DANMACHI: THE ECHO OF FALLEN HEROES

"I really wouldn't know what to do," Leo finally mustered the courage to reply. "I don't even know if I'd be able to react." Leo looked at the ground with a look of helplessness.

The god realized that it was a very tense subject for a child, so he simply said:

"Don't worry, kid, don't think about it so much. I wanted to see your point of view about the creatures. With time, the answers will come on their own. Just live long enough so that when you have the answer, you can come running to give it to me," said the god as he placed his large hand on Leo's head.

Leo remained silent until his head nodded with more confidence.

"You know, some of us gods come down out of curiosity about humanity, about people like you, people whom you don't know how to limit because of their capacity for growth. Other gods came down as punishment, forced by the laws of the gods to deprive themselves of their power and see how, instead of creating chaos, they managed to restore order with the help of humans. And a few gods... because they had a debt to humanity that they never knew existed. Of course, all this came about because of the great catastrophe," the god continued.

"And you?" Leo asked, interrupting the god in a low voice. "Why did you come down?"

The god drank from his jug. His eyes became distant. The weight of hidden centuries.

"That's a good question, although to be honest, so many years have passed that I no longer remember the reason for my descent from heaven. But perhaps... I can tell you my reason for staying here, and that is because of them," the god pointed to the painting where he was with different people drinking and smiling.

Leo looked at the painting again and noticed that among all the people in the painting there was a man carrying a woman who was holding a baby in her arms, the man smiling as much as possible to be in the group photo with his wife and baby.

"Who are they?" Leo asked, pointing to the couple.

The man looked at the painting with a nostalgic smile and replied:

"The boy was one of my sons, she was a girl from another family, both lovers misunderstood by society, but in love until the end." His smile slowly faded.

"What happened to all of them?" Leo asked, still trying to figure out what might have happened to them, but still wanting to hear the god's answer.

The god remained silent and turned away.

"A tragedy took them all away," said the god sadly.

For the first time, Leo saw vulnerability in the god, who always appeared to be cheerful and strict, but never let his guard down.

"And the baby?" Leo asked innocently. 

"It's better not to ask any more questions, child. It's time to train. We'll talk about this later," replied the god, picking up another sack full of stones, this time larger than the previous one."You know, Leo... that time... When I found you on that floor, I wasn't there by accident. I was looking for something. Information. Fragments of a truth still unknown to many, something that would change the world, a thought from that man who ran with his wife in his arms, the thought of a real hero. You remind me of him in many ways, so don't give up yet. There's still a long way to go."

Leo just nodded, taking the lead and grabbing the bag full of stones from the god's hands, even more motivated than before because he wanted to live up to that thought and goal of the only person who had cared for and supported him since he came into this world.

As Leo ran to the outskirts of the city of Orario, the god followed him in a somewhat old and worn mini carriage.

"Hey, old man, you said you were looking for answers to a truth that few know. What truth are you referring to?" Leo asked, panting from exhaustion.

The god remained silent. Leo usually asked questions, but he wasn't so direct.

"It's something you'll realize over time. With the arrival of a new hero, the truths of Orario will be revealed," said the god with a small smile as he drank more beer and drove the horse.

"The arrival of the new hero?" asked Leo.

"That's right, the hero who will change everything," the god smiled hopefully, looking at the sunset on the horizon. "It's late, boy. We should rest. There's a place nearby I want to show you."

The god and Leo arrived at a kind of hot spring. Leo had never been to one before, especially in his other life, since such places were not common where he lived.

Upon entering the place, the old man gave Leo the task of putting their things away while he went in to check out the place. 

Leo didn't understand what the god meant. Was there some danger lurking, or was it to avoid being recognized and caught by the other gods? With no other option, Leo hurried and stored all his belongings in the carriage. With his newly acquired experience, Leo set out to check the outskirts of the place as quickly as possible.

The surrounding streets, shops, hotels, bars, and brothels were all that surrounded him, nothing unusual that would put the god at risk. Leo returned to the hot springs and entered the bath, determined to take a bath of this kind for the first time.

As Leo undressed, he noticed that his body had changed during all these weeks of training and good nutrition. He now had more muscles, was more resistant, and more agile. He was no longer the same malnourished child who almost died in the dungeon. Now he felt more capable.

The god interrupted Leo's moment and shouted at him:

"Hey Leo, why are you taking so long? If you don't come in soon, the fun will be over."

Leo, not understanding much, went in, and at first glance, everything was cloudy. It was hot, but not stifling; it was relaxing. Looking around, he saw that the god was not there, so without hesitation, he jumped into the water to look for him.

"Hey, old man, where are you?" Leo asked several times, afraid that something bad had happened.

"Shhh, be quiet, boy, they'll discover us," whispered the God.

Leo looked up and saw the god hanging from the wall that divided the men's and women's bathrooms.

Leo's frightened face was indescribable. The man he partly admired, even though he was a drunk, also turned out to be a pervert.

Seeing that the god was about to fall, Leo hurried to get under him so that he would not fall violently. The god, far from getting down himself, just said to Leo:

"Hey, kid, stay still if you can. Lift me up a little, I can hardly see."

Leo, with his small body, could barely hold up the chubby old man.

"Are you looking, kid? They're beautiful, aren't they?"

The god spoke to Leo as if he were in the same situation as him, looking at the naked bodies of the women on the other side.

"Hey, old man, get down now. I don't think I can hold on much longer," said Leo, grimacing.

"Wait, kid, the best part is coming."

Leo turned his gaze slightly and noticed that there was a small opening in part of the wall, which, although small, allowed him to see a little of the other side. Intrigued, Leo couldn't help but look through the hole.

To his surprise, due to his moans and all the noise Leo and the god were making, one of the girls peered through the hole and caught Leo's eye. Startled, Leo jumped back and let go of the god, who fell to his feet without difficulty, smiling at Leo, whose face was completely red.

"You saw, right? There's nothing better than the beauty of a woman," said the smiling god.

Without further ado, the women on the other side began to scream:

"They're spying on us, they're perverts! Quick, everyone, let's get them! We have to teach them a lesson!"

The god's smile faded quickly.

"Well, boy... that's our signal... It's time to put your training into practice... run," the god finished shouting.