The War Game between the Ishtar Familia and the Hestia Familia ended with a crushing victory for the Hestia Familia.
The outcome shocked nearly all of Orario, save for the few who knew some of Altair's secrets. Everyone else had bet on the Ishtar Familia's triumph, expecting them to steamroll yet another small Familia that had crossed them, or absorb it entirely.
Such tactics weren't new for Ishtar's crew. The Apollo Familia had fallen to them in a similar fashion, and Apollo's group had pulled the same stunt on others. Both Familias, despite their unsavory reputations, rarely lost War Games, choosing only battles they were certain to win. For spectators, their War Games were like charity galas, safe bets for profit.
But this time, Ishtar had slammed into an iron wall.
The Ishtar Familia deployed nearly their entire主力, leaving only reserves and unintegrated newcomers behind. Meanwhile, the Hestia Familia's Level 3 leader, Altair, didn't lift a finger, strolling through the battlefield from start to finish. The fighting was left to their deputy leader and two Level 1 loli newcomers.
"My money!"
"I'm ruined! I borrowed to bet on Ishtar!"
"Ishtar's crew is trash! Refund!"
"Give us our money back!"
"They rigged the game!"
"Yeah, it's a fake match!"
"You're insane, would they fake a match and let a Level 5 and multiple Level 3s die?"
"Then explain how Ishtar's team got slaughtered like chickens! It's rigged!"
"Refund!"
"Refund!"
Refunds were out of the question. The betting crowd could only wail, too afraid to confront the Guild, venting their frustration in futile cries.
Many adventurers, viewing the game as a sure thing, had wagered their entire fortunes on Ishtar, expecting modest but better-than-bank returns. Now, they'd lost everything.
"No way! Phryne was Level 5! How could a Level 2 kill her? She must've hidden her level!"
The spectators in the stands howled, and the gods in Babel Tower joined the lament, having lost bets too. For them, it was mere entertainment, no god would stake their all, but the wailing was part of the fun.
Unlike the griping gods, Ishtar, the Familia's goddess, was beyond shock, she was shattered. Her entire Familia, led by the monstrous Phryne and her elite Amazon battle courtesans, had been annihilated.
Unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable.
"She's no Level 2! She's Level 5, at least!" Ishtar roared under the gods' scrutiny.
"Enough, Ishtar!" Loki stepped forward, facing her.
"Your whining's pointless. Accept your loss and honor the bet!"
"I'll concede, but I demand to know that woman's true level!" Ishtar insisted, convinced Saeko's level was falsified.
"No need. The Guild anticipated your doubts and verified their levels before the game." Loki said, backing her ally, the Hestia Familia. "I'll tell you straight, she's not Level 2."
"See!" Ishtar exclaimed, arms wide in triumph. "She's Level 5! She lied about her level!"
"Wrong. She didn't lie. Before the War Game, the Hestia Familia registered their updated levels at the Guild. Her level is 3. The other two are Level 1." Loki clarified.
Ishtar froze. "Level 3?"
"Correct. Saeko Busujima of the Hestia Familia is Level 3, as verified by the Guild. Are you questioning the Guild now?" Loki crossed her arms, squinting coldly at Ishtar.
Loki and Freya had long known of Ishtar's scheming, but gods, here for amusement, tolerated such antics. Ishtar's limited vision and chaotic Familia posed no real threat. Now, with her ragtag crew decimated by Hestia's team, the cleanup was almost a relief.
"No way a Level 3 could beat Phryne!" Ishtar protested.
"That depends on the Level 3's weapons. You've seen what Hestia's Familia wields, haven't you?" Loki countered.
Ishtar fell silent.
Indeed, aside from the idle Altair, the other three wielded bizarrely potent weapons. Their firepower overwhelmed standard Level 2 and 3 adventurers, reducing them to target practice. Saeko's gear, in particular, seemed capable of felling a floor boss, especially that blade, nearly ten meters long, wielded with ease. How could anyone counter that?
Superior weapons could shift battles, amplifying an adventurer's strength. High-level adventurers often carried exceptional gear, with Level 5s sometimes wielding magic swords. But even magic swords couldn't match this devastation, rendering numerical superiority meaningless.
"So, Ishtar, your Familia is finished. Per Hestia's demands to the Guild, all your assets will be seized and transferred to the Hestia Familia. Your remaining members await Hestia's judgment." Loki declared, sealing Ishtar's defeat and outlining her fate.
"As for you, Hestia will decide your future when she arrives."
With that, Loki rejoined Freya and Hephaestus, smirking as they watched Altair's team prepare to return on the screens. "Hestia's Familia is poised for a meteoric rise."
***
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