@AbigailWilliams2020

That wasn't vol 19. It is Girls x Cross ~Half-Year's Four Paths~ in the short stories compilation 2.

Girls x Cross ~Half-Year's Four Paths~ | DanMachi Wiki | Fandom

@Longhatruong oh right, thank you. But yeah, that one is the one I am talking about. I got mixed up because that SS does take place during Volume 19 but wasn't an actual SS from that very volume.

@Leinad91 “You ask me why I ignore volume 17? I ask you, why do you ignore volume 18? Of all the girls close to Bell, only Ais ignored his problem. Are you going to say that that's nothing? Do the mental exercise of putting yourself in Bell's place. If you were going to be kidnapped for sexual harassment and the man you love was in a position to save you (at least try) but ignored your problem, would you still love him in the same way than before? In Bell's case, that was the case, but it's a plot convenience. It's only like that if you consider that to be kidnapped and to raped are trivial things that aren't worth it.”

Do you know why I ignored that? Because Bell said he didn’t care. He said Ais has her reasons and that’s that. Simple as that. He is the MC and it’s his love life, he doesn’t care, so why should we care?

@Leinad91

You've got kind of a bizarre way of rating the girls which is fine if that were how you would rate them if Bell was you, but that is just it, he isn't you. For me, I won't ship anyone that goes against the grain of the story if it is core to the plot (like Danmachi), and I place very high priority on the what the character actually feels. I don't like forcing my bias of who my favorite girl is on to the MC if he doesn't have feelings for her. I also think it is very important to take into account character's personality. It has to make sense for the character's feelings to change if said character is already in love. This is especially important with Bell because of his personality, which leads me to your point here:

"However, if Ais, hopefully sooner rather than later, starts giving Bell reasons why she and only her is worth loving, it's okay for him to stay faithful to her."

Bell is a stubborn, one-track/single minded, devoted, and pure person. There has to be a reason for Bell's feeling to change and for him to give up on Ais. We are talking about Bell here who won't give up on someone and who can't go back on his promises, the absolute fool that can't lie to himself. Omori has characterized Bell as someone whose feelings for Ais are strong enough to be the first person to reject Freya in 6-billion years. I know that is because of LF, but the reason he was able to create and maintain it is because of his strong will and purity of his soul.

Ais is the one in Bell's heart and there has to be very strong reason for Bell to start feeling differently given his incredibly loyal and unwavering nature of his feelings. What Ais does or doesn't do changes nothing of the other girls being worthy of love. People usually choose someone because of how they feel. It wasn't that Syr was a bad option or unattractive or unworthy of love, he rejected her because he wants to be with Ais (due to his feelings), promised to chase her, and that he couldn't tell a lie. Ais hasn't given him a reason for his feelings to change, quite the contrary given what happened in 17. I know you discarded it, but I think that is a double standard if you don't consider the events surrounding Ryu's participation in 18 as "plot convenience". The Freya followers "conveniently" forgot to ban any reinforcements, not to mention her double level up that shouldn't have been possible.

If you were going to be kidnapped for sexual harassment and the man you love was in a position to save you (at least try) but ignored your problem, would you still love him in the same way than before? In Bell's case, that was the case, but it's a plot convenience. It's only like that if you consider that to be kidnapped and to raped are trivial things that aren't worth it.

It isn't plot convenience that Bell didn't mind that Ais didn't train him, it is him being in character. He knew that Ais would help if she didn't have her reasons (and don't try to deny she wouldn't have if she was given a free pass like Ryu was to participate by the author). She has after all already demonstrated this time and time again. Bell isn't selfish and he is kind and forgiving to a fault. He just readily forgave Syr/Freya and Hedin for all of the things they put him through. If Bell lost, he would have had to go to Freya familia, but nowhere is it stated that he would be raped. If Freya wanted to rape him, she could have done so in 17...but that isn't what she wanted. She wanted Bell's translucent soul that became hers willingly. She established the sandbox to get him think that his feelings and relationship with Ais wasn't real, just a curse. Very manipulative and pretty horrible, but she didn't rape him. We can only speculate what would happen to him after the war game, but it is still possible that he kept his feelings for Ais and would still try to see her even if Freya tried to forbid it. She isn't going to gain the man she wants if she makes him a slave or forces him to do it, that is exactly what she was trying avoid, unconditional love that she already had in spades.

Anyways, just my two cents. I can already tell you probably won't change your mind, but I do think Bell is 100% in character to stick with Ais despite what happened in 18. Bell is going to be even more understanding if he finds out she was keeping a promise. Bell is one who can't go back on promises either.

Am I the only one that never really had a problem with Ryu going to Level 6? There were so many problems in Volume 18 but that wasn't really one.

@Leinad91 And also, it was explicitly explained why Ais couldn't interact with Bell in the leadup to the War Game. You insist on holding that against her when there's no reason to.

I'm personally rooting for Ais over everybody else, but even if I had another preference, it would be pretty easy to say that, if Bell takes back his feelings ofr Ais, the whole story would be totally inconsistent and fall apart.

I would agree with Leinad, in the sense that I only care about what I would consider a "good" relationship development. I also generally judge things through Bell's perspective, since he's the main character.

It goes without saying the love is extremely one sided right now, Bell is all in and Ais isn't in at all. The comparison to Ryu just seems laughably unfair. Ryu has risked her life on the regular to save Bell and I consider that incredibly important.

Ais certainly saved Bell's life many times early on in the story, but the difference is that she wasn't risking herself, it was all a piece of cake for her. Exception being when she briefly fought Ottar, unfortunately I don't think Bell would even be aware of that. I thought the war game in volume 18 would be the perfect time to turn it around and then.... she just abandoned him. She didn't partake in the war game and she wasn't shown trying to convince Riveria or Finn to join the war game. She didn't even help Bell train, despite making a previous promise to train him again at some point.

If Bell owed someone a favor and they asked him to abandon Ais in her time of need, I've no doubt in my mind he would ignore the favor and help Ais. In other words the given reason for her to abandon him is useless to me.

Ryu once again risks her life to save Bell, and confesses her love too. She's strong, she's an elf (Bell revealed early on that he has a preference for Elves) and she's blonde (another preference.. I think). At this point the difference is just downright glaring between the pairings, it's on life support fueled purely by the plot. Just extremely poor writing, If Omori really holds the rest of their development until the final arc/last few novels it's gonna feel sooo forced. He needs to start the development A.S.A.P.

@ThatRabidPotato

Am I the only one that never really had a problem with Ryu going to Level 6? There were so many problems in Volume 18 but that wasn't really one.

Well I admit I really have to accept it at this point. Omori could have given Ryuu a very broken skill that ignores level difference but he chose the double level-up, which I genuinely doubt he didn't understand how controversial it would be. And despite he could have an excuse of Ryuu jumping 2 levels at once, or skipping level 5, he still went with she leveled up to 5 first and then had enough points to level up to 6. Guess Omori really intended for this double level up to happen but just did it badly, not a last minute desperate attempt for vol 18 like people say. A bit foreshadow of the possibility of double level up would be better but probably too hard for Omori.

@DingoDongo4 "Ais certainly saved Bell's life many times early on in the story, but the difference is that she wasn't risking herself, it was all a piece of cake for her."

Can you name one thing Bell has faced in the entire series that Ryu has helped him with that Ais wouldn't have waxed in one nano second? Yes, you can say Ottar but she has already fought him for Bell before and that also wasn't just a Ryu and Bell vs Ottar fight either since multiple players are involved in that one fight since he is the "king" for a reason. You are trying to compare apples to oranges right now on a topic that the author has stated Bell would never grow with Ais around because she is too STRONG. The only thing Bell can face with Ais in this series that she would have to risk her life for is bottom of the dungeon monster and OEBD, that's it.

Again, this whole argument is useless because Bell does not agree with you. He has said he does not care Ais couldn't help him because he said he knows she has her reasons (her revenge against the OEBD, avenging her fathers death, and taking back her mother are pretty damn good excuses that Bell would probably punch you in the face for even ignoring it).

The whole elf fetish thing and blonde thing makes me laugh uncontrollably. Especially with what Bell said about that and stating Ais can give any goddess or elf a run for their money. Ais has made him forget about his preferences ever since he meant her, so it doesn't even matter lmao. Just keep in mind that Horn stated that Bell has zero lust and rejected a woman who was over a thousand times hotter then both Ryu and Ais COMBINED.

And as Jtg as stated, Ais does not get free passes in this story like Ryu since Ryu is tied to literally nothing like every other girl in this series. Again, you are comparing apples to oranges, Leinad.