Raising Hel, in Danmachi.

The atmosphere around the dining table shifted the instant Hel made the announcement.


Excitement rolled through the room almost immediately.


Ruby looked seconds away from climbing onto the furniture while Yang was already grinning in anticipation. Even Weiss's carefully controlled composure had cracked slightly beneath visible curiosity.


Fran, meanwhile, watched all of them with quiet confusion while Teacher rested across her lap.


"…What is a falna update?" she asked softly.


"It's how adventurers grow stronger," Taylor Hebert explained from nearby. "The gods record our excelia and abilities onto our souls."


Fran blinked once. "…That sounds invasive."


"It is," Hel replied calmly.


"…Oh."

Breakfast disappeared surprisingly quickly after that.


Mostly because nobody had the patience to focus on food anymore.


By the time Hel finally stood and instructed them to gather in the main room, Yang was practically bouncing with anticipation.


The update process itself was familiar by now.


One at a time, they approached Hel while the others waited nearby, curiosity and tension steadily building with each passing minute.


Yang went first.


A few moments later she emerged from the process looking pleased.


"No level," she announced, stretching her arms overhead, "but my stats jumped hard."


"That tracks," Blake noted. "You suplexed a minotaur last time you went down didn't you?"


Then Ruby practically launched herself forward. "I volunteer as tribute!"


"You are not being sacrificed," Weiss informed her.

The room quieted slightly as Hel placed her hand against Ruby's back and divine light spread across the falna.


For several long moments, Hel said nothing.


Then one pale eyebrow lifted faintly.


Ruby immediately gasped. "OH MY GODS I DID IT DIDN'T I?"


Hel's lips curved slightly upward. "You did."


The room exploded.


Ruby screamed loud enough to shake the furniture while Yang immediately tackled her sideways into a crushing hug.


"SHE'S LEVEL TWO!"


"I'M LEVEL TWO!"


Ruby looked like she might actually pass out from excitement, shaking violently in Yang's grip like an overexcited chihuahua while her brain visibly failed to process reality correctly.


"I HAVE TWO DIGITS NOW!"


"That's not how levels work!" Weiss shouted instantly.


Ruby ignored her completely.


"Oh my gods I'm stronger now. Wait—does this mean I can legally fight bigger dragons?"


"Please dont," Hel answered immediately.


"Emotionally though?"


Hel regarded her for a moment before deciding further discussion would only encourage her little reaper.


"…Weiss. Your turn."


Weiss rose from her chair with far more composure than Ruby had displayed and took her place in front of Hel. She smoothed her skirt as she sat down, projecting confidence that was only slightly undermined by how tightly she was clasping her hands.


"Please try not to scream if something happens," she said.


"I make no promises," Ruby replied.


"You are exactly why I said that." Weiss murmurs


Hel placed a hand against Weiss's back, divine light spreading across the Falna as she began reading the update. The room gradually fell silent. Yang leaned forward with interest, Blake watched calmly from her seat, and Ruby practically vibrated with anticipation.


Several long moments passed.


Then Hel's eyebrow rose.


Weiss noticed immediately.


"…What?"


A faint smile touched Hel's lips.


"Congratulations."


For a heartbeat, Weiss simply stared.


Then the meaning registered.


The room erupted.


Ruby screamed loud enough to startle everyone. Yang threw both fists into the air in triumph. Even Blake looked genuinely pleased.


Weiss herself looked stunned.


"Wait."


She glanced between Hel and the others as if expecting someone to correct them.


"Wait."


"You advanced to Level Two," Hel confirmed.


The words seemed to hit harder the second time.


Weiss looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers slowly.


"I leveled…"


Unlike Ruby's explosive excitement, hers arrived quietly. Years of training, expectations, competition, and relentless effort suddenly crystallized into a single undeniable fact.


She had done it.


Not because of her family name.


Not because of anyone else's expectations.


Because she had earned it.


A smile spread across her face despite her best efforts to suppress it.


Unfortunately, that was the exact moment Ruby launched herself across the room.


"LEVEL TWO BUDDIES!"


Weiss barely had time to react before an excited huntress collided with her at full speed and wrapped her in a crushing hug.


"Ruby!"


"WE HAVE TWO DIGITS TOGETHER!"


"That is still not how levels work!"

Yang laughed. "Weiss, you should know by now that arguing with her is pointless."


"I know," Weiss groaned. "I just keep hoping."


While Ruby continued celebrating on Weiss's behalf, Hel moved down the line.


Blake followed. No level there either, though her stats had climbed impressively. She accepted the result with her usual calm satisfaction.


Lisa came next. Her own improvements earned a pleased smile and a joke about still lacking enough magic to cheat at cards effectively.


Then Hel arrived at Taylor.


The room quieted almost immediately.


Taylor sat without comment as Hel placed a hand against her back and divine light spread across the Falna. Unlike everyone else, she didn't speculate or ask questions. She simply waited.


Several moments passed.


Then Hel paused.


Taylor noticed instantly.


"…Well?"


A faint smile appeared on Hel's face.


"Congratulations."


The room erupted for the third time.

Erik was frustrated. No matter how much he delved into the Dungeon, he seemed no closer to reaching Level Two. As the leader of one of the lower-level squads of the Loki Familia, that was becoming increasingly difficult to accept. Others were advancing. Others were improving. Meanwhile, he remained stuck, grinding away day after day with little to show for it beyond experience and sore muscles.


It wasn't as though he was weak. Far from it. He was stronger than most adventurers his level and competent enough that his superiors trusted him with command responsibilities. Yet competence wasn't enough when everyone around him seemed to be chasing growth at a pace he couldn't match.


So Erik had developed a habit.


At night, after finishing his duties, he would wander Orario looking for trouble.


Not real trouble, of course. He wasn't some vigilante obsessed with justice. Mostly he found drunk adventurers causing problems, rowdy idiots picking fights they couldn't win, or the occasional thug trying to intimidate merchants in the poorer districts. Erik would step in, an shoot them with his crossbow. It felt instinctual.



Most people preferred fists when teaching idiots a lesson. Erik preferred a crossbow bolt to the thigh from thirty meters away.


The screaming usually improved attitudes remarkably quickly.


Tonight's victim was a particularly ambitious drunk who had decided to threaten a fruit merchant with a broken bottle. One bolt through the man's boot pinned him neatly to the stone street behind him.


The bottle hit the ground.


The merchant looked relieved.


The drunk looked horrified. An then another bolt hit his shoulder.

Leaving the city guards to sort out the aftermath, Erik continued on his way.


The cool night air did little to improve his mood. The city was lively as always. Adventurers crowded taverns. Merchants packed away their stalls. Laughter and music drifted through the streets.


Eventually his wandering brought him to the busiest district around the taverns.


A familiar sign swung overhead.


The Hostess of Fertility.


Erik paused.


He wasn't particularly hungry.


On the other hand, Mama Mia made a meat pie capable of convincing rational people to commit crimes.


A difficult decision.


His stomach made it for him.


A few minutes later he was seated near the back of the crowded tavern, enjoying food that probably qualified as divine intervention.


The Hostess was packed as usual.


Syr floated between tables carrying trays with effortless grace.


Anya was arguing loudly with a customer about something involving fish.


Chloe appeared to be stealing food directly from customer plates while somehow convincing everyone present that she wasn't.


Business as usual.


Erik was halfway through his meal when someone dropped into the seat across from him.


His eyes lifted automatically.


Red hair.


And those lovely blue eyes.


For a moment his brain stalled.


Not because she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen—though she was certainly attractive—but because he knew those eyes. Why did he know those eyes?


"Um, excuse me sir, can I take your order?" the redhead asked politely.

"I'll take whatever the pretty lady recommends."


The reaction was immediate.


The waitress froze for half a second before visibly switching into the well-practiced expression of someone who had dealt with flirting customers far too many times.


"Uh, right." She cleared her throat. "That would be the house special and... I'm seeing someone at the moment."


====


The receptionist glanced up as Ruby approached the counter.


"Good morning, Miss Rose."


"Hi, Eina!"


The half-elf smiled politely.


"You seem excited."


"I leveled up!"


The declaration was loud enough to draw a few curious glances from nearby adventurers.


Eina blinked.


"...You what?"


Ruby immediately produced the folded status sheet from her pocket and slid it across the counter.


The half-elf adjusted her glasses and began reading.


A few seconds later she read it again.


Then a third time.


Her professional smile became noticeably strained.


"Miss Rose."


"Yeah?"


"How long have you been an adventurer?"


Ruby tilted her head.


"A few weeks?"


Silence.


Nearby adventurers continued about their business, blissfully unaware that Eina's worldview had just suffered serious damage.


"A few... weeks."


"Uh-huh."


Eina slowly lowered the paper.


Most adventurers spent years reaching Level Two. Even talented adventurers often needed a year or more. Reaching a level-up after only a few weeks wasn't merely unusual—it bordered on absurd.


The half-elf looked back down at the status sheet as though hoping it might somehow change.


It did not.


The achievement remained exactly as ridiculous as it had been a moment ago.

"...Taylor said it happened because of all the training. She and Weiss also leveled up, and as the captain I'm here to do the paperwork," Ruby explained.


Eina froze.


Slowly.


Very slowly.


She raised her head.


"I'm sorry."


Ruby blinked.


"What?"


Eina folded her hands together atop the counter.


"Could you repeat that?"


"Taylor and Weiss leveled up too?"


For a moment Eina simply stared at her.


Then she looked down at the status sheet.


Then back at Ruby.


Then back at the status sheet.


Three.


Three level-ups.


Not one exceptional adventurer.


Not one prodigy.


Three members of the same familia.


In the same period of time.


Eina felt a headache forming behind her eyes.


"Miss Rose."


"Yeah?"


"How many members does Hel Familia currently have?"


Ruby thought about it.


"SixSeven Depending on whether you count Fran."

Because Hel Familia wasn't a massive organization like Loki or Freya Familia. They weren't throwing dozens of elite adventurers into the Dungeon every day hoping a few would achieve breakthroughs.


They were a tiny familia.


And a significant percentage of them had apparently just advanced.


The half-elf stared blankly into the distance.


"Miss Rose."


"Yeah?"


"Has anyone informed the Guild about whatever training methods your familia is using?"


Ruby brightened immediately. "Oh! We run every morning, then conditioning, then weapon practice, then sparring."


Eina waited.


Ruby nodded as if that were the complete answer.


Eina blinked. "That's it?"


"Well, all of us already have experience in a similar line of work," Ruby added. "I was slaying monsters before I got my Falna, after all."


Eina paused.


"…You were what?"


"Slaying monsters," Ruby repeated, as though this were the most normal sentence in the world.


"Before receiving a Falna."


"Yeah."


Eina slowly adjusted her glasses.


Ordinary people did not, as a rule, casually hunt monsters before becoming adventurers. That was precisely what the Guild existed to prevent.


"…Miss Rose," she said carefully, "that is not typical."


Ruby tilted her head. "Huh?"


"You seem surprised."


"I guess I never really thought about it."


Eina exhaled through her nose and glanced back down at the paperwork, as if it might somehow become less concerning if she looked at it long enough. Ruby Rose. Level Two after only a few weeks. Hel Familia.


Then she thought of Weiss Schnee. Then Taylor Hebert.


The pattern was becoming clearer, and somehow more unsettling with every added detail.


"So let me confirm," Eina said at last. "You and Miss Schnee already had significant combat experience before arriving in Orario."


Ruby nodded. "Pretty much."


"And Miss Hebert as well?"


"Oh, definitely Taylor."


"Explain."


Ruby didn't even hesitate. "Taylor was basically leading armies."


Eina froze.


"…Leading armies."


"More or less."


Slowly, deliberately, Eina removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. The gesture helped absolutely nothing.


When she put them back on, the situation had not improved.


"Miss Rose," she said flatly, "you may have neglected to mention several critical details."


Ruby blinked. "I did?"


"Yes."


"Like what?"

Eina gestured vaguely at the stack of paperwork in front of her. "Like the fact that your captain has military command experience."


Ruby considered that for a moment, then winced. "Oh. But I don't have military experience?" she said, sounding genuinely confused. Does working for Atlas temporarily count?


She paused, then immediately shook her head. No, probably not. That was more… school with weapons.


Eina stared at her.


That was not reassuring.


"…Miss Rose," she said carefully, "you do understand that most adventurers enter the Dungeon with no structured combat background at all?"


Ruby tilted her head. "Yeah, but we all do?"


Eina sighs as she pulls out paperwork.

Have you ever blown a tire and wrapped your car around a tree at seventy miles an hour?

No?

Yeah. Wouldn't recommend it. There's a moment—right before everything cuts out—where your body is very clear on the fact that something has gone catastrophically wrong. It hurts.

Then there's nothing.

===
Something dragged them back.

Consciousness didn't return gently; it snapped into place, breath punching into their lungs in a sharp, uneven gasp. A dull ache followed, distant and unfocused, like it belonged to someone else and had simply been forwarded along out of obligation. They coughed, the sound rough in their throat, and became aware of the ground beneath them—cold, uneven, solid in a way that felt more like stone than anything else.

Okay.

Car accident.

That made sense.

They shifted, pressing a hand down to lever themselves onto their back. The movement worked, but it felt delayed, like their body was responding through a fraction of lag they couldn't quite account for. Still, it worked, and that was enough.

Thrown clear, they decided, clinging to the explanation as it formed. Seatbelt snapped, glass shattered—something like that.

It happened. People survived worse.

Their eyes opened, and immediately, the explanation started to fall apart. The first thing that was seen clearly was a stone covered in blood as he? felt a warm liquid coming down my head. The next thing was i was wearing a backpack? Why did everything hurt?


The pain was harder to ignore now, spreading in a way that felt both distant and immediate, as though it couldn't decide where it belonged.


Before they could make sense of it, a sound cut through the haze.


A voice—low, rough, shaped more like a growl than speech.


"Emma."


The name landed wrong.


It echoed in a space it shouldn't have occupied, carrying a strange familiarity that didn't belong to them. Their first instinct was rejection, immediate and certain. That wasn't their name. It couldn't be.


And yet, almost as quickly, something else answered back.


It is. Emma Barnes

"Wa-" is all that is mouthed as the world goes dark again.The world went dark as the memories hit in full.

=====

Emma was on her feet—smaller, lighter, a stick clutched in her hand like it was something far more important than it had any right to be.

"Stay behind me," she said, trying for something commanding and landing somewhere closer to stubborn.

There was movement behind her, quick and quiet.

"I don't need to," came the reply, just as stubborn, just as certain.

Taylor.

Emma didn't turn, but she could picture her perfectly anyway—dark hair pulled back poorly, already half falling out, eyes focused in that intense way she got when she decided something mattered.

"That's not the point," Emma shot back, tightening her grip on the stick. "I'm the knight. You're—"

"The strategist," Taylor cut in immediately. "Knights don't win without strategists."

Emma hesitated.

"…That's not how this works."

"It is now."

A beat passed, the kind that only existed because neither of them was willing to give ground first. Then Emma exhaled sharply, already adjusting.

"Fine. Then what's the plan?"

There was a pause, brief but deliberate.

"We go around," Taylor said, pointing toward the side yard where the fence leaned just enough to count as an opening. "You distract it. I'll flank. We'll slay the monster!"


Woof.


=====

Emma woke slowly this time, awareness rising through a heavy fog instead of snapping into place. The first thing she registered wasn't sight, but restraint.

Her arms were pulled tight behind her back, wrists bound in something that didn't feel like rope. It was smoother—too smooth—but unyielding, biting into her skin with a faint, almost tacky resistance whenever she shifted. The same material held her legs, wrapped securely at the ankles and higher up, restricting even the smallest movement. It flexed just enough to move with her, but not enough to give.

Spider silk. She had become Emma Barnes an Taylor had kidnapped her to get revenge… a tall strong girl an now I'm a small, weak girl being tied up, an I like this… I did not know this about myself and it's rather concerning…

"Taylor she's awake an umm strangely aroused? scareroused?" Lisa states

"What the fuck, Emma!" Taylor shouts


Emma gagged an not able to respond, shrugging.


"No, no, you don't get to shrug, you stupid bitch!" Taylor screams.


Emma decides to just roll with it, Infinite Earths, maybe she could convince Taylor that she wasn't a bitch. After all, that was Emma that did all of those horrible, horrible things to Taylor an she wasn't the original Emma.


The blindfold an gagged were removed an Emma made eye contact with Taylor, "Are we going with the usual safeword, honey? I missed you." And the original Emma had missed Taylor; she just wished she were stronger. So hopefully this would mislead Lis- why is Lisa an actual fox girl?