@Pluton9
When Bell notes Freya Familia adventurers are better than those of other familias he is talking about the Level 1-4s. And just because Loki Familia focuses on working as a team it doesn't mean they didn't bother to refine their individual skills. There is evidence to suggest the Freya executives are superior to the young Loki executives, namely their headstart in their adventurer careers, but not to the Loki trio. Ottar also told Ais that his and the trio's advantage over her came from the Zeus and Hera era, experience that every other Freya executive does not have. So that is a plus for them.
Unrelated, but really losing a couple of guys who were Level 3s at most is not noticeable compared to most Level 2s reaching Level 3, over half of Level 3s becoming Level 4, one new Level 5, and even all of that means nothing compared to a single Level 7, let alone three.
And really, I do not get why you guys talk about that as if it matters. All the Loki or Freya executives reached Level 6 and 7 because of an abnormal event that occured to them due to external factors (save Ais, really), not because either of their training methods inherently got them a chance at ranking up.
Hephaestus only surrounded their base. Ganesha did nothing. And the Loki executives were already going after the Freya executives. Those are all of the major familias. From there the power gap is so big it is nothing but a joke. Freya's second class adventurers were outright stated to be the equivalent of twenty middle tier familias. This is like being amazed that all the lower members of Freya Familia can't beat Ottar. Of course they can't when even the strongest of them is leagues away from him.
Just because adventurers can sense another's power level it doesn't mean it always happens, for narrative purposes. Bell couldn't tell Dix was Level 5 until he told him, neither that he was Level 4 tier with his curse active. In Astrea Record Shakti, Adi, Gareth and Riveria all face Alfia, yet none of them ever realize she is a Level 7 before her identity is revealed. The Gulliver brothers didn't sense that the Spirit Soldiers were Level 5s, and only knew until after they fought them. So yes, the Loki trio's rank ups were a secret.
You are also the one that insists that because Van could defeat Bell there is a possibility he has a level boosting ability, yet see no problem with Riveria's DM18 statement that Hedin can beat her in close quarters?
Finn also does agree with Hedin about the game changer that Ottar is in DM18, yet in response to Loki's claim in SO14 all he has to say is that he will probably rank up soon, therefore making it clear he agrees with her in that the current Ottar isn't an issue anymore?
And let's not forget Ottar's fight with Bell, Ryuu and Mia. It is explicity stated Ottar uses his magic only when he can't defeat a foe, so that means those three together managed to stalemate him. And let's treat Bell as Level 6 tier so there is no room to argue. That battle and a pseudo Level 8 Ottar vs three Level 7s are basically the same; three enemies one level below Ottar. So yeah, why not, doesn't seem that certain either side's victory, right?
But 1) Ryuu and much less Bell aren't as skilled as either of the Loki trio 2) That battle was the first time the former bunch coordinated, while the Loki trio has years of experience and a "perfect" teamwork to their name 3) Ottar would be running on a time limit with the Loki trio, which he didn't with the former group 4) Finn has a level boosting ability of his own, whose sole weakness was retconned by Oomori out of existence in Astrea Record
If the first group could match, exactly what gives Ottar a chance in the latter scenario? When he is about to unleash Hildis Vini he also says "If you die, then that is all you were ever going to amount to" which aren't really the words of someone holding back.