Chapter 10: Reunion and Revelation
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The sun shone brighter that day. The rays of light touched Orario like a blessing, and the wind carried no threat, only peace and wonder. For the first time in centuries, a deity once believed lost forever stood once more upon the surface.
Ryu Min—known to the world as Black Scythe—stood quietly beside her, his scythe embedded in the earth. The Goddess of Shadows, Hella, unchained and radiant, wore robes of midnight stitched with silver filigree that shimmered like the stars. Her steps upon the surface did not tremble, though the very land beneath her seemed to remember her divine presence.
Hestia was the first to run.
"Hella!" the small goddess cried, tears welling in her eyes as her twin tails bounced behind her. Her arms flung around the taller goddess without hesitation. "I never thought I'd see you again!"
Hella smiled gently, resting her hand on Hestia's head. "And yet here we are. The threads of fate still find their way to weave us together, dear sister."
Gasps filled the courtyard outside Hestia Familia's manor. Bell Cranel, Lily, Welf, Mikoto, and Ryu all stood with mouths agape as the moment unfolded. Gods and adventurers alike began to gather, drawn by the divine resonance they could feel from streets away. Even mortals without Falna felt the shifting energy like a ripple in their souls.
"They're friends?" Bell whispered.
"Not just friends," muttered Loki, having appeared with Finn, Riveria, and Gareth in tow. "Hella and Hestia are two of the oldest. Before even the descent, they walked the stars together. Hella was a shadow among gods, the keeper of secrets and the warden of the Dark."
Hella pulled away gently, looking Hestia in the eyes. "There is much to explain, and little time. The Dungeon is awakening."
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The Revelation
Hella stood before a gathering of deities and mortals alike within the Guild's Grand Assembly Hall. Black Scythe stood at her side, ever watchful. Behind them, Hestia sat with a solemnity none had ever seen her bear before. The hall was filled with tension. Eyes from every major Familia and Guild executive watched, waiting for the truth to come forth.
"The Dungeon you all know—the place of monsters, trials, and treasure—is not what you think it is," Hella began. Her voice echoed not from volume but weight. "It is not simply a labyrinth of stone. It is a seal."
Gasps. Murmurs.
"A seal placed by the gods, long before our descent," she continued. "At its heart, chained to the hundredth floor, I was the anchor that kept its contents bound. The monsters you fight are fragments—echoes—leaking from beyond the seal. They are born of will and memory."
"So you were imprisoned... to protect us?" Riveria asked, brows furrowed.
Hella nodded. "I chose to become the seal. The black chains were not my prison—they were my will. I volunteered to stay behind. It was the only way to maintain balance. But the Dungeon grew sentient, and when it awoke, it rejected my control. It turned inward and began summoning forces of its own."
Loki crossed her arms. "Then the real threat... isn't the monsters. It's the Dungeon itself."
"Exactly," Hella said. "It has a will. A consciousness born of eons of power and death. It adapted, evolved... and now, it seeks to free itself."
Ganesha rose from his chair. "But if the seal is broken—"
"—It means the true heart of the Dungeon has awakened," Hella interrupted. "And it has already acted."
Suddenly, the sky turned a shade darker. A rumble shook the stone foundations beneath the Grand Hall. Then came the roar. Not just sound, but resonance. The world seemed to tremble.
A sudden roar tore through the sky. The assembly hall shook. Windows shattered. An unnatural pressure fell upon the city.
From the skies above Orario, the clouds parted—and through them came the unthinkable.
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The One-Eyed Black Dragon Returns
Its wings were torn from the winds of another realm. Its scales shimmered black, absorbing sunlight. Its single glowing eye, a molten gold orb, scanned the city like a god returned. A terrible, beautiful beast, long whispered in legend and fear.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon had returned.
Adventurers screamed. Magic circles flared to life across Orario. The Tower of Babel, the divine pillar that covered the Dungeon, trembled. Birds fled the skies. The very magic in the air was unsettled.
"No... it can't be," muttered Hermes, hand to his mouth. "We sealed it away centuries ago..."
The dragon descended toward the city center.
Black Scythe was already moving. "It's not here for destruction. Not yet. It wants Hella."
Hella stepped forward, her gaze locked on the dragon. "It is the Dungeon's warden. It was created to protect the core from intruders—and now it seeks to return me to my post."
Bell stepped in front of her. "You're not going back. Not alone."
A smile touched her lips. "Brave boy."
The dragon landed outside the city, a tremor following its impact. Walls cracked. The air itself seemed to vibrate. Yet it did not strike.
Instead, it spoke.
"Return, Seal Goddess. The Heart stirs. The Balance must be kept."
Its voice was ancient, vibrating inside the bones of every listener.
Scythe drew his weapon.
Hella placed a hand on his arm. "We must decide together. The gods, the familias, and you. The next age begins today."
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The Council of Gods
With the Black Dragon looming outside the city, a new assembly was held atop the Tower of Babel. Every god present held a unique expression—some of awe, others of dread. The mood was grim. Yet, a strange hope brewed beneath it.
"The balance is fracturing," Freya said. "If the Dungeon sent its champion, it is because it fears what will come if Hella remains unbound."
"Or it fears what she will reveal," Loki added darkly.
"What choice do we have?" asked Miach. "Return her to the chains? No. That's not justice. That's cowardice."
"We could try to seal the Dungeon again," suggested Ouranos, seated atop the divine dais. "But without Hella—without a divine anchor—it would only delay the inevitable."
Ryu Min stepped forward. "Then we don't seal it. We finish it."
Shock rippled through the council.
"You want to destroy the Dungeon?" Hephaestus asked.
"No. I want to reach the Heart. And sever its will. Once and for all."
Silence.
Then, slowly, Hella nodded. "I will lead you there. But we must first survive the dragon."
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The Battle Outside Orario
Every familia capable of battle gathered outside the city. Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Hestia Familia, and more. The gods stood atop the walls, their power ready to shield the mortals. Mortals, too, from the weakest adventurer to the most skilled level five, all prepared.
The sky was darkened by the dragon's presence. Its breath alone had the force of storms. With one flap of its wings, entire squadrons were knocked back. Magic burned across the battlefield as Riveria led a contingent of elves in high-precision bombardments. Gareth anchored defensive lines with his indomitable shield.
Black Scythe stood at the vanguard, dueling the dragon in a dance of shadows and steel. He vanished and reappeared in blinks, each strike pushing the dragon back.
The battle was apocalyptic. The sky turned red. Magic bombs collided with dark fire. Welf forged weapons mid-battle, Mikoto redirected its flame breath with precise strikes, and Bell—glowing with Argo Vesta—pierced the beast's eye in a coordinated strike. The combined effort of every Familia turned chaos into orchestrated fury.
Still, the dragon did not die.
It turned to Hella.
And knelt.
"The Heart awaits, Goddess of Chains. Lead your legions."
The stunned silence gave way to realization.
The Dungeon had sent the dragon not to recapture—but to invite her back. The seal was broken. The war had begun.