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The group finished their giant feast.
Bell paid for the meal with a happy smile.
They waved goodbye to the staff and walked out into the cool night.
Ryu stood silently at the bar.
She watched the wooden door close behind them.
Syr walked up and gently bumped her shoulder against Ryu's arm.
"You stared at him the whole time they were here,"
Syr teased. A playful smile spread across her face.
"Do you like him, Ryu?"
Ryu turned her head quickly. The tips of her pointed elf ears turned a little pink.
"Do not say foolish things, Syr,"
Ryu answered flatly.
"I was watching how he moves. He is not a normal beginner. He hides his strength."
Syr giggled.
She picked up an empty tray from a nearby table.
"I know he is strong,"
Syr said.
"But he is also very handsome. I think you noticed that, too."
"I only care about protecting this place,"
Ryu insisted.
She picked up cloth and started wiping the counter very fast.
Syr hummed a happy tune. She leaned against the wooden bar.
"Well, if you do like him, his partner did not seem to mind at all,"
Syr noted.
Ryu stopped wiping. She looked at Syr, feeling confused.
"The pale girl?"
Ryu asked.
"Dee?"
"Yes,"
Syr nodded.
"Most girls get very angry when another woman stares at their man. They get jealous. They pull their man away."
Syr looked at the empty table where Elias and Dee had just sat.
"But Dee didn't seem to care at all,"
Syr continued softly.
"She saw you watching him. She even talked to you. But she did not look angry or jealous. She just smiled."
"She is a very strange person,"
Ryu agreed.
The street was quiet as they walked back to the old church.
Lili held the heavy pouch of coins against her chest. She could not stop smiling.
She looked at the three people walking beside her.
"Bell,"
Lili called out softly.
"Yes, Lili?"
Bell asked, looking back with a kind smile.
"If we make this much money every day, I can pay my debt very fast,"
Lili said.
"I owe Soma Familia a lot of money. That is why they never let me leave."
Bell stopped walking. His eyes looked sad for a moment.
"Do you want us to talk to them?"
Bell asked.
"No,"
Lili shook her head firmly.
"I want to do it the right way. I will work hard. I will earn the money myself and give it to them. Then they can never bother me again. I will be completely free."
Lili took a deep breath. She looked up at them with hopeful eyes.
"When I am free,"
Lili asked shyly,
"Can I really join the Hestia Familia? Officially?"
Dee immediately rushed forward.
She grabbed both of Lili's hands and jumped up and down.
"Of course you can!"
Dee cheered loudly.
"You are already my cute little sister! We just need Goddess Hestia to put the stamp on your back!"
Elias walked up and stopped beside them.
He placed his large, warm hand on Lili's head.
"You do not have to carry it all by yourself,"
Elias told her.
"If you ever need help, you just ask us. That is what big brothers are for."
Lili felt a lump in her throat. She looked at Dee's bright smile and Elias's eyes.
For her whole life, she had been completely alone.
Now, she had a brave captain, a sweet big sister, and a strong big brother.
She had a real family.
Lili wiped a happy tear from her eye and gave them a massive smile.
"I will do my best!"
Lili promised.
"I will be the greatest supporter in the world. I will make all of you proud!"
"You already make us proud, Lili,"
Bell laughed, turning back toward the church.
"Now let's hurry. Hestia is definitely waiting for us at the door."
Lili gripped Dee's hand tightly and skipped forward.
The dark night did not feel cold or scary anymore.
Gell spat on the stone street. He rubbed his sore throat.
He stood in a dark alley with his two men.
They were angry and humiliated.
"That guy got lucky,"
Gell lied to his men.
"He just caught me off guard."
The two men nodded. They held their iron swords tight.
"What do we do, Gell?"
One man asked.
"We get payback,"
Gell answered with a cruel smile.
"I know the white-haired kid. He is Bell Cranel. He lives in that broken church at the edge of the city. We will go there tonight. We burn it down. We take the girl back. We take all their money."
They laughed quietly. They thought it would be easy.
They did not know who they were really dealing with.
The streets were dark and empty.
Gell and his men walked toward the church.
They gripped their weapons, ready to attack.
Suddenly, Gell stopped walking.
A figure stood in the middle of the narrow road.
He blocked their path completely.
The clouds moved, and the moonlight hit the street.
It was Elias.
His hands were empty. His face was completely calm.
"You,"
Gell hissed. He raised his heavy axe.
"You are very stupid. You came alone to fight us?"
"I told you to get out of my sight,"
Elias said slowly. His voice was deep and quiet.
"She owes us!"
Gell yelled.
"She belongs to the Soma Familia. We will kill you right here. Then we will kill that kid and take the rat back."
Elias did not look angry. He just looked disappointed.
"I gave you a chance,"
Elias said.
"I let you walk away."
"You made a mistake,"
Gell sneered.
"Now you die."
Elias shook his head.
"Some people can learn from mercy,"
Elias told them.
"You will not. If I let you live, you will just hurt someone else tomorrow. You will never learn. You bring nothing to this world but trouble."
Gell charged forward. He swung his axe with all his might.
Elias did not step back. He did not dodge.
He simply stepped forward and raised a single finger.
He tapped the center of Gell's chest.
A heavy, invisible force pushed straight through Gell's body.
Gell stopped moving instantly.
His axe fell to the ground with a loud clang.
His eyes went blank, and he dropped dead onto the street.
The other two men froze.
They dropped their swords. They shook with pure terror.
They turned around to run.
Elias just waved his hand.
The air cracked softly.
The two men collapsed to the ground, completely lifeless.
Their hearts just stopped beating.
The street was quiet again.
Elias looked down at the bodies. He felt no pity.
They chose to threaten his family.
"Sleep well, Lili,"
Elias murmured to the night sky.
He turned around and walked back to the church, leaving the danger far behind them.