is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire? Danmachi x MHA

"I'll make you regret ever crossing my path."

---

Liliruca Arde couldn't quite understand how she'd ended up here.

The last thing she remembered was being double-crossed by her clients, moments away from death at their hands. And yet… she was alive.

Slowly, she pushed herself upright, taking in her surroundings. The room was modest, likely a basement judging by the narrow staircase leading upward. A bed, a small hearth, a closet, and the couch she lay on furnished the space.

Her mind churned with questions.

Had someone saved her…?

Bell-sama.

A chill ran down Lili's spine. The last thing she remembered was him about to clash with her clients. The image of his cold, unflinching eyes burned into her memory.

What would he do to her after she'd betrayed him so cruelly?

Then guilt set in, heavier than the fear. If Bell-sama had saved her yet again, how could she ever face him after what she had done?

Before she could dwell further, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs. Her breath hitched.

It's Bell-sama!

She wasn't ready. She couldn't face him.

Bell appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his face lighting up with relief as he rushed toward her, a gentle smile spreading across his features.

"Are you alright, Lili?" he asked, his voice calm and polite, as if nothing ever happened.

Shame weighed heavily on her, pressing her gaze to the floor. Words caught in her throat, unable to escape.

Bell crouched to her level, his smile softening further. "It's alright, Lili," he said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. "Whatever happened is in the past. What matters now is that you're safe."

Carefully, he reached out and tilted her chin upward with a single finger, gently guiding her to meet his gaze.

Her breath hitched again, startled by the warmth in his expression. The cold, piercing red eyes she'd feared so much were gone—as if they had never been there at all. Instead, his gaze was kind, genuine.

"We can't change what's already happened," he continued softly, "but we can still move forward from here."

His words, so full of reassurance, sparked an unfamiliar flicker of hope in her chest. She found herself frozen by the sincerity in his gaze, the warmth of his smile.

He truly means it…

Tears blurred her vision, spilling down her cheeks as she whispered, her voice trembling, "Lili is… Lili is sorry, Bell-sama."

Bell's response was simple yet gentle. "It's okay."

The kindness in his words struck her harder than any punishment could have.

And in her raw moment of vulnerability, she failed to notice the faint, subtle smirk that tugged at the corners of All For One's lips.

'That was almost too easy,' he thought, savoring the moment as he observed her fragile state.

Ah, Arde, what a beautiful little pawn-in-the-making you are.

---

Asfi Al Andromeda was having a boring evening.

The sun was setting as she wandered through the grimy streets of Daedalus, following Hermes-sama's latest "mission." She had been tasked with re-establishing contact with one of their informants who had gone silent.

Why did Hermes-sama send her of all people? She was the captain of the Familia, for heaven's sake! She had far more important duties than chasing after flaky informants in a part of town that practically reeked of trouble. He could've sent Lulune, who was probably lounging around without a care in the world.

On second thought… maybe sending Lulune wasn't such a good idea. That chienthrope could be too... clumsy.

Asfi sighed as she pushed forward. Being a Level 4 adventurer didn't exactly make her the ideal candidate for covert operations, but she'd manage.

Her destination was a dingy bar tucked away in the western end of Daedalus Street. Steeling herself, she stepped inside, brushing past the rowdy patrons shouting over one another, and made her way to the back.

There, she spotted her contact, Albert, sitting with another figure—a young man with white hair.

Great. Just when she thought this menial task couldn't get any more complicated.

She exhaled quietly, muttering, "Let's just get this over with," and headed toward them.

As she approached, snippets of their conversation drifted her way.

"—don't have that kind of information. Can't help you with that. Sorry," Albert said in his usual lazy, disinterested tone.

The white-haired man reached into his bag, pulling out a pouch that jingled—a clear indication of its contents.

Albert's disinterest evaporated, replaced by a grin of greedy delight. "Now we're talking," he said, leaning forward. But before he could say more, his eyes landed on her.

"Perseus, what are you doing here?" Albert asked, irritation flickering across his face.

Before she could respond, Albert quickly handed a slip of paper to the white-haired man. "That'll have everything you need," he muttered.

The young man nodded in acknowledgment and left without a word, not sparing Asfi so much as a glance.

Her curiosity piqued, she turned back to Albert. "Who was that?"

"None of your business," he replied curtly, taking a sip of his drink. "Now, why are you here? I thought I sent my report yesterday."

Asfi sat down across from him, fixing him with a serious look. "You haven't sent any reports in the last month. Communication problem, Albert?"

Albert frowned, looking genuinely puzzled. "Communication problem? I sent it the usual way. That chienthrope girl was supposed to deliver it to Hermes yesterday," he said, his tone casual as he took another leisurely sip.

Lulune.

'That idiot!' Asfi clenched her fist beneath the table, vowing to make sure the girl wouldn't slack off on her duties again. This entire trip had been a waste of time!

Still, she kept her irritation carefully hidden, sighing lightly as she stood. "Seems like the problem was on our end. Sorry to bother you."

She made attempt to stand up, but Albert stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"While you're here, I've got fresh info regarding the people you were after," he said, his tone suddenly serious.

Asfi's expression hardened, her full attention now on him. 'So they're getting bolder,'

Hermes-sama had ordered her to investigate this particular group for a while now, but solid leads had been scarce.

"I managed to get a few slips from one of their members who was drinking here," Albert said, concluding his report hastily.

"They're after a 'white-haired fucker.' Apparently, he's been causing trouble for their operations." He stood up, moving towards the back room. "Do what you want with this information, it's on the house," he said before leaving.

Asfi leaned back in her chair, absorbing what she'd heard. "White hair, huh?" she muttered, her eyes following the exit where that young man had gone through.

"No, that would be foolish," she chuckled at her own thought. Just because he had white hair didn't mean he was the one they were after.

With her work here done, she decided it was time to head back to headquarters.

---

"Fireball," All For One muttered as the paper from the broker turned to ash, crumbling between his fingers.

Two days had passed since the attempt on his life, and he was steadily piecing together information about his mysterious attackers—all while continuing his dungeon dives with Welf.

Welf, to his credit, had recovered remarkably quickly. He had even shown up at their door to thank him for saving his life.

Thankfully, the little supporter hadn't been present at the time. Keeping up his carefully constructed image around Welf would have been far more challenging with their betrayer hovering nearby.

The broker's information had been valuable enough to allow him to finish his conclusions.

His attackers belonged to the Anansi Familia, rumored associates of a group calling themselves Evilus—a name he found, in his always-correct opinion, utterly laughable. It was just as childish as Tomura's "League of Villains."

The Anansi Familia boasted eight official members, or so the sources claimed.

Fang, the one from whom he had taken Feral Clarity, had also been one of them, which made the motivation behind their actions clear.

A petty revenge plot.

The thought was amusing. To him, the familia was like a candy basket—each member a piece he could pluck at will, taking their abilities as he pleased.

For now, the Anansi Familia was a manageable nuisance. Their only real threat was their Level 5 captain—a first-class adventurer whose strength might warrant caution.

Still, it wasn't enough to disrupt his future plans.

Shifting his thoughts, he focused on his newest pawn.

The little supporter was proving to be a profitable investment.

During a recent "check-in" visit, disguised under his ever-so-kind and polite Bell-sama persona, she had started sharing valuable details about her Familia's internal hierarchy. With carefully veiled inquiries and gentle encouragement, she had divulged more than she likely realized.

It was only a matter of time before he could act on this information.

His thoughts briefly turned to Lady Lia. He needed to check on her progress with the casino business and question her failing to inform him about Fang's Familia.

It wouldn't do for his pawns to grow sloppy.

---

"I can't wait for Asfi-chan to return; this paperwork is unbearable," Hermes grumbled, sorting through an endless stack of reports. The one in his hand detailed logistics issues related to the familia's food supplies—a task far removed from the charm and adventure he preferred.

The door creaked open, and his mood instantly brightened when he saw who walked in. "Welcome back, Asfi-chan!" he called out cheerfully to his favorite person, only to be met with a scowl.

Hermes felt a pang of worry.

"That 'mission' you assigned to me—the captain of the familia," she began, her tone dripping with irritation. The way she emphasized her title made it clear she didn't find his little prank amusing.

Hermes gulped.

"It turned out to be a complete waste of time," she continued, crossing her arms. "Turns out someone's been slacking on the job." Her expression promised retribution, and Hermes wisely decided it would be best if that "someone" deals with Asfi alone.

He attempted to appear busy, shuffling through the papers on his desk as if they demanded his immediate attention. Maybe if he looked preoccupied, she'd let him off the hook for his prank.

Unfortunately for him, Asfi wasn't finished. Her tone shifted to a more serious one. "While I was there, I got some new information on the group you wanted me to keep tabs on."

Hermes's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by seriousness. "What did you find out?" he asked, leaning forward. Any new lead on them was worth following, especially if it could help avoid drawing unnecessary attention from the gods.

"Albert picked up something from one of their drunken members. Apparently, they're targeting someone—a 'white-haired fucker,' to quote them directly—who's been causing trouble for some of their operations." Her tone carried a hint of skepticism about the credibility of such a lead.

Hermes frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Why would Ortiz waste their time on a random adventurer? Surely they've got bigger issues to handle," he murmured, clearly troubled.

Turning back to Asfi, he gave a nod. "For now, keep an ear to the ground. See if you can find out more about this 'white-haired' adventurer. I want to know what makes them so special."

"Understood, Hermes-sama," Asfi replied curtly, before turning on her heel and heading for the door.

"Wait! Asfi-chan, I was wondering if you could hel—" Hermes began, but the sound of the office door slamming shut cut him off mid-sentence.

And just like that, his ticket to freedom was gone.

With a defeated sigh, he returned to the dreaded paperwork, resigning himself to finishing it as quickly as possible.

As his quill scratched against the paper, his thoughts wandered back to the report Asfi had delivered. "White hair, huh?" he muttered, signing off on a request to purchase a month's worth of food supplies from the Demeter Familia.

A small chuckle escaped him as a memory surfaced. "Funny… Zeus mentioned his grandson coming to Orario. Same hair too," he mused, amused by the coincidence.

He should keep an ear open for the boy.

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The End

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Updated version: what changed? Shortened and changed slightly.

For example Hermes mentions Bell here and Zeus in this one.