A Battle Between Familias
A war game.
The winner would take everything from the loser.
In a way, it was a battle of survival for a Familia.
And the entire Dungeon City was waiting for it with bated breath.
"Hello everyone! I am your host! And my title is 'Fire Inferno Flame!' Glad to be here!"
An adventurer wearing a Ganesha Familia mask shouted into a mic made from a magic stone, his voice booming across the venue.
"Today is the day of the War Game! And the commentary will be provided by none other than our main god—Ganesha-sama!"
"Ganesha-sama! Say something to the crowd!"
"I AM GANESHA!"
"And there you have it, folks…"
All around Orario, adventurers closed their shops and gathered in the streets to watch the upcoming battle through massive magic screens.
In pubs, taverns, and street corners, bets were being placed in a frenzy.
"40,000 valis on the Apollo Familia!"
"70,000 on Apollo Familia!"
"If everyone bets on Apollo, what's the point of betting?" the dealer sighed helplessly as mountains of wagers piled up in Apollo's favor.
Suddenly, a young adventurer walked up with hesitant steps and quietly placed a bag of valis on the table.
"20,000 valis on Hestia Familia…"
The table fell silent before erupting in laughter.
"Woooh!"
"Kid, are you crazy? You're throwing money away!"
Hearing their jeers, the young adventurer flared up, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"You guys know nothing! Yorichii-san will win!"
Without waiting for a reply, he turned away and focused on the glowing magic screen.
Inside the Tower of Babel
The gods of Orario sat in the grand audience hall, their faces brimming with excitement.
"It's about to begin!"
"I still can't believe Hestia and Apollo are fighting!"
"I can't wait! Let the battle start!"
"What battle? Hestia doesn't stand a chance. They've only got one Level 2 while Apollo has a Level 3 and multiple Level 2s."
Opinions varied—some gods were excited, others worried—but all were eager to witness the spectacle.
"Look! It's Loki!"
All heads turned as the mischievous goddess of one of Orario's strongest Familias entered the hall.
"That idiotic dwarf… Tsk, she landed herself in trouble," Loki muttered, her sharp eyes scanning the room.
Then, a sudden hush fell over the crowd.
A goddess with long silver hair walked in gracefully, radiating an aura that made the entire hall fall silent.
"Hello, Loki," Freya said with a breathtaking smile.
"Freya…" Loki's expression twisted, her eyes instinctively drifting downward…
…towards Freya's chest.
Damn it! There's no comparison at all!
Suppressing her tears of injustice, Loki ignored the goddess of beauty and marched to her seat.
Freya, unbothered, let her gaze wander—landing on Apollo at the front with a smug grin plastered on his face.
When Apollo had declared war on Hestia, Freya had suggested allowing Hestia to seek outside help due to the overwhelming difference in numbers.
But Hestia had rejected the idea outright.
"It's alright. My children will win."
She had said it with such calm confidence that Freya couldn't help but wonder…
Where did that confidence come from? Could it be the hidden Captain? The one said to be stronger than Yorichii?
The murmurs grew louder as the doors opened once more.
Hestia walked in alongside Hephaestus.
Smiling faintly, Freya returned to her seat, her curiosity deepening.
Meanwhile, Hephaestus shot her friend a puzzled look.
"Hestia, are you alright? You're… grinning like a lunatic."
"Hehehe… I'm just thinking about Apollo's mansion after we beat him…"
"Hestia! What is wrong with you?!"
"Oops! Sorry, Hephaestus—I was just worried about my Familia!" Hestia replied innocently.
"You…" Hephaestus sighed and shook her head helplessly.
"By the way, is your child Lioro participating? I haven't heard a thing about him exploring the Dungeon."
"Hephaestus! Why do you want to know about Lioro?!" Hestia shot back, eyes blazing.
"I was just curious about what he's been doing after I gave him that sword."
"Really? Is that all? You're not trying to poach him into your Familia, are you?!"
"I… suddenly regret unblocking you."
"I'm sorry, Hephaestus!"
The magic screen flickered to life.
Hestia's childish expression as her children appeared on the battlefield.
Apollo, seated a few steps above her, wore a sly, almost perverted smile.
The rules of the War Game had already been set:
A siege battle.
Apollo Familia had a fortified castle to defend. Hestia Familia would win if they defeated Apollo Familia's captain hidden inside.
Everyone knew the truth—this format favored Apollo immensely.
With over 110 members against Hestia's fewer than 10, Apollo intended to crush her completely.
The mirror displayed the battlefield.
"Everyone…" Hestia whispered softly, her face tense—until her gaze landed on one person.
Lioro.
And just like that, all her worries vanished.
How could they possibly lose when this man was on their side?
He had single-handedly defeated the One-Eyed Black Dragon—a final boss in flesh and blood!
Hestia's lips curled into a smirk as she looked at Apollo with pity.
Meanwhile, the gods watching the screen were abuzz.
"Who's that white-haired guy?"
"There are two of them in Hestia Familia?"
"You idiots! That's not a new member—that's their captain."
"Captain? I've never heard of him!"
As whispers spread, Freya's eyes gleamed.
"Captain of Hestia Familia… stronger than Yorichii?"
She invoked her discerning eye to glimpse Lioro's soul—
And failed.
She tried again.
And failed...again.
Freya froze.
For the first time in centuries, her ability had been completely blocked.
Her serene smile cracked as she involuntarily stood, drawing Loki's sharp gaze.
Meanwhile, at the battlefield, one of Lioro's rings glowed faintly before dimming.
'Damn it, Freya,' he cursed inwardly, then turned to his Familia.
Yorichii stood in crimson armor, Bladelight Tempest katana at his side.
Bell gripped Crimson Edge in his hands, clad in his Windtrace Armor.
Levi, Farlan, and Isobel wore standard combat gear.
And lastly, Elsa, holding a wooden magic staff.
"I'll leave it to you," Lioro said calmly. "Go and crush Apollo Familia."
Then he sat on the ground, leaning against a rock.
"Show me how much you've grown."
The Familia stared at him blankly.
Is this guy… seriously just going to sit there?
Levi shot Yorichii a glance before stepping forward without hesitation, followed by Farlan and Isobel.
"Will there be any reward?" Levi asked, pausing mid-step.
Lioro raised an eyebrow. "Depends on your performance."
Levi smirked faintly and moved on.
"Yorichii-san?" Bell asked nervously.
Yorichii gave a single nod. "Stay behind me."
With that, he strode forward.
Bell tightened his grip and followed.
Elsa also stepped forward—only to feel a hand grab her arm and pull her back.
"Huh?"
She turned to see Lioro smiling faintly.
"Stay here. You're too strong."
He wasn't joking. With the share of attributes she had received from him, Elsa could easily decimate Apollo Familia.
"But… will they be alright?" she asked worriedly.
"If you go, it defeats the purpose of this test," Lioro replied, pulling her in his arms.
The gods exploded in confusion.
Why were two members sitting out like this?
Excuse me this is a war game! Not a date!
"This child has style. I like him."
"He's either overestimating himself or underestimating Apollo."
"Kyaa! They look cute together!"
God's opinions were as chaotic as ever.
"That kid is still the same..." Hephaestus groaned, burying her face in her hands, remembering the embarrassing moment from before.
On the battlefield, Yorichii, Bell, Levi, Farlan, and Isobel crouched behind a boulder, studying the massive black fortress ahead.
"I don't see any blind spots. How do we breach the castle?" Levi muttered, eyes scanning the walls lined with archers.
A frontal assault would be suicide.
"I'll open a path," Yorichii said quietly.
The others turned to him in surprise.
Without another word, he walked out of cover, heading straight for the castle.
"What the hell is he doing?" Farlan hissed.
"Yorichii-san… he must be blaming himself," Bell whispered.
Having trained together several times, Bell had gotten to know Yorichii to some extent.
And that is why he could, without a doubt, say that currently, Yorichii was feeling sad.
Not anger but sadness.
Because of his action, his familia was dragged into an unnecessary fight.
That is why he felt it was his responsibility to deal with the situation, without putting his familia at risk.
"Wait, is he planning to take them all on by himself?!" Isobel gasped.
"That's insane!" Farlan added.
Levi gave Farlan a side look before turning back to look at Yorichii and said.
"I think he can do it."
"..."
That was not what we asked okay?
Meanwhile, Apollo Familia spotted him.
"What's that idiot doing?!" an archer muttered, drawing his bow.
Dozens of archers aimed at Yorichii.
Yet, the Black-haired warrior walked calmly, as if the arrows didn't exist.
"Fire!"
The arrows whistled through the air—
—only for a sudden gale to swirl around Yorichii, deflecting every shaft harmlessly into the ground.
The battlefield fell silent.
The gods froze.
That technique… looked eerily similar to the wind techniques of Loki Familia's rising star—Aiz Wallenstein!
Before anyone could recover, Yorichii unsheathed his katana.
His fingers brushed the blade.
"I ask for your strength."
Mana stirred.
"I ask for your power."
Energy gathered at the edge of the blade, turning it blue.
"I ask for your mercy."
Yorichii raised his sword in both hands and made a single, elegant strike.
"Magic Slash."
A wave of pure azure energy erupted from his blade—
—and cleaved straight through the fortress wall.
Making everyone's jaw drop to the ground.
-----------
patreon.com/nkc_reaper