Danmachi season 5 episode 6: Freya slowly breaks Bell as the boy begins to doubt his memories

Danmachi season 5 episode 6, titled Distorted City (Orario), was released on November 7, 2024, on ABEMA Premium in Japan. The episode saw Goddess Freya try to ensnare Bell Cranel within her false narrative. Having caught the boy in her sandbox, Freya wanted to move to the next step and become closer to the boy.

Eventually, she managed to plant the seed of doubt within Bell's mind, who wondered whether his memories with the Hestia Familia were truly the work of a curse. One of the highlights of Danmachi season 5 episode 6 was how J.C. Staff wonderfully captured the essence of Fujino Omori's light novel to showcase Freya's feelings and the extent she could go to satisfy her desire.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Danmachi season 5 episode 6.

Danmachi season 5 episode 6: Freya moves with her plan to make Bell hers

Heith in Danmachi season 5 episode 6 (Image via J.C.Staff)

Picking up the events from the previous installment, Danmachi season 5 episode 6 begins with Freya Familia's healer, Heith, analyzing Bell's condition and calling it a work of a curse. She tells him that an evil spell has filled his head with false memories to create such doubts. Heith wonders how Bell has been afflicted with such a specialized type of curse.

Bell Cranel then wonders whether the time he spent with Goddess Hestia, and the memories he has of meeting Welf, Liliruca, and others were all fake. The Gulliver brothers ask Heith to dispel the curse, but the healer says she can't do it since her expertise is limited to healing wounds.

Besides, she feels only Dea Saint, the strongest healer in Orario, can remove such a powerful curse. Since it's a hassle to involve the Dian Cecht Familia in this, Heith proposes to erase Bell's memories as the quickest solution. However, Bell frantically rejects Heith's offer.

Freya talks to Horn (Image via J.C.Staff)

The narrative for Danmachi season 5 episode 6 then switches to the Goddess Freya's chamber, where she summons Horn. She tells Horn that she is no longer allowed to come in contact with Bell since she broke her promise. Besides that, the Goddess assigns Horn to do some work by becoming her.

According to Freya in Danmachi season 5 episode 6, whenever she casts her charm over a wide area, there are always places that slip through the cracks. For example, her charms didn't reach the dungeon's depths. As such, Freya wants Horn to become herself and charm those who aren't affected by the Goddess' spell.

Horn then asks Freya what to do about the people living in Dungeon's Riviera. The Goddess says she has already taken measures to deal with them. Besides, she needs something from there. Freya then tells Horn to watch over the Hestia Familia, since they have a deep bond with Bell Cranel.

Horn in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

Meanwhile, in Danmachi season 5 episode 6, Horn wonders why the Goddess hasn't punished her. Freya feels not giving her a punishment is the most cruel act she could have done to her. Elsewhere in Orario, Hestia walks aimlessly through the streets, recalling how her Familia members couldn't identify Bell the other day.

Suddenly, she meets Hermes. Hestia recalls Hermes handing her a note and telling her to give it at the correct time. She realizes it's perhaps not the right time to return the note. Following that, Hestia noticed Ais Wallenstein on the bridge. She discovers that Ais has come to the bridge for a reason she's not aware of.

During their short conversation, Hestia requests Ais not to meet Bell Cranel and doesn't elaborate further. Following that in Danmachi season 5 episode 6, Horn disguised as Freya walks into Ouranos's chamber in the dungeon. Ouranos, who is unaffected by Freya's charm, asks her the reason behind her visit.

Freya wants to strike a deal with Ouranos. She wants the ancient God to stay away from her desire to make Bell hers. In exchange, the Freya Familia will make significant progress toward conquering the dungeon, including exploring the unknown floors and laying the groundwork to defeat the Black Dragon.

Ouranos in Danmachi season 5 episode 6 (Image via J.C.Staff)

Although Ouranos can't condone Freya's malicious act, he knows he can't stop her. Therefore, he turns a blind eye and lets her do as she pleases.

After Freya leaves, Fels emerges from the darkness and asks Ouranos whether it's true that everyone has been charmed. Ouranos nods and feels there's nothing more he can do than sit back and watch.

Danmachi season 5 episode 6: Freya invites Bell into her room, Eina's feelings are revealed

Bell Cranel in Folkvangr (Image via J.C.Staff)

The narrative for Danmachi season 5 episode 6 switches to Folkvangr, where Bell Cranel realizes that his Hestia Knife has gone missing. She wonders whether it was all a dream. Suddenly, Hedin Selland asks Bell to come and meet Goddess Freya.

While walking to Freya's chamber, Bell asks Hedin whether he knows anyone named Syr. The elf says he doesn't, shutting Bell from asking anymore questions. Danmachi season 5 episode 6 then shows Freya warmly welcoming Bell into her room. She tries to convince the boy that he has been a part of her Familia all along.

Freya updates Bell's status (Image via J.C.Staff)

Yet, Bell doesn't want to accept. He asks her to update her status, something that only the patron God can do. However, Bell is astonished, as Goddess Freya easily accomplishes the task. Danmachi season 5 episode 6 reveals that Freya used Status Snitch, a rare item that allows a different Familia to update any person's stats.

Freya's tricks further breaks Bell, who begins to doubt his memories. Danmachi season 5 episode 6 then shows Freya warmly hugging Bell from behind. She whispers into his ears that she knows how tough it has been for him to process everything. Yet, she implores the boy not to let it ruin him.

Freya and Bell in Danmachi season 5 episode 6 (Image via J.C.Staff)

Even if Bell wants solitude, she refuses to leave him by himself. She wants Bell to tell her about the other Bell who isn't part of her Familia the next day. As Bell leaves, Freya asks Heith to post some guards on Bell without him noticing and report his movements to her.

The narrative for Danmachi season 5 episode 6 then switches to Folkvangr's ground, where Van takes Bell out for training. Bell Cranel realizes it's an all-out war among the Familia members, where they are prepared to battle to the death. Van's expert swordsmanship corners Bell, but he counters with his magic spell, Firebolt.

Eventually, Bell defeats a dozen of Freya Familia members, including Van, albeit after sustaining grave injuries. Yet, he realizes it's not over since Hedin, Hogni, and the Gulliver brothers enter the field. Elsewhere in Danmachi season 5 episode 6, Eina mulls over her interaction with Bell the other day.

She wonders why she's having such strange thoughts about the boy. While searching for a book, she stumbles over a heap of papers and finds a logbook on Bell Cranel. It's a minute diary describing Bell Cranel's feats in the dungeon and her growing feelings of love for the boy.

Eina, as seen in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

Eina's eyes well up, as she reads every word from the logbook. Suddenly, Freya appears behind and confiscates the book. She reapplies her charm on Eina, leaving her confused about why she's crying. Meanwhile, Bell Cranel's harsh training almost kills him.

However, Heith heals his fatal injuries. Apparently, Bell has to go through the harsh training day after day, since it's a custom of the Freya Familia. Following that in Danmachi season 5 episode 5, we see the Freya Familia members enjoying a sumptuous feast.

Van is irritated as he has to go along with the false pretense of knowing Bell. Yet more than that, he is agitated that the boy gets a total monopoly on Freya's love. Heith says it's because Bell Cranel is special. That's why Freya is drawn to him in a way she can't help.

Danmachi season 5 episode 6: Freya's false narrative begins to work on Bell

Freya ensnares Bell within her false narrative (Image via J.C.Staff)

Danmachi season 5 episode 6 then shows another nighttime moment between Freya and Bell. The boy begins to narrate his story, from the time he arrived at Orario to how Hestia took him into her Familia when nobody did.

After carefully listening to Bell's story, Freya heartily smiles and says that version of Bell must have been remarkably brave. Soon after, Bell enquires how he and Freya met. The Goddess of Beauty says they met at the Adventurer's Graveyard.

One day, she went there to lay some flowers and found Bell looking at a monument dedicated to heroes. Freya adds it was a love at first sight for her. The Goddess' remark embarrasses Bell. Yet, Freya continues to narrate a fabricated tale to plant seeds of doubt in the boy's mind.

Not only that but having read the contents of Eina's diary, Freya narrates Bell Cranel's past adventures correctly. This further breaks Bell, who recalls that it's something he has told only to Eina and Goddess Hestia.

He frantically asks Freya more about his past feats and becomes shocked as the Goddess answers them correctly one by one. Reality and illusion become one for Bell, who can't fathom what's happening. Following that in Danmachi season 5 episode 6, Freya decides to lighten the mood for Bell.

She asks him how her new dress looks. Freya further embarrasses Bell, asking him to unbutton her dress from behind as she wants to get changed. The Goddess of Beauty's remarks and demeanor turns Bell red in embarrassment, as he frantically leaves the room.

Goddess Freya laughs in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

Bell's innocence and childish behavior bring hearty laughter from Freya, who rolls on the bed and shows a side of her she never showed before. Horn then appears with a new set of dresses.

However, Freya wants to sleep wearing the dress Bell has complimented. Danmachi season 5 episode 6 ends with Bell Cranel looking aimlessly outside the window, wondering whether he's truly part of the Freya Familia.

Conclusion

Danmachi season 5 episode 6 was one of the best installments of the series thus far, with impeccable production quality and storyboarding. The episode dexterously retained the essence of the light novel and showed every character's emotion in a precise manner.

From Freya's unrestrained desire to Bell Cranel's doubts, the episode covered everything from the light novel. At the same time, the episode showed a different side to Goddess Freya, who is truly smitten with Bell. Given how the episode ended, it's evident that Bell is beginning to doubt his memories.