Fanfic / Incarnation of Legends

A young Farm Boy named Bell Cranel never thought that returning a letter would get him in trouble. But he soon finds himself fleeing through the streets of Sekigahara after this small act of kindness. Luckily for him, his travelling companion, a mysterious swordsman named Sasaki Kojiro, comes to his aid by effortlessly killing the men chasing him.

They soon discover a plot to shame the Sanjounos, traitors and smugglers at the port, and the threat of a civil war between the Far East's big factions.

And this is just their first stop!

This certainly wasn't what Bell had in mind when Kojiro inspired him to travel around the world before becoming an adventurer. But this young would-be hero certainly won't be short on adventure outside of the Dungeon.

Incarnation of Legends is an Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?/Fate/Grand Order Crossover fanfic written by ObsidianNoir. It follows Bell as he trots the globe to toughen himself up before heading to Orario, as well as the travails of Sasaki Kojiro, who has mysteriously incarnated as a human along with numerous other Servants on their journey.

It can also be read here.

Beware of unmarked spoilers.

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Incarnation of Legends includes examples of:

A to M

• Adaptational Badass:
  • Rakia gets this big time as with Romulus helping them, the army becomes a lot tougher and more successful than originally under Ares' full control.
  • Zigzagged for the Astraea Famila. While being considered one of the strongest Familia's in the city alongside Loki, Genesha, and Freya despite having only five members with one of them being a Level 7 like Ottar, they only have five. As what's implied to be the Evilus attack that killed them in canon still culling their numbers while nobody joins them out of putting them on a pedestal and fearing the danger they face.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Welf's little sister is the first member and the Captain of the Hestia Familia, meaning that Bell won't have the close relationship with Hestia that he does in-canon.
• Anachronism Stew: Although the technology level of DanMachi's world is somewhere between medieval fantasy and steampunk, the gods are well-aware of modern tropes, trends, and ideas and will often force them upon their unwilling children. Odin seems particularly fascinated with the idea of the Idol Singer and makes all of his female adventurers dress up in uniforms and perform together as part of a singing group known as the Valkyries. Odin's offer to recruit Bell and make him the first crossdressing idol is startling to the kid because he doesn't understand what Odin is even talking about aside from being forced into girl's clothing.
• Amazon Brigade: Astraea Familia is an all female famila, as Astrea herself states she usually only accepts women when Bell and Kojiro tries to join her. Though she admits she did make one exception.
• Armor Is Useless: Subverted. While adventurers are exceptionally tough by mortal standards, armor is still a necessity for them, whether it's fighting against monsters or each other. Welf demonstrates the value of the armor he sells to Bell by kicking him with the strength of a Level 2 adventurer. Bell is sent flying painfully into the wall, but notes that despite the pain, he's otherwise unharmed despite the sheer disparity in physical power between them.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy:
  • Although "Wind Blade" Shinjiro is praised for reaching the peak of swordsmanship in the Far East through the teachings of Hachiman, Kojiro isn't impressed. Slashing twice at the same time simply doesn't compare to Kojiro's sublime and unescapable Tsubame Gaeshi, and he proves it when he defeats and kills Shinjiro in a duel.
  • Hachiman's familia tends to attract these as well, as his Divine Arms martial arts are formidable enough to draw people looking to hone their skills under his tutelage without regard for the outside world.
• Badass and Child Duo: Downplayed. Bell is fourteen and training himself to be as strong as Kojiro, but it's clear which of the two is doing the heavy lifting in a fight, especially when they're facing adventurers. As Bell gains more experience and better equipment, he manages to hold his own even against low-level adventurers, and later manages to completely subdue a terrorist before he could react to Bell's attack.
• Bait-and-Switch: When Welf mentions having a little sister, the immediate assumption is that said sister was an adopted incarnated Servant, as Welf is on poor terms with his family in-canon. It's later revealed that she's just an Original Character who happens to be an adventurer in Orario as part of the Hestia Familia.
• Baths Are Fun: As guests of Rakia, Welf invites Bell and Kojiro to the thermae, the heated baths, as a treat. There they talk about each other's pasts and generally have a good time. But Bell, unused to the steaming hot bath, gets dizzy and eventually passes out. As he gets more accustomed to them, he admits that he'll miss the luxury they provided.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • After Ryoma loses to Araki and Kojiro is left injured from his duel with Shinjiro, all hope seems lost for the heroes until a pissed Oryou crashes through the ceiling to take vengeance upon whoever hurt Ryoma and kidnapped Haruhime.
  • When Bell is about to be killed by a raging Demi-Spirit attacking Altena, the Radiance shows up in a nick of time to deflect the tentacles that would have broken him in half.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: The Night Queen pulls this on almost all of the Avengers. The only exception being Angra Mainuu and Lobo.
• Brawn Hilda: Thrud, a member of the Valkyries, is described as "musclebound", and her magic makes her large and strong enough to throw chunks of buildings as projectiles.
• Broad Strokes: The author admits they're fudging the timeline a bit to make the story work, as Bell would only be 9 year old at the time if Haruhime is still in the Far East.
• Brought Down to Badass: The Servants in the story have been incarnated as humans and subject to DanMachi's rules. Because of this, not all of them are as strong as they would be normally. But they still retain many of their skills and are formidable opponents regardless.
• Brought Down to Normal: The gods are more or less all-powerful and as stated, could destroy the planet with ease. But to have fun and ensure they don't wreck the world, rules were made so that they can't use any of their powers at all. While they are still dangerous in their own way, they are ultimately no different than mortals aside from their ability to give falna.
• Brown Note: The captured Nyx's screams are enough to paralyze anyone who hears them with fear. Only Bell's desire to help Nyx lets him power through it, and even Kojiro is left drenched in sweat afterward.
• Call-Back:
  • When Kojiro meets the Radiance, he immediately challenges her to a duel, remarking that he is simply a gatekeeper and that she must beat him to pass. She takes him up on that offer, but due to the sheer difference in stats, she beats him easily and bends his Monohoshizao not unlike what happened on the stairs of Ryuudou Temple when they dueled as False Assassin and Saber.
  • Odin hiding his divine aura is something the Amazon Goddess Kali actually mentions, stating certain Gods like her, Odin, and a few others can do this.
• Citadel City: Due to the risk of being attacked by nations like Rakia and the Empire, practically every large city of note, including Orario, has a high wall around them to keep invaders out. The capital of Altena, Yggdrasil, has its wall made out of ice, with strange symbols etched into it. Despite this, Bell gets the feeling that it's as sturdy as any other nation's defense, almost beckoning others to try and fail to breach it.
• City of Adventure: Orario is the only city in the world with access to the Dungeon, making it this by default for any would-be adventurers looking for fame, power, and wealth. It's the last stop on Bell's journey, but he soon finds that his many other stops can have just as much adventure.
• Civil War: There's one brewing beneath the tranquil surface of Sekigahara between the isolationist and violence-obsessed Storm Faction led by Susanoo, the arbitrating Neutral Faction led by Hachiman, and the diplomatic Sun Faction led by Amaterasu over the fate of the Far East and its people. Luckily, Ryoma and Oryou managed to defuse most of the tensions, though that comes at the expense of Susanoo antagonizing outsiders and people trying to plot around them.
• Crapsaccharine World: Rakia treats Bell and Kojiro well, as they're given the guest of honor treatment by the Legiones, allowing them to enjoy the luxurious Thermae, entertainment in the amphitheatre, as well as the opportunity to spar with others at the barracks. But by the end of their stay, Bell quickly realizes that splendors and joys of the city are built on the backs of slaves and the spoils plundered from the regions Rakia attacks.
• Culture Clash: Bell and Kojiro inevitably run into this throughout their journey. Bell's Farm Boy naivete doesn't always mesh well with the strict rules and customs of other nations, and he often finds himself stumbling over etiquette. It becomes most prominent at the end of the Rakia arc, when Bell is horrified to learn that Rakia is built on the backs of slave labor, though Romulus swears to treat them as individuals and not tools. Even Welf is alright with this arrangement, though he understands that it can be hard for others to stomach. Bell still wants to be friends with Welf, but their parting is soured by this discovery.
• David Versus Goliath: Due to lacking falna, any fight Bell and Kojiro enter against an adventurer is this by default, as both of them are completely outstripped in terms of raw numbers, having only their skills and tactics to win the day. Kojiro's ungodly sklll with the blade makes him an even match for even a Level 2, while the inexperienced Bell struggles and is beaten more often than not.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: In Fate/Grand Order, Romulus-Quirinus is an All-Loving Hero who cherishes all of humanity as a part of his beloved Rome. But as a member of Rakia, he's in his element as a warrior of a militaristic empire, it becomes clear that he's also perfectly fine with slavery and the burning of other's homes, as it's simply what the Roman Empire did as part of his ambitious expansion. Bell is understandably horrified, as his grandpa sanitized his stories of the outside world even though slavery is a common practice everywhere except Orario.
• Didn't See That Coming: Eris Familia's plan to beat Hestia Familia in a War Game is derailed due to the fact that all the incarnated Servants are present to watch it in person.
• Dirty Old Man: Bell's grandfather stuffed Bell's head full of dreams of Rescue Romance, turning the kid into a Chivalrous Pervert and a Harem Seeker who heads to Orario in search of love rather than the glory, wealth, or power of an adventurer.
• Dramatic Irony:
  • Bell wanted to go to Orario to save a girl in the Dungeon and get her to fall in love with him as his grandpa always told him to. By visiting the Far East, Bell already accomplished this when he befriended and rescued Haruhime. Not only that, but his rescue of her inspires her to chase after him much like he chased after Ais in canon.
  • Bell is dumbstruck when Brunhilde and Hrist explain to him how incredible it is for him to create a super short chant magic on his first try and ask if there are any elves, spirits, or powerful mages in his bloodline. The thought of it makes his head spin, and he simply can't imagine himself, a mere Farm Boy, as some kind of chosen hero next to people like Kojiro. Unbeknownst to him, his aunt was the Silence, Alfia, the greatest human mage and an executive of the Hera Familia. Meanwhile, his adoptive grandfather is the legendary god Zeus.
• Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Haruhime is said to have these when she's kidnapped because of how distraught she is. Bell sees them again when Romulus' triumph is wheeling in cages full of slaves and prisoners from the territories he conquered for his beloved Rome.
• Dynamic Entry: Oryou spends the first arc dealing with monsters on the outskirts of town with the Hachiman and Amaterasu Familia. When she enters the final battle of the arc, she crashes through the ceiling, interrupting all the fighting present.
• The Empire:
  • Rakia is known as the Military Country, using its massive army of adventurers, all under the Ares Familia and its subordinates to attempt to conquer the world. Orario turns it away every time, but in the last 15 years it has come close to conquering the high elves' forests thanks to its mightiest adventurer, the Legiones, who is considered an Imperial Legate under this hierarchy.
  • Aside from Rakia, there's also The Empire, another expansion-obsessed country known for having a large number of high-level adventurers.
• Everybody Hates Hades: Subverted. When the Valkyries' concert is attacked by terrorists working for the Night Queen, Odin remarks that it's time to send Hades a message, which initially sounds like he's going to be an antagonist like so many other darkness and death-associated gods in Evilus. The next chapter makes it clear that Hades is in fact an ally of Odin, sending two of his best adventurers to help Odin root out the source of this attack.
• Even Evil Has Standards: All of the Avengers show a Zig-Zagged version of this. Thanks to the Night Queen not really understanding what it means to be an Avenger, along with memories from Chaldea, all of them refuse to obey her. It's noted, however, that if it had been a normal summons, they probably would have gone along with it.
• Everyone Went to School Together: Well, "everyone went to Chaldea together". It seems that all the Servants in the story know each other from their time at Chaldea, which is why Ryoma and Oryou are quick to ally with Kojiro in the Far East. Similarly, the Legiones, Romulus-Quirinus, offers Bell and Kojiro a warm welcome, as Ryoma had sent word in advance of their arrival.
• Experience Points: Adventurers can gain excelia to increase their stats by performing various feats, such as improving their strength by fighting in physical combat, their Agility by running around a lot, and their dexterity by polishing their skills. It gets harder to gain excelia as one levels up, and using equipment that far surpasses anything needed to kill a monster also lowers the amount of excelia received.
• Facepalm: The Valkyries show their exasperation with their god's antics by giving a synchronized face palm when Odin tries to recruit Bell and turn him into a crossdressing Idol Singer.
• Fake-Out Make-Out: Ryuu initiates one with Bell while the two are infiltrating the Red Light District as they were being followed by suspicious members of Ishtar Familia.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
  • The Far East is this to Japan, having its seasons, several of its gods, and the often sensationalist emphasis on medieval Japanese customs and martial arts, as many of its adventurers fight like samurais, ninjas, and Bare-Fisted Monks.
  • Rakia is this to the Roman Empire, a militaristic and wide-spanning nation focused on expanding and sustaining itself by conquering and pillaging other nations. It also features many of the hallmarks of Roman culture, such as legions of armored soldiers, marble buildings, aqueducts, and a strong emphasis on martial might and ability.
  • Altena's main city, Yggdrasil, is Norse where Odin and his Valkyries are stationed there.
• Fate Worse than Death: Tsukuyomi assures Amaterasu and Hachiman that Araki, the one who kidnapped Haruhime, has been "dealt with". After the meeting of the gods, Tsukuyomi's own captain is horrified that Araki had been sold to the "Night Queen", all but implying this.
• First Kiss: Bell and Ryuu go for a Fake-Out Make-Out to avoid suspicion from the Ishtar Familia while navigating the Red Light District. Ryuu apologizes for taking Bell's first kiss, though he tries to assure her that anyone wouldn't mind getting their first kiss from someone like her. She also admits that it was her own first kiss as well and gets shy and embarrassed when Bell calls her cute.
• For Want Of A Nail:
  • Haruhime is never kidnapped and sold to slavers thanks to Bell and Kojiro's efforts. While her continued attempts to be independent get her disowned anyways, she decides to stay with Hachiman and Amaterasu to become a proper adventurer and one day reunite with Bell.
  • Rakia is mentioned as having nearly defeated and conquered the forests of the high elves within the past 15 years, a near impossibility in canon, implying that someone, specifically a Servant, is responsible for Rakia's sudden good fortune. In addition, they have an Imperial Legate known as "the Legiones", who is revered as one of the few outsiders to have bested Orario's strongest.
  • Due to Bell delaying his arrival in Orario in favor of traveling the world, Welf's little sister Solaris is the first member and Captain of the Hestia Familia.
  • The Astraea Familia is alive and well instead of being wiped out like in-canon, maintaining close ties with the Hestia Familia. But as a consequence, Evilus is much stronger without Ryuu's Roaring Rampage of Revenge to slash their numbers, allowing Evilus to bring violas to attack Altena.
  • Bell's globetrotting earns him equipment and skills he would have never acquired on his own.
    • Ryoma gifts him a pair of expensive and sharp swords to use with the sword training he's get from Kojiro, making Bell a straight example of Heroes Prefer Swords rather than the knife specialist he is in-canon.
    • His visit to Altena earns him some free magic lessons from the Valkyries after he unknowingly defends Odin from a terrorist. In doing so, he creates the Dragon Fang spell in imitation of Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi rather than getting Firebolt from a grimoire.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Haruhime's father is respected for how important he and his family are politically, but no one actually likes him. He's a Jerkass who keeps his daughter in a Gilded Cage, a Smug Snake who constantly talks down to others and only treats people well out of honor and obligation. He'd rather disown his daughter and heir than allow her to pursue her own desires. Amaterasu is ready to beat the crap out of him for doing the latter, Tsukuyomi calls him a fool, and the best thing Ryoma can say about him is that he's honor-bound.
• From a Single Cell: The Demi-Spirit the Valkyries and Radiance fight in Altena is both absurdly powerful and absurdly resilient, easily healing away all of the damage they deal to it. Even the Valkyries' magic isn't enough to leave lasting damage on it. Their only option is to completely obliterate it so it can't regenerate. Luckily, the Radiance has her Excalibur spell to do just that.
• Giver of Lame Names:
  • This is Bell's reaction when Kojiro christens his new sword the Monohoshizao, which sounds impressive until Bell learns that it means "laundry-drying pole". He wonders if this is why his grandpa didn't translate a lot of the names in his stories from the Far East, as it would have removed the mystique.
  • Welf is also this, as he names the armor he gives to Bell and Kojiro "Pyonkichi Bell Edition" and "Hiensama" respectively. Both Bell and Kojiro struggle not to cringe at how juvenile they sound, but the armor itself holds up just fine.
• God in Human Form:
  • The gods assume much weaker bodies by purposefully abstaining from using their divine abilities while visiting the lower world. This means a god can get injured, sickened, or even killed, though they would simply return to heaven rather than dying for good. These sensations, along with the joy of watching mortals grow and change, are what drive the gods down to the mortal world in search of a vacation from life in the heavenly bureaucracy.
  • The Legiones' true identity is Romulus-Quirinus, who has since regained the hammy Patriotic Fervor of his mortal days as Romulus, the divine founder of Rome, as an incarnated human.
• God Is Good: Amaterasu is a kind, fun-loving, and cheerful goddess who would like nothing more than to lift up the downtrodden and spread the joys of the Far East beyond its borders.
• Green-Eyed Monster: The soldiers under the Legiones' command are stunned when he gives Bell and Kojiro his protection. Bell notes that the soldiers are all watching him with a mixture of fear and envy, and worries that the Legiones' Declaration of Protection had instead painted a target on Bell's back.
• Grey-and-Grey Morality:
  • Although Amaterasu is unambiguously good, the nature of politics in the Far East come down to this. Most notably, Ryoma manages to convince Susanoo not to turn the Far East into a Social Darwinist warzone by convincing him that enemies lie beyond the Far East's borders rather than within, sparing the weak and innocent at the cost of convincing Susanoo to become fearful of outsiders and want to isolate the Far East from the outside world.
  • Kojiro is also this, casually killing others who cross him and Bell even when more peaceful solutions are possible. But the people he goes up against tend to be much worse, like slavers and child kidnappers.
• Groin Attack: While being cornered by several adventurers in the Far East, Bell fights for his life by first kicking one of them in the crotch, as it was one of the few areas he could feasibly injure without a falna to strengthen him.
• Hate at First Sight: Happens in Chapter 56 between Aiz and Lobo due to noticing their similarities to one another and being enraged by this.
  Their hatred met each other. The pain that gave birth to the desire of vengeance. The goal of one who lost everything to predators met the goal of one who lost everything to hunters. Like an abomination of a fusion, their hatred synced, increasing each other’s force on their host, like two opposite powers strengthening the other. Their teeth were bared as the two snarled. Their vision narrowed, focusing only on their kind. Wind burst out of the humanoid being, wind turning black with her hate, her promises forgotten in the haze of rage. The monster became visible, revealing its azure canine form, its fur and cloak fueled by vengeance and forming into tangible armor and formless blades, a form representing someone that long surrendered to the black inferno in its soul.
  A human with monstrous power. A monster with human wisdom. Looking into the other’s being, they were offended by the hate they found. What right did the other have? No, it could not stand. Thus, they thought the same. Like soulmates, their muscles bulged, gathering energy before unleashing it in a single explosion together with their magic and furious, almost feral sounding screams.
• Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: The Radiance apparently picked up a helmet on her way to meet Bell and Kojiro, which her companion Lulu points out as an odd thing. The Radiance replies that it's part of her prank and a desire to surprise Kojiro with her identity as Artoria Pendragon.
• Hidden Elf Village: The High Elves reside in the Royal Alf Forest. They are extremely secretive and will instantly attack anyone who enters their domain uninvited. Rakia was making a push to invade it during Bell's time in the Far East, though it was apparently halted by the time he arrives in Rakia.
• Hidden in Plain Sight: Bell and Kojiro encounter a strange, bearded old man with an eyepatch who is startled by Bell's appearance while visiting a concert in Altena. Although hurt by the thought that his appearance could startle someone, Bell pays him little mind until the concert is under attack. Only after the terrorists are subdued does the old man reveal himself to be the god Odin.
• Honor Before Reason: The Legiones is Welf's patron and knows of his ability to produce powerful Magic Swords that can turn the tide of any battle. Despite this, the adventurer considers relying on them to be dangerous, so he doesn't press Welf into making them for him.
• Hope Spot: Oryou demands Haruhime use her magic, Uchide no Kozuchi, on Araki to give him one of these. She lets him punch her in the middle of his Power High until he realizes that she's taking it without so much as flinching before finishing him off.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Downplayed. As a child, Bell immediately stamps the label of hero on Kojiro for his incredible strength and skill even without a falna. While this isn't entirely wrong (Kojiro is a Heroic Spirit after all), he's also far from the traditional storybook hero. Kojiro is instead a man who seeks nothing but interesting conversations and worthy opponents to entertain himself with and isn't concerned with the affairs of others. Despite this, Bell's admiration of him and pure desire to become a hero himself manages to move Kojiro to try and be the hero Bell envisions him as.
• Humans Are Special:
  • The immortal, beautiful, and all-powerful gods are fascinated by mortals' ability to grow, change, learn, and perform spectacular acts of good and evil. This is why they descend so they can observe them and experience the joys and sorrows of willingly refusing to use their godly abilities as a vacation from the eternally stagnant bureaucracy of the Upper World.
  • Zigzagged when comparing humans to other races. Humans are explicitly considered one of the weakest races in the world, as they have no special strengths compared to the other races, like the elves' magical affinity or the strength of the dwarves and Amazons. At the same time, many of the greatest heroes in history and myth have been humans, such as Argonaut.
  • Brunhilde firmly believes in humanity's potential over the other races and is ecstatic to find that Bell is a human with a unique short chant magic he creates on his first try, telling the elves to suck it.
• Humanity Ensues:
  • Various Servants have been incarnated as humans in the DanMachi world fifteen years ago for reasons unknown. One of the story's mysteries is finding out why. There's also the implication that Oryou is happy to be human, as she can now produce the "next Sakamoto", much to Ryoma's embarrassment.
  • Kojiro admits that as a living human, he is no longer as uncaring about other people's opinions as he once was, as he won't simply fade away upon death. His actions now have consequences, particularly for his young protégé Bell, and Kojiro finds himself caring for Bell more than he ever thought he would, putting his best foot forward and trying to be the hero Bell believes him to be.
  • This is especially noticeable with the Legiones Romulus-Quirinus, incarnated as "merely" an incredibly strong human. His Large Ham tendencies from his human life returned after it had cooled off into a serious and resolute Cold Ham during his previous time as the supreme god of Rome.
• I Call It "Vera": Any blacksmith worth their salt names their creations, both to add a sense of pride and improve the marketability of their work. Welf is unfortunately a Giver of Lame Names, even though his work is excellent for someone his age. He also recommends Bell name his katana and wakizashi, though Bell struggles to come up with one, simply referring to them as the Daisho^note Big and Little, a catch-all term for a katana-wakizashi combo as Ryoma did.
• Idol Singer: Compared to the huge orchestras of Rakia, the Valkyries of Altena sing personally for entire crowds while wearing frilly skirts and uniforms, giving off this impression. It's implied that Odin makes all of his female children dress and act like this in public as his personal fetish, as he tries to recruit Bell to make him the first crossdressing idol.
• I Have No Son!: Irritated by her increasing independence and desire to leave her Gilded Cage of a home, Haruhime's father disowns her, telling her to just leave if she wants to leave so badly.
• I'm Not a Hero, I'm...: Kojiro considers himself evil and not someone to look up to. But he comes to care for Bell and realizes that Bell idolizes him as his personal hero. As a result, Kojiro strives to live up to that image, no matter how mindboggling it is for him.
• Implied Love Interest: Its rather ambiguous, but when Bell talks to Nyx about his ideals, she states he reminds her of another god, Erebus. She admits he is one of the few she got along with and complimented her. Where Bell notes she has some form of affection for the man as she states she wants matching rings with him.
• In Spite of a Nail:
  • Although Haruhime is never framed and exiled in this story thanks to Bell and Kojiro, her desire to be with Bell along with Oryou "kidnapping" her from home leads her father to disown her anyways.
  • Thanks to the encouragement and backing of the Legiones, Welf stayed in Rakia rather than running way. Despite this, he continues to refuse to make magic swords for the army, enforced by the Imperial Legate's own distaste for them. Welf has also reached Level 2 on his own when he initially joined Bell's party in Orario for the sake of earning a chance to level up and obtain the Blacksmithing skill.
  • Bell ends up joining Hestia Familia as per canon in the end.
  • Although Hans successfully convinces Freya to not sic a Minotaur on Bell, other forces did the deed instead leading to Bell fighting off the creature like in canon.
• In the Hood: While searching the Red Light District for Ishtar's connections to Evilus, Bell and Ryuu are attacked by a mysterious hooded pallum in a dark hood wielding a golden spear.
• It Only Works Once: Magic Swords are able to unleash a torrent of powerful magic regardless of the user's abilities, allowing the user to deal massive amounts of damage even if they're sorely outclassed. However, these weapons are fragile and often break after a single use, making them luxuries and highly-sought after items that are difficult to make.
• Katanas Are Just Better:
  • This is the most popular type of sword in the Far East. "Wind Blade" Shinjiro and Kojiro also wield one, with the latter having a preference for an absurdly long BFS. As a parting gift, Ryoma hands Bell a katana and a wakizashi sharp enough to cut through even the flesh of low-level adventurers with little resistance.
  • This is subverted during Kojiro's Single-Stroke Battle with the Radiance, as his signature Monohoshizao is bent by her broadsword during the clash.
• Kick the Dog: The men patrolling Rakia's ports are needlessly rude to Nyx when searching it as part of a routine customs check. Every time she tries to explain herself, she's too nervous to respond amidst their shouting and physical threats.
• Kill the God: An unknown group attempted to kill Odin, and are implied to attempt this against other Gods. Unfortunately for them, adventurers and sometimes even the gods themselves are more than capable of foiling them.
• King Incognito: Odin suppressed his divine aura to masquerade as a human while observing the events of the Valkyries' concert. He only reveals himself after the terrorist attack is foiled.
• Kung-Fu Sonic Boom: The clash between Kojiro and the Radiance is so strong that the resulting force and wind forces the Valkyries to a knee and sends Bell flying.
• Lightning Bruiser:
  • Oryou has nearly maxed physical stats, can easily weather the punches of a Level 5 adventurer, and can crush the rooftop of a building with a single blow. She's also fast enough to leave clouds of dust in her wake and dash from the edge of Sekigahara to the Sanjouno palace and back within a few minutes.
  • Similarly, the Radiance has completely maxed stats. Even attacks that level buildings only slightly dent her armor. She's also moves with explosive speed and is powerful enough to fight a Demi-Spirit on her own.
• Living Lie Detector: The gods are able to see through any deception a mortal might tell them. No matter how well spun the story is, a god will always be able to tell if a mortal is lying. So when Nyx takes Bell's word that no one got hurt during the attack on Altena at face value, Bell realizes that something is very, very wrong with her.
• Made a Slave: Romulus' victory parade is followed by a line of cages containing civilians and prisoners of wars from the territories he conquered to be made into slaves.
• Magical Incantation:
  • Magic in the world of DanMachi always requires an incantation of some sort. Some spells can be cast with a single line or even a single word, while other spells, often the most devastating ones, require extending chanting. Oryou uses one such chant.
    "This mortal body, I leave behind. This weak flesh, I replace. Chains broken, seals removed, I announce my name! I am the rebellious god, the Serpent of Takachiho! Like a Soaring Dragon, I return to my true form! Amakakeru Ryu ga Gotoku!"
  • The Legiones also has chants for his magics, which are the lines he chants while using his Noble Phantasms in Fate/Grand Order.
  • The Radiance also uses one while unleashing her magic against a demi-spirit that had invaded Altena with Evilus. It's a replication of Excalibur that boasts the same awesome power.
    “Oh, sword of fantasy, I beseech you. Oh those of the Reverse Side, I ask you. Support me. Let me grasp your handle, oh great Last Phantasm. Let me hold you up. Let me illuminate the path to a better future. Shine, light of Promised Victory! Ex... calibur!"
• Make an Example of Them: Oryou demands no one leave when she fights Araki and subjects him to a severe Curb-Stomp Battle even after he's leveled up by Uchide no Kozuchi. Bell calls this less a fight and more of an execution to warn anyone who would dare hurt the man she loves.
• Make Games, Not War: Hachiman built the Arena in Sekigahara for "proper stress relief", allowing anyone itching for a fight to find one in a controlled setting where people can come to watch instead of attacking each other in the street.
• Marshmallow Hell: Bell finds his face pressed into Brunhilde's bosom while she's dragging him off for some magic Training from Hell.
• Mythology Gag: Everywhere, as per the nature of the source material.
  • Brunhilde refers to Bell as a jackpot or an SSR, not unlike the ratings of Servants in Fate/Grand Order.
  • Kojiro immediately challenges the Radiance to a duel when they meet, calling himself a humble gatekeeper in a replication of his duel with Artoria at Ryuudou Temple. He also calls himself a mere "False Assassin" while also referring to her as Saber.
  • Kojiro declines to rescue Bell from Brunhilde, declaring that he has to go "save France", a reference to his infamously good performance in the Orleans chapter of Fate/Grand Order and his memetic title as REGEND and a dragonslayer.
  • When Nyx is kidnapped by what appears to be Evilus, Kojiro confronts the pursuers, who demand to know who he is. He responds by calling himself, "The Regend", stunning everyone else present with how stupid that sounds long enough for Bell to drop in and put a sword into one of the throat of one of the villains.
  • While going Undercover as Lovers, Bell is disguised as a blonde-haired green-eyed man named "Jason" while Ryuu goes by "Medea". Kojiro, Hans, and The Starfall all groan upon hearing their Code Names, declaring that the mission is officially cursed to the others' confusion. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Hestia and Astraea familia, Bell and Ryuu had taken on the names and outfits of Jason and Medea of the Argonauts, who are infamous for the horrible end to their relationship.

N to Z

• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: After giving Araki a Hope Spot, Oryou beats him until his face is cratered by her punches. Bell compares this Curb-Stomp Battle to an execution, where she demands everyone present stay to make an example of whoever would dare hurt Ryoma.
• Old Magic: Congenital magic is an older style of magic practiced before the gods descended. It's weaker and harder to use than magic acquired from a falna or a grimoire, but if one creates a spell, it can be used even without a falna and will only be strengthened by it. The elves have special rituals to help them master theirs, while Altena has its own fields of study that involve meditation and the use of imagination to draw out natural talent to produce unique magic. Bell creates one such spell on his first try in imitation of Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: The narrative goes to great lengths to specifically refer to the Servants-turned-adventurers by their aliases rather than their True Names to keep their identities a secret until Kojiro introduces them in-person, upon which Kojiro will refer to them by name rather than by their title. The only exceptions to this are Ryoma and Oryou, whose aliases are only revealed after they meet Bell. Even the Legiones, Romulus-Quirinus, gets in on this, referring to the Asura by their alias and declining to mention their real name to avoid "ruining the surprise" for him and Bell. There is also someone in Altera called the Night Queen who attacked Odin and the other gods attending the Valkyries' concert.
• Original Character:
  • All of the characters in the Far East save for Haruhime, her father, Takemikazuchi, Ryoma, and Oryou are all original creations to flesh out the otherwise unknown nation.
  • Welf has a little sister in this story named Solaris, who left for Orario to become an adventurer. Her goddess is none other than Hestia.
  • Lusserina "Lulu" Luzumin is the Empire's strongest mage and one of the author's own creations that they recycled from a previous DanMachi fic.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Discussed. As a child, Bell had more than one Imagine Spot about being a pirate sailing the high seas with his crew, discovering new lands, new people, and new animals... but not actually doing any piracy the way a "bad" pirate would.
• Propaganda Piece: In-Universe, the plays Bell sees in Rakia tend to portray the leading adventurers of Rakia's rivals in an unflattering light. Bell doubts that the Radiance would beg the Legiones for mercy, while Finn Deimne, the Braver and the Captain of the Loki Familia, is treated as a sniveling coward.
• Red Baron: Adventurers are all given an alias when they level up. They often sound badass or impressive to the adventurers, but the gods (and Servants) know just how chuunibyou-sounding and silly they are.
  • Oryou is known as "Mizuchi" and "the Dragon Serpent of the Far East", while Ryoma is called "Peacemaker".
  • Shinjiro, a Master Swordsman of the Susanoo Familia, is known as the "Wind Blade".
  • Araki, a Level 4 Executive of the Tsukuyomi Famlia, is called the "Crimson Moon".
  • Rakia's strongest adventurer, one of the four outsiders said to have bested Orario's strongest, is known as the "Legiones", a hint to his true identity as Romulus-Quirinus, the divine founder and supreme god of Rome.
  • The Radiance is the Empire's strongest adventurer, who is implied to have clashed with the Legiones in the past. She is none other than Artoria Pendragon.
  • Hades' three strongest adventurers under the Radiance are known as Cerberus, after the three-headed dog that guards the underworld in Greek myth. Lusserina "Lulu" Luzumin is the Empire's strongest mage and a member of this trio, being known as the "Witch of Flowers" on her own.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Oryou's eyes are red, and when she's angry you don't want to be in the way.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni:
  • Bell is an emotional young man from the sticks who is always excited to visit new places. Kojiro is a perfectly calm and collected warrior who feels nothing when killing others unless he's satisfied with the fight.
  • Ryoma is the gentle and persuasive diplomat to Oryou's bluntness and tendency to brute force her way through her problems.
  • The Radiance is calm, collected, and exudes authority when she isn't taking up a challenge. Her companion Lusserina is The Tease, incredibly outgoing, and goofy.
• Refuge in Audacity:
  • Kojiro attempts to gain entry to the Sanjouno household by fast-talking his way in, but he and Bell are thrown out on their rears. He also lampshades it when an exasperated Bell complains.
    Kojiro: That went well.
    Bell: Why did I believe you when you said we could just walk in?
    Kojiro: Audacity is a plan on its own. [shrugs] It just didn’t work this time.
  • Kojiro does this again with much more success when confronting the slaver hired to get Haruhime out of the country, claiming that he has proof of the arrangement and panicking the slaver enough to start a ruckus that draws the guards' attention.
• Re-Power: The Servants do not have the same strength and speed they once did with their spiritual bodies as incarnated humans. Because of this, Kojiro initially struggles against a Level 2 Adventurer he could have easily trounced as a Servant. However, Servants who join a familia grow unusually quickly once they're given falna. Ryoma and Oryou are able to reach Level 4 and Level 6 respectively within a decade, regaining their lost strength and potentially obtaining new skills in the process. Compare this to the average adventurer who can spend their entire career without a level up.
• Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Curiously, the Servants retain knowledge of their previous summonings even though it shouldn't be possible. Kojiro and Ryoma recognize each other instantly from their time at Chaldea and quickly team up because of it.
• Sacred Hospitality: Bell first meets Kojiro when he collapses in front of Bell's grandpa's farm. Bell's grandpa took him in and fed him, and Bell struck up a rapport with Kojiro from then on.
• Samurai: Kojiro has this aesthetic, even though he's not actually one as he swears loyalty to no lord.
• Selective Obliviousness: Bell admits that he put off the possibility that Rakia's riches and splendor are born from the pillaging and enslavement of other countries because he didn't want to confront that reality.
• Shipper on Deck: Kojiro wishes Ryoma luck in producing the "next Sakamoto", much to Ryoma's embarrassment and Oryou's pleasure.
• Shout-Out:
  • "Crimson Moon" Araki is a twofer reference. His title is a reference to the Crimson Moon of Tsukihime, while his Bare-Fisted Monk fighting style and name are references to Hirohiko Araki and his manga, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
  • Brunhilde, one of Odin's elite adventurers and a member of his Valkyrie idol group, is described as an untouchable ideal of beauty, but is secretly coarse and downright masculine in private with a great deal of pride in humanity, matching the description of the Brunhilde as seen in Record of Ragnarok. The other known Valkyries, Hrist and Hlokk, also match the Valkyries seen in that series, particularly with Hrist's kinship with Kojiro, as she became his Volund against Poseidon.
  • The male guild advisor is named Hikigaya Hachiman from My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected.
  • Kojiro's new secret technique: Tsubame Gaeshi: Tengai is a reference to Vergil's Judgement Cut.
• Simultaneous Blade Spam: Shinjiro the "Wind Blade" is known for his mastery of Shohato, a technique that allows him to swing twice in almost the same instant. Kojiro one-ups him in their duel with his Tsubame Gaeshi, swinging three times in the same instant to completely deny any possibility of escape.
• Single-Stroke Battle: Kojiro challenges the Radiance to one, ending with his sword bent, his shoulder dislocated, and the Radiance's helmet cracked in two.
• Slashed Throat: Bell kills the man holding Haruhime hostage this way, batting away his spear before dragging his knife across the man's throat.
• The Social Darwinist: Susanoo's desire for a warrior country where the strong trample the weak akin to Kali's Telskyura frame him as this, though even he has a strong love for his children.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Astraea Familia seems to be doing fine here contrast to canon where all the members were dead and the Goddess herself forced to leave the city.
• Super-Empowering: The gods are able to take mortals as their children by spilling a drop of their blood onto their backs, imbuing them with the power of divine falna and turning them into adventurers. Adventurers will always be naturally stronger, tougher, and faster than other mortals of their kind, and can gain excelia by performing feats such as killing monsters to further strengthen themselves. Even the adventuers' senses are enhanced, as Bell notices that he can see in the cavernous Dungeon as clear as day, on top of easily hearing the sound of a goblin's heartbeat and the wind on his skin.
• Take Over the World: The goal of both Rakia and The Empire is to have the entire world under its banner.
• Training from Hell:
  • Kojiro does his best to teach Bell proper swordsmanship despite not belonging to any particular school suited for teaching. As a result, many of their lessons take the form of Kojiro beating Bell with a wooden sword or a stick to teach him better form and how to respond to different attacks. Bell reels in pain after these sessions, but Kojiro eventually gets better at it so Bell isn't utterly sore the next day.
  • When Bell manages to create his own magic on the first try, Brunhilde and Hrist decide to "help" him cultivate it by dragging him away to perform it over and over while making him chug Mind Potions to avoid Mind Down. Even after he points out that they said he could die from overuse, Brunhilde laughs it off and says that he won't die unless he's killed and that they're going to become best friends. Bell cries for help from Kojiro, who says he'll be off to save France while making a hasty retreat.
  • The Radiance also offers to teach Bell her brand of swordsmanship, and he's initially delighted to try. But he soon realizes that she's a terrible teacher and all of her attempts to beat her swordsmanship into him just leave him aching on the floor. His desire to leave Altena for Orario is partially fueled by survival instinct, as he's terrified that she'll simply end up killing him in one of these sparring sessions, but he isn't brave enough to ask her to stop because of how much fun she seems to be having.
• Tree Top Town: Altena's capital city of Yggdrasil has all of its buildings nestled in the trees, constructed from ice that never seems to melt.
• Undercover as Lovers: In order to infiltrate the Red Light District, Bell and Ryuu pretend to be a couple, complete with disguises and code names.
• Uniqueness Decay: Downplayed. Odin reveals he can 'see' a person's soul, their color. In canon, at first glance it looks like its something only Freya has, then Odin states other Gods have this power. But, he then explains that the only way a God has this power is through judging souls for a very long time, so still very rare. Freya was far from the only person who judged souls.^note In Norse mythology, both Odin and Freya looked to induct worthy souls into their halls. Odin's Valhalla admitted the best and bravest warriors handpicked by his Valkyries, while Freya's Folkvangr takes the other warrior souls not picked by the Valkyries.
• Unskilled, but Strong: Kojiro is so skilled that nearly anyone he faces ends up looking like this next to him. He's noticeably disappointed during his duel with Shinjiro that despite the latter's reputation as a Master Swordsman, he repels most of Kojiro's attacks through speed rather than raw skill and swordsmanship.
• Valkyries: While eavesdropping on conversations in the Far East, Bell overhears someone mentioning that the Valkyries are pumping out songs from Altena.
• Vancian Magic: Magic in Orario can only be used for a specific purpose and nothing else. It can't be tweaked to modify its effects (with the exception of the High Elves' Chant Connection ability), must be performed by saying its entire chant, and use requires an amount of Mind proportionate to the effect.
• Walking the Earth: Bell's grandpa's stories and Kojiro's presence inspires Bell to explore the world and gain some experience and skills before heading to Orario.
• Weredragon: As an incarnated human, Oryou is this, and can transform back into the Serpent of Takachiho with her magic.
• Wham Shot: An unknown party is experimenting with the creatures of the Dungeon, using the Holy Grail. It's because of these experiments that Servants are incarnated into this world.
• What Does She See in Him?: When Nyx tells Bell of a god she might like, after hearing her backstory of him, Bell questions what she could possibly see in Erebus.
• Worf Had the Flu: Kojiro initially struggles against another Master Swordsman, Shinjiro, due to not having his Monohoshizao and being unused to having a flesh and blood body again. Once he gets his groove back, he quickly finishes Shinjiro with Tsubame Gaeshi.
• World's Strongest Man:
  • Oryou is revered and feared as the strongest adventurer of the Far East, putting every other adventurer in the Amaterasu, Hachiman, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo Familia to shame.
  • The Legiones is Rakia's strongest adventurer by a longshot, and is revered for his power and charisma in his country as a Level 7 adventurer.
  • The Radiance is the Empire's strongest adventurer and one of the four outsiders said to have conquered Orario's best. It's little wonder that she's revealed to be Artoria Pendragon.
• Worthy Opponent: Kojiro immediately challenges the Radiance to a Single-Stroke Battle as soon as they meet, resulting in Kojiro's defeat. She then says she's happy to see Assassin again and dismisses his remark that he's merely a "False Assassin". Bell notes that while Kojiro treats his former companions as coworkers or friendly acquaintances, there's something more between him and her.
• Wrong Context Magic: When Kojiro kills Shinjiro with his Tsubame Gaeshi technique, Araki accuses Kojiro of using magic. Kojiro simply denies it. After all, who would believe that a man could possibly make reality give in to let him swing thrice with one motion through skill alone?
• You Remind Me of X: Nyx says that Bell reminds her of Erebus, a god who used to ask her a lot of questions about something she can't remember, a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that Bell and Erebus share a voice actor, which Hermes also mentions in Memoria Freese.

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