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Freya stood by the large glass window.
She was at the very top of Babel Tower.
The tower reached high into the dark clouds.
She held a silver cup of red wine in her smooth hand.
She watched the bright white light fade in the distance.
The Night City was completely quiet now.
Ottar stood behind her in the shadows.
He didn't move.
He barely breathed.
"Ishtar is gone,"
Freya said softly.
"Yes, Lady Freya,"
Ottar replied.
His voice was deep and heavy like thunder.
"She was very foolish,"
Freya smiled.
"She tried to play a game she could not win. She thought she was the queen of this city."
"Should I send our forces?"
Ottar asked.
"The Night City has no leader now. The Guild will want control. We can take it first. We can claim her territory."
"No,"
Freya shook her head slowly.
"Leave it. I don't care about her dirty city. I care about what happened inside it."
Freya looked down at the tiny streets far below.
She could not see Bell from here.
But she could feel his soul shining in the dark.
"My rabbit grew stronger tonight,"
Freya whispered happily.
Her silver eyes glowed in the dark room.
"He didn't break under her pressure. He fought back. He broke the cage himself. He saved the fox girl. His soul is shining brighter than ever before. It is a beautiful color."
"He had help,"
Ottar pointed out.
"The man named Elias ended the war. He destroyed the Familia alone."
"Yes,"
Freya agreed.
She took a slow sip of her wine.
"Elias is a very interesting man. He is a total mystery. But he is a perfect teacher for Bell."
"He is dangerous,"
Ottar warned her.
"He defeated a Level 5 with one hand. He sent a Goddess back to Tenkai. He could be a serious threat to you."
"He is not a threat,"
Freya laughed a light, clear laugh.
"He doesn't care about Orario. He doesn't care about my power. He only cares about his own amusement."
She traced the rim of her silver cup with her finger.
"He pushed Bell to be a true hero. He gave Bell a strong reason to stand up. For that, I am very happy. Elias did my job for me."
"What is your order?"
Ottar asked.
"We wait,"
Freya said.
"We watch Bell grow even more. The rabbit is running faster now. I want to see exactly how high he can jump."
A few months passed quickly.
Summer turned into a cool autumn.
The Hestia Mansion was very peaceful.
The morning sun warmed the stone courtyard.
Elias sat quietly on a wooden bench.
He drank hot tea from a small clay cup.
Dee sat next to him.
She held a small, black handheld game console.
Her thumbs moved very fast over the plastic buttons.
She frowned deeply at the tiny screen.
"Take that, you stupid monster,"
Dee muttered under her breath.
Elias looked at her.
"Are you winning?"
He asked.
"I am grinding for a rare sword,"
Dee answered.
She didn't look up from the screen.
"I need better loot. This action game is very hard. I have been farming this exact same boss for three whole days."
She pressed one last button very hard.
A happy victory song played from the tiny speakers.
Dee sighed heavily.
She turned the game off completely.
She leaned her head on Elias's shoulder.
"I am bored,"
Dee announced loudly.
"You just beat the game,"
Elias said.
"I know,"
Dee sighed again.
"It finally dropped the Sword of Shadows. But now there is no one strong enough to fight me. The game is too easy now. And I am bored of everything else here, too."
Elias took a slow sip of his tea.
"Orario is a loud city,"
Elias said.
"Bell is very busy. He goes to the dungeon every single day. He is a Level 4 now. He trains hard with Welf and Mikoto. Haruhime is safe and happy. The Hestia Familia is doing very well on their own."
"Exactly,"
Dee nodded.
"The story here is fixed. The rabbit doesn't need a babysitter anymore. He is walking on his own two feet perfectly fine."
"So?"
Elias asked.
"So, our date here is finished,"
Dee smiled.
She looked up at his face.
"We came to this world for a fun date. We saw Gods. We fought big monsters. We crashed a giant tower. It was a very good time."
"It was,"
Elias agreed.
He set his teacup down on a small wooden table.
"Are you ready to leave?"
Elias asked her.
"Yes,"
Dee said brightly.
"Should we go back home?"
Elias asked.
He thought about their original world.
The world of devils, angels, and fallen angels.
Dee wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"No,"
Dee said quickly.
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
"Home is too boring right now,"
Dee explained.
"The devils are always arguing about politics. The angels are entirely too strict. The dragons are always sleeping or fighting each other."
"It is our home,"
Elias reminded her softly.
"But we are on vacation,"
Dee argued playfully.
"A date can last as long as we want it to last. I want to keep hopping between worlds. I want to see something completely new."
Elias thought about it for a moment.
He liked traveling with Dee.
He liked seeing new magic and learning new rules.
"Where do you want to go next?"
Elias asked.
"Somewhere completely different,"
Dee smiled widely.
"Maybe a place with modern buildings but crazy magic. Or a place where the world ended and people fight for resources. Just something fresh and exciting."
"Okay,"
Elias nodded.
"We will go to the next world."
Dee clapped her hands together.
"Yay! A new date!"
Elias stood up from the bench.
"We need to pack our things,"
Elias said.
"And we need to say goodbye to Hestia and the others."
Dee groaned loudly.
"Hestia is a huge crybaby,"
Dee complained.
"If we tell her, she will grab your leg. She will cry for three hours straight. She will make a huge mess on the floor."
"She is our Goddess in this world,"
Elias said.
"It is the right thing to do."
"Can we just leave a note?"
Dee pleaded.
"A nice, simple note. On the kitchen table. With a drawing of a smiling face."
"Bell deserves a real goodbye,"
Elias told her firmly.
Dee rolled her eyes, but she smiled.
"Fine."
Later that evening, the Familia sat in the large dining room.
The wooden table was full of hot food.
Bell ate a large piece of meat.
He looked very happy and relaxed.
Elias stood up at the end of the table.
"Listen to me,"
Elias spoke loudly.
The room went completely quiet.
Everyone looked at him.
"Dee and I are leaving,"
Elias said simply.
Hestia dropped her metal fork.
It clattered loudly against her plate.
"Leaving?"
Hestia gasped.
"Where are you going? Did you find a new apartment in the city?"
"We are leaving Orario,"
Elias explained.
"We are leaving this world."
Bell stood up from his chair quickly.
His red eyes were wide with shock.
"You are going away?"
Bell asked.
"Forever?"
"Nope, but it might be a very long time."
Elias nodded.
"But why?"
Welf asked.
He looked confused.
"Who is going to test my new swords? You belong with us. We are a family."
"Lili will miss you carrying the heavy bags,"
Lili added sadly.
"We were just visiting,"
Dee said from the corner of the room.
She ate a crisp red apple.
"Our date here is over. It is time for us to move on to the next place."
Hestia ran around the long table.
She grabbed Elias's hand tightly.
Big tears formed in her blue eyes.
"Please don't go,"
Hestia begged.
"You protected us. You saved Bell. I need you here."
Elias gently pulled his hand away.
"You don't need me, Hestia,"
Elias said kindly.
"You have Bell. You have Welf, Mikoto, Lili, and Haruhime. Your Familia is very strong now. You will all be fine."
Hestia sniffled loudly.
She wiped her nose on her sleeve.
Bell walked over to Elias.
He looked very sad, but he understood the choice.
"Thank you for everything,"
Bell said.
He bowed deeply.
"You taught me how to truly fight. You taught me how to be brave when I was scared. I will never forget you, Elias-sensei."
Elias reached out his hand.
He placed his hand on Bell's white hair.
He ruffled it gently.
"Keep growing, Bell,"
Elias said softly.
"Don't stop running forward. Protect the people standing behind you. Break through the walls standing in front of you."
"I will,"
Bell promised.