doing the saving. He's basically what happens when the world needs heroes, but the hero can't save the world. Those who fail are nothing. (And the diary confirms that the Zeus and Hera Familia suffered the same fate when they lost to the Dragon).
* He then beats down on Bell and asks Bell if he still admires him more than Argonaut. Bell states he still wants to be a hero, but Epimetheus tells him that its disgusting and that heroes hate kids like him. Being told this by the one hero he admired the most shatters Bell where even losing his Falna and being separated from his Goddess didn't. So Bell has basically been broken and Epimetheus intends to cut his limbs off to force Vesta out when Aphrodite attempts to Charm him.
Part 4 of 4 (2-18 to 2-25)
Spoiler:
* So Aphrodite steps in and it turns out he's not immune to Charm, but he can repel it with the Flame Sword, Aethon, and his flames. She likens it to the eagle eating the divine liver (Prometheus' fate in mythology), something that torments gods and restricts divine powers. She rightfully calls Prometheus out on giving him something that can actually control the Holy Flames should he manage to use it on Vesta by stabbing her. He then attacks Aphrodite with the intention of killing her, intending to join Bell in the whole sinner business of killing a God so he can finally move on and Ilia jumps in the way to stop him from killing her, so he decides he's going to kill her too.
* At this point Bell promptly gets up despite having no power, having his heart betrayed, and being covered in injuries, because he knows Artemis would get back up. Even Epimetheus is questioning why is he still standing and finds him unbearable to look at because he's exactly like the heroes of the past. He tries to nuke Bell, but Bell has a moment of reflection before the flames consume him as Artemis comes to his mind as a voice pushing him onwards along with the memories of her and Weine, both crying and smiling at the same time. They gave him the strength to keep moving and he refused to give up because he still wants to be a hero.
* Bell flashes back to reality and parries the blow, despite being powerless. Ryuu and Asfi and Apollo appear to rescue the others. Hyakinthos attacks Epimetheus to keep Apollo safe, rescuing Bell inadvertently, and Aphrodite charms the goddamn Flammanoids via reaching to whatever inside of them is still human. I think she might have even gotten Apollo considering he states she's the most beautiful of all before she orders the Flammanoids to attack Epimetheus. So everyone manages to escape while he nukes the island off the map this time (I'm being literal here, it's gone).
* As Bell recovers from defying death, he wakes up to find Lili there. She and Ilia informs him that everyone is fine, so he begins to drift back to sleep as we learn more about the situation. Things are bad enough that soon they're going to be attacked by the Order and the Flammanoids, so Asfi would prefer they retreat rather than trying to save Hestia. Meanwhile Mikoto is going back to training herself so she can at least struggle to survive without any power after being abandoned by the Goddess of the Hearth, but once she learns Bell is awake from Haruhime she goes to his side.
* Once together they question what they can do. Apollo and Aphrodite's Familia want to take the people and evacuate, but Hestia's Familia aren't really about that. Ilia apologizes for taking her away from them for Olympia's sake, while wishing that none of them would fight and suffer. But Mikoto asks if Bell fought and Aphrodite confirms Bell fought despite being powerless, so that's good enough for her since she told Bell something similar when going against the Ishtar Familia for Haruhime. So she's going to fight because she doesn't want to live a happy life on Hestia's sacrifice, even if its what Hestia wants. She's going to fight, and so will the others as long as Bell continues to do so.
* Ilia calls them out on not having a plan or anything, and Aphrodite laughs, but they're into it as Apollo pops out of nowhere being a creep. Every time I want to like him, he does something like this. But anyway, he tells them its fine to face threats even if they lack the power. That's how the ancient heroes did it, like Argonaut and Epimetheus, doing what they wanted and keeping down the road.
* Aphrodite then gets into a discussion with the other gods about what Bell did and Hermes is so pleased that Bell was willing to fight an ancient hero. He refers to it as Elpis, the hope they are looking for. Aprhodite finds it frustrating expecting so much from the boy who killed Artemis, but Hermes states Bell saved a girl rather than kill a Goddess. Aphrodite knows that much but it still hurts her.
* Hyakinthos and Lissos, meanwhile, are observing the battlefield as the Flammanoids are gathering together in numbers so large they can't count them. So they intend to evacuate the villagers using the secret pathway they took earlier to get out of the barrier, allowing them to be saved. As for Rhea and the others, they basically resign themselves to using the Flammanoids to attack the Adventurers and kidnap Hestia's children by digging a hole to the village for them to enter.
* At the village, Haruhime wonders if Rhea will be approaching soon when Mikoto notes how hot the ground feels. That tips her off that they're attacking right as they emerge in the middle of the evacuation while the veterans are on the outskirts after being drawn to the flames. Hyakinthos gets back to Apollo as quickly as possible to save him while Aphrodite's children pop in to save her, and she points out the flames warped into Monsters to avoid being charmed a second time.
* Hestia's Familia tries to gather the people together so they won't be cornered when one of the monsters attacks Lili, so Mikoto recalls her training and manages to actually throw it away even though it burns her hand and breaks her bones. Yet she's still willing to get going. The girl is determined, I'll give her that much. But Aisha has a point in that she at least needs a Magic Sword before telling her to get Bell to safety with the others as Chylos watches from a distance stating those who struggle find glory.
* Ilia is also preparing to take Bell and run when she feels the other members of the Order, so she runs out to confront them in order to buy time for him. She doesn't want Bell to fight and she wants the world to be saved, but not at the expense of others. Her sisters tell her to leave then or they'd kill her, but she refuses to move and tells them to kill her then as Elpis states from a distance that Bell will need to make a choice because they are running out of time.
* Rhea is learning that Orario Adventurers have fought a lot of monsters as the Flammanoids take their shapes. But eventually it seeks out their common fear and finds the memory of the evolving monster that killed Artemis, Antares. It then proceeds to be recreate her arrow spam ability and lays waste to nearly everything. The only reason they didn't die was because it didn't have the Arcanum, but it was attacking everything in sight and forced the Order of Prometheus to retreat as the rest of the Adventurers rally themselves to fight.
* Meanwhile, Bell hears the monster's roar while he's asleep and knows he needs to get up and fight. But Hestia reappears in his dreams and tells him if he goes back out there he'll get hurt and it'd make others sad. But he states after meeting a true hero, he realizes that being a hero will entail suffering but despite that he still wants to be a hero and tells himself that lacking power isn't enough to stop him. He shows his Argonaut side by declaring he won't let it turn into a tragedy where gods and heroes suffer, so he intends to save Vesta as well.
*Then he wakes up to see sparks in the sky, the village around them destroyed while he was protected by Elpis. She asks what he's going to do with the future path he wanted to take, and he decided he was going to walk it despite how heavy it was and go kick Antares' ass a second time. The others try to stop him but he just smiles and walks towards the monster as even Hyakinthos questions why he showed up. Yet in that span between seconds, he and Elpis talk about how that's Hell he's walking into and she reveals herself as the Hestia Knife. That's right, the combination of Hestia's Status, Bell's Falna, and Artemis' memories from the Arrow of Orion gave her sapience enough that she could talk to Bell at night as Hestia and Artemis during the day. To quote someone else, she's a Zanpakuto.
* Unfortunately, its a short-lived miracle that will never happen again. She won't be able to talk to him again, but she will always be there for him. And the Falna is something that was sealed, but it was something that couldn't be taken from him. The door was there, he just needed to push it open. So as the two tenderly embrace, wedding bells ring within his soul and we realize the Best Girl was the Hestia Knife all along.
* His Falna reignites as he breaks the God's seal and Argonaut rings out as he swings the beloved blade and counters the behemoth's blow, its raging flames extinguished. This is the power of those who overcome the divine will, the gods proclaim as they become an audience to the epic in the making while the veterans all play the supporting role to back up him. Hermes gushes about how this was a chance for him to grow and save both the lower world and Hestia, and Apollo states this is why he likes him while Aphrodite declares Bell's punishment for killing Artemis will be to atone by saving Hestia.
* He succeeds and Apollo practically jumps for joy as the other cheer for him as they have regained a glimmer of hope. Hermes then tells the others that she sealed their falna because they have the partial ability to control the Holy Flame similar to how the Order have the ability to control the Contaminated Flame. So they can effectively get past the barrier and opened the sealed box, even if its against her wishes.
* Vesta realizes that Bell broke her seal and asks why the other Gods aren't stopping her children from letting her do this before wondering if Bell is coming to her.
This was a great second chapter. Don't get me wrong, they still don't have a solution to the whole issue with the contaminated flame. But seeing Bell with his dreams and ideals battered and beaten, he still managed to regain the strength to stand. Even the twist about Aethon makes sense when you consider after how long he played a hero and still got mocked for it he just went insane. This is basically the UBW route of DanMachi, isn't it? I just want someone to make a picture of Bell and Epimetheus standing on a hill of swords.
Seeing Apollo and Aphrodite (who act like siblings even if they aren't in this universe) being good gods despite their huge flaws, was a breath of fresh air.
And then the reveal about the Hestia Knife was amazing. I fully expect a Cargo Ship to come out of this.
This should be the next movie, a sequel to the Arrow of Orion. Bravo! Bravo! 10/10 would write a fic!
part 2 is nice, even Apollo is funny there
and Apro seems like the best tsundere there.
it'll be nice if they include her in the novel soon just for the sake of seeing Welf freak out
after learning Hephaestus and her were an item before
Vol 16 truly intense,wild goose chase and wth is going on?
Date wars,couple wars,harem wars,trying to pick up bell in a mansion?
And omari pls this was tle last pick up bell arc?
Vol 12,13,14 ex well,but this was going no where to me ?
Part three opens with Hestia thinking over Promethus' screw-up and how only the gods could fix it, so until she's done no one may enter Olympia. So she tells her wayward children not to come. There is no need for heroes here.
We then cut to everyone discussing how peaceful the night has gotten and what they will do now that the Order of Prometheus has retreated. Bell was taken by Hermes and Hephaistios to have his Status checked, and Welf might have more competition considering Hephaistios likes what she sees. Including his Realis Freese and Argonaut skill.
Hermes explains that Bell's accomplishment was done via the same as the old heroes by going beyond their limits to break the seal, born from a horrifying hell and an encounter with an ancient hero. So basically he got in touch with his Argonaut side. And Hermes plans to have Bell handle everything because he was captivated by the sight of Bell killing Antares with Argonaut and facing off against Asterius.
Aphrodite suggests using the boat to travel to the altar for the final battle, which is going to be a logistical nightmare, and Apollo has gone full Bell-fanatic. The fact that Bell thanks him for his help basically leave the man shaking with desire, much to the horror of everyone else. Naturally, Apollo's Familia blames Bell for seducing him.
However, the stakes are then made clear. Pulling Hestia out before the ritual starts is possible, but its an end-of-the-world scenario if they do so. Bell is counting on the fact that if there are enough of them they will find a solution and help her save the world without sacrificing herself. The rest of her Familia chime in they feel the same, so everyone is on the same page that its time to go save the Firekeeper except Ilia.
lia talks to Bell alone about the odds against him and how she doesn't want him to go before hugging him, cementing her position as firmly part of the harem. She's afraid that he'll disappear if he goes and admits that she likes him. Oh my goddess, he really has done the impossible. He got a Tsundere to admit her feelings. She explains she fell for him as they stayed together and she watched him fight and get injured, before asking if he can just remain by his side. But Bell rejects her because he needs to go fight in order to make everyone happy, including her. Hermes is naturally creeping in the shadows and listening to this, cheering him on.
Morning comes, Aphrodite's Familia are basically masochists, and Aphrodite basically refers to her ship as Argonaut and has Bell dress up just like him (he even keeps a diary)! She made it from charming Fire Spirits and stealing from Pele, so it has super fire resistance, and Apollo basically states she must have been planning this the entire time even knowing it was impossible. Everyone else calls her a demon while she states she didn't want to see a potential hero go astray. This is her reward to the hero who saved Artemis, Orion, or so she claims.
On the ship they use a magic furnace to run it, made by Altena, and Ilia followed Bell onto the ship. She is intent on following him and Haruhime and Lili realize she's competition now. Hyakinthos calls them out on acting this way before the final battle while Aisha has the gods affirm Bell can open the seal. Then Hephaistios has Welf take the Hestia Knife and pass it around to the rest of Hestia's Familia as a good luck charm.
On the surface, Rhea and Epimetheus are waiting for Bell to break the seal himself since they want to go to where Vesta is. The blood of Hestia and Elpis means that a single swing and Bell basically cuts a hole in the entire barrier, where we see Olympia has changed to become similar to the shrine in heaven due to the power being used. To get to the central torch they'll need to clear three fortresses protecting it, which is made worse by the fact that Flammanoids were inside and waiting for them. Hyakinthos has no mercy cutting them down.
Then it gets worse as the Olympian Soldiers come in and we have a three-way fight going on until Apollo reminds Aphrodite she has a Charm, right up until Epimetheus creates a bridge of fire to get to the fortress while they are distracted. So they have to hurry now and Bell has to deal with both Ilia and Apollo all over him, albeit trying to calm him down. Hermes has Aphrodite buy time by charming the Olympian Soldiers, mentioning she loves using people but hates being used, and they split into three teams to go deal with each fortress.
They bring along the rest of Hestia's Familia despite having their Falna sealed because their blood is needed. Welf goes off with Hephaistios because they need to head to the Hearth so he can fulfill his role as a blacksmith. Once each team has taken out a fortress they'll meet in the central altar.
North Group division as follows: Bell, Hyakinthos, Ilia, and Apollo
East Group division as follows: Lili, Haruhime, Aisha, Asfi, and Hermes
West Group division as follows: Mikoto, Ryu, and Lissos
Rear Support: Welf, Haephaistios, Aphrodite, etc.
Part 2 of 4
Spoiler:
With the North Group, Apollo and Ilia snipe one another for being useless but Hyakinthos is still salty about that beating Bell gave him. They shelve the hostility for the moment to get the job done as each group finds the inside of the temple to be reconstructed with materials from the Flame of Heaven to be as large as the human world and filled with Flammanoids. If they stray from the wrong path then they'll simply fall to the depths and be lost forever.
Bell wants to work with Hyakinthos, but he's still salty about the War Game and states he protects Apollo while Bell protects the women. Then he states he doesn't care of Hestia is sacrificed and Bell gets angry, so they're really strained. Ilia tells Apollo to do something, so Apollo puts on his Dad-pants and tells his child to get his act together. He also reveals that the reason Hyakinthos is strained is because if Hestia fails, Apollo is also a substitute and thus he'll be on the altar, so he frames it as they should just use one another to get the best result.
The two pull their heads together and apparently have really good chemistry in battle, which is Fanfic fuel I will happily find some way to use, with Apollo practically having an orgasm watching them while Ilia is rightfully creeped out as he bounces between respectable and perverted.
Meanwhile, Lissos and Ryuu are also working together pretty well to fend off the monsters because the contaminated flame are rushing ahead of them to deal with Hestia before they get sanctified. But Asfi reasons that the Order of Prometheus is the bigger threat since they are suppose to protect Vesta while Epimetheus is using them.
Back with Bell, its revealed that unless they have a guide they won't get anywhere. But Apollo reveals Hestia's children are effectively wayfinders due to each of her children being able to sense her divine will and thus find where the flame is. Bell finds the first core and meets a copy of Vesta telling them to go away, a guardian of the pillar that has a sense of self. That is, she's the original Vesta Priestess.
Hyakinthos immediately goes to kill it because that will calm the pillar down, but Bell is not exactly eager to kill something that looks like Hestia. But he has to put on his big-boy pants because if he doesn't he can't save the real one.
Then we go back to the rearguard, Aphrodite loans Hephaistos her children so she can take her boytoy (Welf) to get to work with blacksmithing as the further away from the shrine they are the more of the original terrain remains. They head to the smithy where they find the Olympian smiths from before now as Flammagons wearing Welf's new clothing, forging endlessly due to the yearning of their souls to surpass the divine and make a supreme weapon with will that lasted even beyond death.
Hephaistos notes it's basically Hell for them because they can't learn or reach enlightenment since they they are already dead. They'll only keep repeating the same thing over and over, never reaching the point they sought. So, as Blacksmiths, Hephaistos and Welf can only apologize as they take everything from them.
Back with the North Group, the guardian is unleashing some massive firepower due to the fact that Hestia is getting control over the flame. Hyakinthos' sensibility as an adventurer is offended at the fact that she isn't even aiming for them but relying on her sheer power, so he tries to use magic and it gets rebuffed. Only Bell can cross the wall of flames and cutting it down because they have the same rights to the Holy Flame as Hestia's children. Ilia tries to tell him something but backs out of it as Bell gets to work.
Bell notes that the priestess isn't trying to kill him. The attacks are meant to keep them away because Vesta/Hestia only wants to stop them from interfering. Because of that Bell can reach the priestess and tells her that he'll save Vesta, which almost reaches her. Then Epimetheus shows up and cuts her down, calling them clowns for doing his work for him as the priestess tells him to run before collapsing.
Epimetheus also reveals that he could sense the core just like Bell and the others because of his Falna and weapon due to using the torches as a medium, calling Ilia useless in the process. He then states he intends to kill all of them, but Bell just watched someone he considered a hero stab a replica of his Goddess. Bell goes off on him with every intention of killing him, but its a hopeless boss fight.
Hyakinthos has to tell Bell to calm down before he gets provoked into getting his head cut off, before calling Epimetheus a sneaky hero. Epimetheus agrees stating that he had to be in order to kill humans as a hero, and that he had to deceive himself into believing his wrongdoings were justice. He then states that he doesn't intend to underestimate Bell because he already knows how lucky he is.
That's when Apollo reasons out that Epimetheus shouldn't be as powerful as he is with Hestia purifying the flames and he reveals that he was contaminated by flames, becoming corrupted in the process. He then begins to beat Bell down once more, telling him to walk the same path by becoming a hero who died accomplishing nothing.
Hyakinthos steps in and tears Bell away, telling Ilia to take him and run while he holds off Epimetheus. It's suicidal and they both know it, but credit where its due he talks some shade to Epimetheus about being better than him and Apollo agrees that he genuinely thinks he can. So the two them face off while Apollo watches and here I am cheering him on because honestly I respect him.
But, Epimetheus is not a joke. He not only deflects his spell but manages to cut him down in front of Apollo. He's still alive, mind you, and Epimetheus actually admits that he likes the fact that he isn't bound to the ideal of heroism. But then he talks shade about Apollo and Hyakinthos reasons out that while Epimetheus hates Prometheus for sitting back and watching, Bell and him have no doubt about the love of the gods for their children.
The burns hits him so hard that he goes into a rage, forgetting that Hykinthos spell homes in on a target, which allows him to get in a sneak attack. Apollo takes him and run before the priestess that he cut down expends the last bit of her power to destroy the entrance so they can get away. He then makes sure that its dead this time before mentioning how one's love for a god is foolish.
Bell wakes up only to find that while he was napping Hyakinthos bought them time, but the injuries he sustained were severe enough that he can no longer continue fighting. Apollo then for once reins in his lust for Bell and gets him to admit Hyakinthos and his familia were amazing for their sacrifice. He then decides to stay behind to watch over him, proclaiming he would always love Hyakinthos.
Hyakinthos' backstory is then revealed in the notes. He had an ugly appearance, neglected and lonely and sickly until Apollo found him and called him beautiful. Apollo healed him of his illness caused by the western wind and while his appearance became beautiful, his eyes only were fixed on the Sun God who gave him a hand when no one else would.
Back with the rearguard, Welf's group is trying to deal with the blacksmiths but their weapons and wills are unbreakable. They tell Welf to leave as they must protect their pride as blacksmiths, one-upping Welf's resolve as a blacksmith until his goddess tells him that they beat him in power and skill but he beats them in passion. He isn't an adventurer like Bell but a blacksmith with the flames of both Hestia and Hephaistos inside of him.
So he gets up and breaks the seal on his Falna, which was part of why Hephaistos let him and the others have Hestia's Knife to pass it around. It provided a chance and he only needed to take it as his Magic Sword merged with the Flame of Heaven. He then lays the ancient blacksmiths to rest with the promise of forging a weapon even greater than a divine sword, which is what earns him his change of clothes as they entrust him with their will to do so.
Then they get to work on making that divine weapon. It won't be the same as with the Arrow of Orion, but it should be able to fend off Epimetheus and take hold of the flame. She then explains she wants to create an exterior for the Hestia Knife, a sort of armor (aka a greatsword) and she needs Welf to help her. With his burning passion they get started.
Back in the Western Fortress, Haruhime is able to sense Hestia's divine will and that leads them towards the sound of fighting between the Order of Prometheus and the Flammagons. The Order is intent on defending the pillar, because again they aren't the bad guys (they're being used and have no alternative to dealing with the corrupted flame), and the priestess this time is a blue-haired Hestia clone who embodies Hestia's lazy side. Aisha intends to kill her but Rhea steps in to defend her and tells them to leave or be reduced to ashes as Ilia's sisters also join in.
Aisha and Apollo's Familia are basically doing the heavy lifting since Lili and Haruhime are useless, but Lili hears the voice of a girl calling her before nearly getting killed by Rhea. She survived using the magic sword as a shield, but the odds are really against them as Haruhime goes down next and the others get surrounded. Rhea "claims" that she was trying to kill them but her firepower has decreased due to Vesta and begs them to stop, perfectly willing to turn herself over for punishment once everything is over.
Haruhime seeds in the notion that Epimetheus was lying to them and using them, bringing up that if Hestia truly believed in him then she would be accepting their help since their goals are the same. Hermes backs her claim up that because of him Hestia is trying to do it alone without accepting their help, which Rhea struggles to accept because if he was lying then all she's done for her children has been for nothing. She's determined to give everything she can believing in the oracle and hero's words, so them telling her that it was a mistake hurts.
Haruhime keeps hitting her mother buttons, triggering her by claiming her daughter would want her to stop hurting people. Eventually Rhea just starts slapping her senseless while crying about how she'd give everything up to save her daughter who was still crying and suffering. Any parent would become a sinner for their child's sake.
Lili is basically watching them go at it until Hermes stops her from interfering. As he explains it, he brought the others into this dangerous situation because he wants all of Hestia's children to be challenged so they can steel their resolves and break the seal just like Bell did. Haruhime manages to do so because she understands what Rhea would be feeling, relating it to if she lost Wiene that day, allowing her to stand up and blow away Rhea's attack. Vesta's priestess notes she's awakened and stolen the Holy Flame, sprouting nine tails to basically slap some sense into her.
Rhea goes down but the Flammagons start targeting Haruhime because she's got the Flame of Heaven, and she uses her Magic to Level boost "everyone" on their side. It's effectively the Killing Stone but without the downside of shattering her soul, a feat only possible because those within Aedes Vesta who side with Vesta have their powers amplified. That was part of why Vesta sealed their Falna to begin with.
Asfi basically calls the Priestesses out on how dependent they are on the Flames for their power, stating that without it they're at best only Level Two. Aisha then flirts with a male solider named Garcia, which pisses off Minucia because apparently they were intimate, and Vesta's priestess gets in on the shame game and states she's busted (so she's basically Hestia's normal disposition).
Even so, the Priestesses feel they need to fight because if they don't it meant they hurt Ilia for nothing. Asfi tells them not to keep piling on more mistakes on top of what they already have made, but Rhea refuses to go down and ends up squaring off against even the Level boosted adventurers.
That's when Lili feels the need to do something and hears the voice calling out, telling her to please help her mother and sister. It turns out she's Ciate, Cyan's sister and Rhea's daughter who was bedridden. She's been calling out for anyone to help them, which Lili does but only after calling her out for acting like the most pitiful person in the world when she has family who loves them when she had nothing. She needs to be the one who tells them to calm down, so Lili allows her to possess her body to do so.
Lili almost succumbs to the pain but pushes through with it because she recalls how Bell's hug saved her. That breaks her seal, allowing her to use her magic to transform into Ciate while possessing her. Ciate tells her mother that she can calm down, thanking both her sister and her mother, which breaks Rhea's will entirely as she cries about how she wished she could spend more time with them and causes the other Flammnoids to start crying as well.
The notes reveal that Ciate's father secretly visited her as well. I'm putting money on it being Epimetheus.
At this point, Vesta's priestess puts the Flammoids to sleep before offering herself to her children with no resistance because she has faith they will be able to do something about the situation. They will bring a miracle.
Part 3 of 4
Spoiler:
We then go back to Ryuu's group where they find downed Priestesses and Soldiers who are burned but alive. Mikoto and Lissos note how strange it was that none of them were turned to ashes, and a few weren't even burned. But they don't have time to dwell on it as they arrive to discover that the Vesta Priestess of this temple is handling the threats herself and prepare to ambush her.
That's when Chylos appears before Mikoto and reveals he was the one who took out the people they found and now he has come to ask Mikoto if she will obey the gods or resist them. Mikoto states the latter and he states he approves but will serve as the wall she needs to overcome to regain her power, as a powerless will is simply vanity and nothing more. He gives her a sword and tells her to prove herself like the ancient heroes before did, not showing any mercy as if she is incapable she has no right to resist the will of the gods.
The two of them go at it and he states that she was fine with the power she had but she needed to recall that her blade is not the only weapon as he lariats her into the ground. Mikoto is confused and asks him why he's both challenging them and helping them when he started all of this (she thinks he's Prometheus) and because he didn't govern the people the Order went nuts. She even calls him out on leaving Epimetheus alone to go crazy, but then he mentions that was part of his guilt before asking what their biggest sins as gods was.
He states that Olympia was supposed to just hold the flame in check until they dealt with the Black Dragon as they were prioritizing the Maquia (this was mentioned in the previous event too), but the Zeus and Hera Familia failed and were destroyed. That was also part of what drove him into despair and gave up hope. That's why he's leaving him to run around after failing 15 years ago. The world needs a hero, even if he's an Evil Avenger.
That said, they continue their fight until Mikoto gets knocked down and the others can't get closer because of the wall of flames that only Hestia's children can. So Mikoto needs to awaken and realizes that Chylos is only able to atone by becoming a wall, so she gambles everything on a single strike. She focuses everything on an Iai draw, willing to bet that Bell can handle the fallen hero as their vessel to carry on the hopes of heroes (aka Argonaut), causing Chylos to laugh before they finish their battle.
Mikoto is successful, cutting his sword in half, and then claims the Flame of Heaven for her own use in laying Vesta's priestess to rest. Unlike the others who could be reasoned with this one actually puts up a fight and Mikoto uses her magic to "crush" it.
With all the seals removed, everyone gets ready for the final showdown. Welf watches in amazement as his original goddess manages the forging process with an insane amount of speed due to the Primordial Flame helping them, as if keeping itself at the right temperature, but gets told to keep his head in the game as he tries to keep up with her. Eventually the complete the exterior, calling it an altar, and Welf goes to give it to Bell.
As everyone who can still move heads towards the central altar, Ilia is the only one questioning if Bell is ready to face off against the guy who kicked his teeth in twice now. But he's confident he can with everyone there. Epimetheus chews the scenery proclaiming his intention of killing Hestia and bringing his final tale to the world by covering it in flame, but everyone gangs up on him.
Haruhime opens up with a Level Boost on everyone and they attempt to take him down, but he basically just avoids all their attacks or shrugs them off using the wall of flames. He states that compared to the other priestesses there is a huge difference in experience, as one who has lived for thousands of years and been bathed in the contaminated flames. He then nukes them but they survive due to Vesta's power through their Falna, because of Aedes Vesta. The same cannot be said for Asfi and the others not of Hestia's Familia, meaning they are now cannon fodder.
So basically it boils down to a death match between Hestia's Familia and Epimetheus. He shakes the girls be revealing he's already beaten Bell, but Bell shows up when he's gloating with Ilia in tow. Epimetheus is frustrated at this point Bell just... keeps... getting... up.
Worse, Bell reminds him of what kind of hero he once was. He wasn't talented but just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help people. Bell sees himself in that same hero, someone who was only there because he was a part of Hestia's Familia. So he gets triggered and decides that this time he was absolutely make sure he kills him by summoning flame soldiers born from his memories and consumed by the contaminated flames.
Bell is still outmatched even with the level boost from Haruhime and the rest are useless until Welf shows up and gives him his Bankai. Specifically, the greatsword lacks a handle until Bell inserts the Hestia Knife, which basically gives him access to the Holy Flame as the Flame God's Blade. It's a Divine Weapon weapon just like Aethon, so no more unfair advantage for Epimetheus. Now its a proper 1v1.
However, Hestia is about to begin the sanctification so Bell sends the rest of them off to help her and tells them he'd catch up. Ilia remains behind to watch the match as their witness while Epimetheus questions why he keeps getting back up after knowing the taste of defeat, with Bell stating he understands how painful it is but he needs to keep going. Epimetheus acknowledges that Bell may be able to understand his mindset but reality is a lot crueler. It's basically the Archer vs Shirou debate in the final battle of UBW between Archer and Shirou. I mean... tanned skin, jaded heroism... he's basically Archer and Bell is Shirou.
Ilia watches their clash from the side as these two heroes go at it, Bell getting such a power boost that he notes it eclipses the power he had when melded with Lefiya's Arcs Ray. Epimetheus states that the Flame of Heaven is great due to that, capable of building everything up from next to nothing. But it isn't enough for what needs to be done.
Epimetheus then reveals his true goal: To kill the Black Dragon. It couldn't be done with the Holy Flame, but with the contaminated flame it might be possible. Bell notes that the world would be destroyed in the process, and he's doing it to one-up Hera and Zeus who were lauded as the pinnacle of the Age of the Gods. He intends to cap off his legacy as a clown by becoming The Last Hero (the exact thing Zard and Alfia wanted), removing all other heroes and noting that even if mankind perished the Gods would remember and would pass it on if they rebuilt the world.
Epimetheus then draws from the contaminated flame in its entirety, intent on showing him what he believes is the power that can allow him to defeat the Black Dragon. But Bell endures by drawing on the power of the Holy Flame and Aedes Vesta's blessing. Impressed, but mostly annoyed, Epimetheus tells him that he's just a child who hasn't experienced the amount of suffering that he has because he's lived for 3,000 years compared to Bell's 15, unable to die or reincarnate and start anew.
Bell notes that if he lost Wiene he probably would have fallen just like him. Then he starts sharing the man's memories and sees all the death that occurred and how the allies he fought alongside were forgotten, the unchosen heroes never mentioned in history. Bell realizes that he's trying to become the last hero so that his allies weren't sacrificed for nothing, which causes Epimetheus to feel personally offended because he thinks Bell never killed anyone and has no right to comment on his suffering.
Bell reveals he killed Artemis, the biggest sin that not even Epimetheus had done. All he had left was the smile she gave him. He can't pretend he didn't see that smile, so he cannot allow a version of himself who fell into despair to be the Last Hero. He needs to be the hero that Artemis loved, a hero who awakens other heroes. Basically, he's going full Argonaut now.
Part 4 of 4
Spoiler:
Ilia watches the fight as Hermes pops up, having been carrying the injured members of the party away since they are useless here. He then asks her where she thinks Prometheus is right about now, stating that all the gods are nearby to watch their fate but he's nowhere to be seen. She believes it to be Chylos, but Hermes states that wasn't likely and through some logic puzzles out that Ilia is actually Prometheus, who was cautious enough to always observe things without being noticed. And considering Epimetheus is a variable that needs to be kept in check, he would need an observer loyal to him like a priestess.
And he's right. Ilia/Prometheus admits the truth, having given herself away by lying to herself about falling in love with Bell and trying to love him. It was too "fishy" to Hermes, giving him another clue that was compounded with the fact that Zeus was angry but did not punish Prometheus for that screw up via letting the eagle eat their liver for all eternity. Hermes reasoned that was because she was a cute girl, which is 100% in character for Zeus.
Prometheus then confesses that yes, that was the case, but to complete the deception she gave herself a Falna as there's no rule against it. Her goal was to oversee the complete sanctification of the contaminated flame since it was due to the mistake she made. Hermes doesn't defend it, but does state that because she saw too much into the future and realized that if nothing was done less than half of the population of the world would remain, she did what she felt she had to.
The problem was the Black Monsters existed. Behemoth, Leviathan, Antares, Black Dragon, all sent by the Dungeon to challenge them became greater issues that her own hero couldn't solve even with the Holy Flame (they're actually immune to it). She realized belatedly that Zeus had the right idea using his method, keeping a low-profile and giving others the ability to bring out their own potential using the Falna as a medium rather than handing them a super-powerful Demi-Arcanum, and so she abandoned her Familia to focus on sanctifying the flame and needed Hestia as an alternative.
Then Bell came along. She predicted that even with Epimetheus' rebellion, Vesta could shut him out. But Bell's resolve coaxed her into guiding him to Hestia's place out of sympathy led to things spiraling out of control. Her plan was to remain close to Bell in order to protect him and Hestia's Familia after she was done (the promise Hestia mentioned), intending to dissolve her own Familia and then atone for the loss of Hestia.
Since her plans have gone pear-shaped she can only place her faith in Bell to stop Epimetheus, who is currently having a crisis of faith in himself and wondering when he began to hate the word "Hero". Bell just won't go down, spurred on by everyone still supporting him, and his new weapon is nerfing Epimetheus the more they clash as the two fight for the power of the Flame. At this point the fight could go either way, as the one who loses will be the one whose resolves breaks first.
Epimetheus finally figures out that Bell is embodying the will of the ancient heroes and recalls why he first picked up his sword. He obeyed the oracle that sent the first message and fought to be a hero, going where he was needed to save the smiles of the people and so they would never need to cry. But there were people he couldn't save, one tragedy after another, and he lost his allies time and again. Glory and failure are two sides of the same coin, and so the blamed him and called him a fake. He accepted that he was no hero and all of their hatred willingly until those who fought alongside of him were forgotten.
That was when he received an Oracle from Prometheus telling him to stop fighting and to build Olympia and learned he was considered a fool by the world. The fact that he was in touch with the Holy Flame as it grew contaminated in the process meant that he was blackened along with it. Then he snapped "entirely" when Rhea asked why he didn't save the girls and said he was no hero when the flames erupted and consumed them 300 years ago. The look on her face afterwards pretty much states she realized she had gone too far, but bow he feels he must get revenge for those who passed away believing in him.
Bell, bless his heart, tries to talk this man out of it by telling him that he accomplished something. He gave Bell the inspiration to be a hero, someone who kept getting hurt but still picked up his sword. He didn't fall against the army of monsters and bought hope to them, proud to protect their smiles while laying seeds to blossom in the future. He was effectively the hero who saved one person that saved others: a savior.
Hermes and Prometheus realize that Bell was vocalizing what she failed to do when she spoke to him 3000 years ago as a god, 1000 years ago as an attendant, and then as Ilia by praising him. Gods and humans will become twisted as they grow up by life, but children are the ones who bring them back. Children are the ones who bring heroes back what they've lost. That's the Heroic Legend that Erebus, Zard, and Alfia were all waiting for, the hero they all longed for: Bell will be the Last Hero.
Epimetheus...breaks. He cries out wishing he could have started out as some nobody and became a hero that could trust the smiles of others like Bell. Then he starts praying for a benediction to unleash the full power of his Divine Weapon, and Bell feels he needs to confront him to break him from his madness. He then uses the heroic tale of Epimetheus as the trigger for his Argonaut's Heroic Strike and wins.
The notes here mention that the story being told around the world is a different version than what Bell was told. That's because Zeus, who was watching from above, penned the true version that described all his pain and suffering and laughter and told Bell. He passed down the Heroic Legend that was an untold tale.
Epimetheus goes down and Bell tells him that Argonaut was known as a fool too, but he gained the courage to keep going because Epimetheus inspired him to be a clown. That's why he admires him, for being the hero who awakened other heroes. Then Bell leaves him behind to go to Hestia's side as the sanctification causes the impure and holy flames to clash.
The notes at this point mention the difference between a fool (Epimetheus) and a clown (Argonaut). The fool is cooler, stronger, and more attractive. But he would only know misery and tragedy, too strong to make friends who would not be left behind, leaving him isolated. The clown always kept smiling and had friends to support him. If the fool had a clown to stay by his side, not a sympathizer or comrade, then his fate could be changed.
Ryuu states that the miasma covering the sky from the flames reminds her of the ruins when the false moon appeared, a sign of the end of the world. Aisha basically states they don't have to worry about it, since either they'll succeed or be blown away. Chylos is watching as well, eager to see the light that can overturn everything (Argonaut).
Back with the others, Welf decides to pull a First Crozzo and buy time for Lili to go to Vesta's side while she's getting ready to send the flames up now that the impure and pure flames are even. Vesta is about to join Artemis in death when Lili reaches her. Vesta tries to send her away again, but Lili ain't having that and tries to bring Hestia out by making her jealous with Cinder Ella by transforming into Bell and mentioning how they plan to get married using the Flames of Heaven...and credit where its due, it almost works.
But what really draws her out is that Lili reminds her that she told her that she needed her when no one else did. Haruhime also joins in, mentioning how Hestia had given her a home when she had none, welcoming her after Bell saved her, and allowing her to meet Wiene. She was the hearth that kept them warm and without her they'll be lonely, especially when Wiene comes back.
Mikoto also joins in, mentioning that she was supposed to return to her own Familia after a year but she finds Hestia's side to be too comfortable and she needs to take responsibility for that. She wants to spend her days by their side and hers. Welf is much the same, even though he calls her irresponsible compared to his own Goddess, stating he considers himself the big brother of the Familia and he liked it.
Vesta tells them to stop tempting her because they don't have time for this, but then Bell comes and decides to reverse their roles. Rather than being the one keeping them out of trouble, they'll be helping her this time. Bell reminds her of the promises they made to one another: that no matter how long it takes or how many times they are reborn, she would always come and find him, and never to leave her alone. Their story was one of gods and familia, so they needed to share the burden and finish it together.
Her walls come tumbling down. Vesta disappears and Hestia returns, even if I think the loss of the hair color and demeanor is a tragedy. It brings them all to tears but they still have work to do, so Hestia asks for their help in dealing with the Primordial Flame and gives them a greater portion of the power. They basically hold off the bulk of it while Bell and Hestia use his new sword to combine their light and flame.
The sound of the Grand Bell rings out and Hermes mentions that he and Hestia realized that Argonaut amplifies the power of not only mortals, but the Gods celestial might and divine will. That means he can make it so that Hestia's powers are intensified as well, giving her the ability to purge the contaminated flame by combining the sacred flame with the sword of light: Argo Vesta - Sacred Slash.
However, it seems like they are about to lose and the sanctification will cost five additional lives instead of one. However, Bell doesn't give up and Artemis shows right up to intervene due to the shards of her power remaining inside of it. She bids them both farewell, stating she would always love them, while Hestia does the same.
The Flammanoids are laid to rest, with Rhea getting to see her children a final time and breaking down into tears. Hephaistos reveals that even if Prometheus and she could have done something, all the souls trapped within the flames would have been eradicated in the process. This was the only salvation for them, afforded by the Eternal Holy Flame.
Hestia then has a moment to speak with Bell before Lili comes in and body check her, killing the good mood as payback for dragging them all into this. The rest agree, and she apologizes, but are happy that things will be able to go back to normal.
Unfortunately, the Hestia Knife's exterior is damaged beyond repair because of course you can't let him keep the power-up. But the two who forged it are fine with that since it served its purpose in saving Hestia. Apollo is happy that his Familia served a great purpose and thinks he'll be let back into Orario, but Hestia makes it clear that's not going to happen with how he keeps lusting after Bell. Lili chewed out all the people who tried to use them and then kill them, with Rhea having lost most of her power but offering herself to whatever cause they might have. Asfi warns her about making that kind of promise in front of Hermes.
Aphrodite takes her leave but thanks Bell in her own way, to which Hestia states she's more of a troubledere rather than a tsundere, before telling them to visit her in Meilstora some time. Apollo takes his leave as well to find out what happened to the Olympians who escaped and Hyakinthos cements himself as Bell's rival because he doesn't like him. That being said, I'm happy to see he survived.
Rhea mentions that with the flame's blessing no longer being a factor, she and the others will age like mortals and welcome their end (presumably not all at once). But before then they will restore Olympia to its former glory. Ilia/Prometheus decides to remain as well given that Bell still has Hestia, but he has no idea that Ilia is another goddess, since Hermes and Hestia are covering for her.
Epimetheus is gone, according to Ilia. He's fought long and hard so she just wants to let him rest. Ilia then speaks to Bell alone and then sneaks in a kiss with a smug look, cementing her place as the ultimately rival as every girl into him (including Ryuu) corner him. It was done out of appreciation according to her, as a thank-you for everything he did.
And Hermes meets up with Chylos, who it turns out to be ZEUS!!! He got there after Aphrodite but before Apollo since he couldn't break through the barrier without the Arcanum. He felt indebted to Olympia, especially after the Black Dragon, and was planning to risk everything if Hestia failed to contain the flames. His name of Chylos takes after the "father of tragedy" because he and Prometheus caused this mess, but he decides its time to leave before Hera comes after him.
Hermes asks if he wants to see Bell before he goes, but Zeus states he has no further use for him on his path. That being said he is happy that Bell is doing better than he expected as his grandson.
Now we wait until the extra story is unlocked.
Too long, didn't read version:
Spoiler:
Now that Bell has broken his seal they get on the boat to head to the barrier. Ilia confesses her love for Bell, but he rejects her for the time being to focus on the task at hand, and they pass around the Hestia knife before Bell cuts through the barrier. The Order of Prometheus goes in and head straight to the altar, guarded by three fortresses, so they split into three groups and one rearguard to handle them and the Flammanoids.
Bell's group runs into one of Vestia's Priestesses created in her image. They need to defeat her but only Bell can bypass her wall of flames. He does so and tries to reason with her, and it looks like he's getting through, when Epimetheus shows up and shanks her in the back. Seeing someone who looks like his goddess getting stabbed sets Bell off into berserker mode but he isn't winning that fight, so Hyakinthos has Ilia take him while he and Apollo buys them time. Hyakinthos gets taken out but not before he distracts the man long enough for the barely surviving priestess to seal the exit as they escape, preventing Epimetheus from following them.
Haruhime's group runs into the Order of Prometheus and Rhea. With their Falna sealed they have no chance, so Rhea begs them to surrender and states they'll be perfectly willing to face judgement after Vesta was done. But Haruhime states that her daughters wouldn't want this and recognizing in the grieving mother that she would be the same if Wiene hadn't been saved, which gives her the motivation to break the seal on her Falna. Lili hears the voice of Rhea's second daughter and allows her to possess her as she breaks her Falna's seal, using her magic to transform into and console Rhea, which ends her resistance. The Vesta Priestess bearing witness to this allows them to destroy her because she believes they will bring a miracle.
Mikoto's group runs into Chylos, who states he was there to act as a wall for her to overcome and break her seal before revealing how the Black Dragon destroying the Zeus and Hera Familia threw a wrench into everything. Mikoto rises to his challenge and breaks her seal before using her magic to "crush" the Vesta Priestess instead of talking or anything.
Welf is with the rearguard and goes to the smithy. He bears witness to the resolve of the blacksmiths who still forge even after they've died and tells them he will complete what they started and one day forge a supreme weapon that can overtake the divine weapons. That moves them to the point where they can actually pass on, leaving him their clothes and workshop to actually give it a shot. He and his goddess forge the blade for the Hestia Knife's greatsword.
Bell gets the upgrade and clashes with Epimetheus in a final confrontation where the truth of the fallen hero's story and motivation is revealed. He wants to kill the Black Dragon and become the Last Hero, the thing that Alifa and Zard and Erebus were willing to put Orario through hell to create. The Black Dragon, much like Behemoth and Leviathan, and Antares are all immune to the Primordial Flame in its normal form, but its corrupted form might be able to do so, even if the world is destroyed in the process.
Bell beats the reasoning into him in a fight reminiscence of Archer versus Shirou in UBW. It really is about the same. Ilia is revealed to be Prometheus and her plan was to watch over Bell and Hestia's Familia after she was gone, but because Bell managed to overcome fate she placed her hopes in him to stop Epimetheus and save Hestia.
They regroup with Hestia, talk her down, and to purge the contaminated flame they combine the sacred flame with the sword of light: Argo Vesta - Sacred Slash. It isn't enough on its own, but the remnants of Artemis' power inside of the knife gives it enough juice and she bids them a final farewell. The flame is sanctified and the souls trapped within it are able to pass onto the cycle of reincarnation, which wouldn't have happened if Prometheus or another flame goddess attempted it.
Aphrodite bids them farewell and tells them to stop by Meilstora some time. Apollo takes his leave as well to find out what happened to the Olympians who escaped and Hyakinthos cements himself as Bell's rival because he doesn't like him. Rhea and the others are staying behind to rebuild the place, Prometheus sneaks in a kiss on Bell in front of the other girls, and it turns out ZEUS was Chylos and there to act as a failsafe just in case Hestia couldn't succeed.
GLORIOUS! Absolutely glorious! This was an event! Why is a Mobile Game story this good!?
It took everything they had been building up, even the subtle hints left behind, and used it to come up with a way to overturn the cruel fate before them! An ending forged from the blood, sweat, tragedies, and tears that came before! A heroic tale in the making that went beyond my expectations and leaves me humbled as an writer and quivering in excitement at you next work!
Well played, Omori! Well played!
And then there's so much fanfic fuel. The Hestia's Knife's upgrade, the reveal of Prometheus (and the promise to be kept if Hestia did sacrifice herself), the pure tale of Epimetheus! Rejoice, DanMachi fans! Rejoice because in this we have glory!
Thanks for the effort to summarize everything. I don't think I can stand reading 15 hours of text with that kind of commitment. I might go back when I get a long holiday.
Makes sense Argo never came back. He probably died in that adventure, but kept the promise as Bell Cranel. Ancient vows being kept sowed the seeds for the future. Epimetheus found closure, even as he died on his feet, and Bell got the real story told.
2021-06-21, 11:31
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