(Start Flashback - Pantheon, Afternoon )
The Pantheon was filled with deities. The Denatus, the quarterly meeting of the Gods and Goddesses who descended to Gekai, was about to begin. It was an event where important matters concerning Orario and the Dungeon were discussed, rules were debated, and, perhaps most anticipated by the gods themselves, aliases were bestowed upon adventurers who had reached a new level since the last meeting. The air vibrated with lively conversations, laughter, and the chaotic energy of hundreds of immortal beings gathered in one place.
Aqua, wearing her elegant (and expensive) blue dress, felt like a fish out of water. It was her first Denatus, and she knew almost no one there. She looked around, desperately searching for a familiar face amidst the divine crowd. Her eyes lit up as she spotted unmistakable red hair and a smaller figure beside it. 'My salvation!' Aqua thought, 'Hephaestus-sama! And... oh great, the competitive shorty is with her too.' It was Hephaestus talking with Hestia. Ignoring her rival's presence, Aqua decided to join her new friend.
"Hephaestus-sama! Good to see you here!" Aqua greeted with a radiant smile, strategically positioning herself beside Hephaestus and casting a deliberately superior glance at Hestia over her shoulder.
Hestia, who was mid-sentence, stopped and glared at Aqua. "Well, if it isn't the Useless Goddess! What's with that look you're giving me, huh?!" The irritation was instantaneous.
"The look of someone who has the most promising follower in Orario, perhaps?" Aqua retorted, chin held high. "My Hachiman just reached Level 2, you know? In record time! Faster than your Bell-kun, for sure! And I bet he's much stronger too!"
"What?!" Hestia felt like her foot had been stepped on. "Faster?! That must have been pure luck! Luck and maybe some stolen item! My Bell-kun has infinite potential and the heart of a hero, something your dead-fish-eyed follower will never have!"
"Dead fish eyes?! How dare you?! My Hachiman is calculating and intelligent! He survived things that would make your Bell-kun cry in his lap!" Aqua shot back, the argument heating up quickly.
"My Bell-kun is pure and hardworking!" "My Hachiman is strong and strategic!"
Hephaestus sighed, placing a hand on her forehead as the two smaller goddesses argued heatedly beside her, oblivious to the amused glances of other nearby gods. At one point in the argument, Aqua turned to Hephaestus. "Hephaestus-sama! Tell her! Tell her Hachiman isn't the best?!"
Hephaestus fell silent for an instant, taken by surprise. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she thought of Hachiman, the intensity in his eyes when he asked to see hers, the kiss... She couldn't answer immediately. This silence and blush were interpreted by Hestia as the ultimate betrayal. "Even you, Hephaestus?!" Hestia exclaimed, looking genuinely hurt.
Before Hestia could continue or the argument could escalate further, a powerful, resonant voice echoed through the hall, silencing the conversations: "I AM GANESHA!" The elephant-headed god, host of the Denatus, had reached the podium. The meeting officially began.
They discussed city security, Guild reports, recent incidents in the Dungeon (perhaps a veiled mention of the irregular monsters, though without blaming anyone directly in public), proposals for new rules... Aqua tried to pay attention, but she was more anxious for the alias part. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ganesha announced: "And now, to our valiant children who have reached new heights! Starting with the most recent and, I must say, fastest Level Up recorded in our recent history... Hikigaya Hachiman, of the Aqua Familia!"
All eyes turned to Aqua, who puffed out her chest pompously. "Yes! My Hachiman! The future hero of Orario! His alias must be grand, reflecting his strength and courage! I will accept nothing less than magnificent!" she declared, trying to intimidate any bad suggestions with her exaggerated confidence.
"Hooh? Hephaestus's boy?" Loki muttered from her seat, a mocking smile appearing. She stood up. "Since he seems so... antisocial and gloomy, based on the reports from my children who had the displeasure of meeting him, I suggest... Dark Loner!"
Aqua glared daggers at Loki, ready to jump at the Trickster Goddess's throat. Other gods, sensing an opportunity for fun at the expense of a rookie Familia, started shouting other suggestions:
"How about Dead Fish Eyes?" "Gloomy Face seems appropriate!" "Sloth King!" "Reluctant Savior?"
Aqua was turning red with anger, about to explode, when another voice rose, calm but firm. It was Hephaestus.
"That's enough," she said, standing up. All eyes turned to her. "This boy, Hikigaya Hachiman, faced a Level 2 Infant Dragon to protect me, and Aqua-sama, during the attack at the festival. He demonstrated incredible courage and power for a Level 1." She looked around the hall, her single eye serious. "There is only one title that does justice to this feat. I propose: Dragon Slayer."
There was a moment of silence. 'Dragon Slayer' was a powerful, heroic, undeniably cool title. Coming from Hephaestus, it carried weight.
Then, another soft voice, yet laden with influence, sounded from a more discreet corner of the hall. "I agree. Dragon Slayer pleases me." It was Freya. Her unexpected support for such a positive title for Hachiman made Hephaestus and Aqua stare at her with renewed vigilance. What was Freya plotting by supporting a good title for him?
With the joint support of Hephaestus and Freya, two of the most influential and respected goddesses (though for different reasons), the other gods quickly lost interest in mocking Hachiman. They gave up on the ridiculous suggestions. Loki just clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked away. Ganesha, seeing the consensus, brought down the gavel. "It is decided! Hikigaya Hachiman, Level 2, your title shall be Dragon Slayer!"
Aqua barely managed to contain a cry of triumph. The meeting continued, and shortly after, Bell Cranel also had his Level Up to Level 2 made official, receiving the alias Little Rookie.
(End Flashback - Hachiman at Home, Previous Night)
'Dragon Slayer...' Hachiman repeated mentally, a rare feeling of genuine satisfaction washing over him as he sat in his house after Aqua had returned triumphantly from the Denatus. 'I really have to thank Hephaestus-sama later.' He clearly felt her hand behind that positive outcome.
With the title resolved and the Level Up official, his thoughts turned to the immediate future. Level 2. Stats reset, but with immense potential and new abilities. And he knew, from his memory of the 'original', what usually happened shortly after Bell Cranel reached Level 2: the first expedition to the Middle Floors. The one that would end with the disaster on the eighteenth floor, the appearance of the mutant Level 5 Goliath, a desperate fight, and the intervention of elite adventurers.
'The Goliath incident...' Hachiman pondered. 'It will happen soon, maybe in the next few days or the next week.' He found himself in an internal conflict. Should he intervene? On one hand, the opportunity was tempting. Fighting (or at least surviving) against a Level 5 monster, even with the help of others, would yield an absurd amount of excelia. It could drastically accelerate his progress at Level 2. It would be a 'great feat' for his name and his Familia. On the other hand, the risks were immense. 'It would be strange and suspicious for me to just 'be there' at the exact moment. Would I have to follow Bell and his party? Ridiculous.' Besides, he didn't want to get unnecessarily involved with the protagonist and his plot. Every interaction seemed to bring more complications.
There was also the Hermes factor. 'I remember it was him who manipulated Hestia into going down into the Dungeon after Bell, which worsened the situation and forced the intervention.' Interfering could mess up Hermes' plans, maybe even prevent the incident... but what would the unintended consequences be? Hermes was a manipulative and intelligent god. What if Hachiman's intervention led to something even worse, something he couldn't handle? He had no way of knowing.
After much thought, weighing the risks and benefits, the uncertainty of the future, and his own aversion to becoming a central character in someone else's 'story', Hachiman reached a pragmatic conclusion, very true to his nature.
'No. It's too risky and complicated. I won't get directly involved in this.' His priority was to get stronger, consolidate his Level 2 power, perhaps explore his new abilities and Rank C Noble Phantasms. 'I'll go with the flow for now. Focus on myself, on my own strength. If the incident happens, it happens. If I happen to be nearby by chance, maybe I'll help if necessary for my own survival. But I won't seek it out.'
With the decision made, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He had a path forward: get stronger. The rest... the rest would be the rest.