Chapter 205
"What... is that?"
Atop the city wall, Hedin, Hogni, and Allen stared at the blue-white sphere in Kiriya’s hand with undisguised shock.
Even from such a great distance, they could feel the terrifying energy compressed inside it.
The sensation sent a primal shiver through their souls.
A direct hit would kill them.
"What kind of magic is that?"
The four Gulliver brothers spoke almost in unison, and a tremor ran through each of their voices.
Hedin studied the attack carefully, his expression grave.
"Lightning. An enormous concentration of energy, compressed and rotated at extreme speed..."
He tightened his grip on his staff.
"That thing is dangerous."
"Tch. How many more tricks has that bastard been hiding?"
Allen clicked his tongue irritably.
Every time he thought he had seen the full extent of Kiriya’s abilities, the boy produced something new.
If even the first-class adventurers were disturbed, the lower-ranked members were far worse.
They stared at Kiriya’s Lightning Release: Rasengan Railgun, every hair on their bodies standing on end as their mouths went dry.
"It-It’ll be fine."
A Level 3 forced out an unconvincing laugh.
"He’s too far away. By the time it reaches us, most of its power will be gone."
"That’s right!"
A female adventurer loudly supported him.
"We have Lord Allen, Lord Hedin, Lord Hogni, and all the other first-class adventurers! Our forces are invincible!"
Her words helped the defenders on the wall recover some of their confidence.
A moment later, embarrassment followed.
They were members of Orario’s strongest Familia, yet Kiriya had frightened them merely by preparing an attack.
It was humiliating.
"Why hasn’t he fired yet?"
One adventurer, eager to recover his pride, began criticizing Kiriya.
"Maybe it only looks impressive. What if it’s nothing but a bluff?"
"Hahaha! That’s probably it."
The man beside him laughed along, desperate to appear fearless.
The moment they finished speaking, Hedin’s cold voice cut through them.
"Idiots."
He turned sharply.
"Everyone, evacuate this section of the wall!"
Hedin immediately sprinted toward the adjoining battlement.
Allen, Hogni, and the four Gulliver brothers followed without hesitation.
"Uh..."
The other adventurers did not understand, but an order from their commanders was absolute.
They hurried after them.
Within moments, the section of wall that had been packed with defenders was completely deserted.
The audience watching through the Divine Mirrors was baffled.
Why had the Freya Familia suddenly abandoned its position?
Were they actually running away?
A few observers understood what was happening.
Hermes, among others, noticed Kiriya’s lips moving.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
"He’s counting down."
A realization flashed through Hermes’s mind.
"Is he giving the Freya Familia time to escape?"
Kiriya was openly warning them to get out of the way.
Several seconds later, the countdown reached zero.
The blue-white sphere vanished from his hand.
Propelled by an electromagnetic field, the Lightning Release: Rasengan Railgun accelerated instantly to ten times the speed of sound.
Almost the same moment it disappeared from Kiriya’s palm, it struck the fortress.
The wall was wide enough for five carriages to travel side by side.
It was torn apart in an instant.
The projectile continued onward without losing momentum, ripping through the center of the city in a violent surge of energy.
Towers, corridors, and entire buildings were shredded before it finally struck a small hill beyond the opposite side of the fortress.
A brilliant white light appeared.
The expanding blast formed a vast inverted dome, swallowing everything within hundreds of meters.
BOOOOOOM!
Only then did the deafening sound of the explosion reach the spectators.
The shock shook their bodies and left their minds completely blank.
"That... has to be a joke."
Adventurers and ordinary citizens throughout Orario stood frozen with their mouths hanging open.
Could a Level 4 truly produce that much power?
The same doubt filled the minds of the gods.
Hephaestus leaned close to Hestia and whispered, "Hestia, tell me the truth. Have you been hiding that boy’s real level?"
Her eye narrowed suspiciously.
"He’s actually Level 7, isn’t he?"
The other gods said nothing, but every ear in the room turned toward them.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but Kiriya really is Level 4."
Hestia placed both hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
"No tricks, no lies, completely genuine."
She looked ready to laugh triumphantly at the ceiling.
They had mocked him.
They had waited eagerly to watch him fail.
Now every last one of them was speechless!
"I already told you."
Hestia swept her smug gaze across the hall before glancing pointedly at Freya.
"You know nothing about Kiriya’s true strength."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahh..."
Freya released a breath of pure satisfaction, a suspicious flush spreading across her face.
"Yes... Just like that."
Her silver eyes shone hungrily as she stared at Kiriya.
"More. Show me more!"
She did not care in the slightest about Hestia’s mockery.
"Don’t celebrate yet, Shorty."
Loki poured cold water over Hestia’s triumph.
"He delayed the attack for several seconds. None of Freya’s important children were taken out."
The gods nodded.
Kiriya had unleashed an absurdly powerful attack, but the enemy’s main fighting force remained intact.
What’s the point of it?
"Kiriya is kindhearted."
Hestia lifted her chin proudly.
"He didn’t want to kill anyone unnecessarily."
That was the conclusion she and Kiriya had reached before the War Game.
The Freya Familia was Orario’s strongest military force. Its members defended the city against monster attacks and led expeditions into the Dungeon.
If Kiriya massacred them, he would make himself an enemy of all Orario.
Hestia could never accept that.
So, whenever possible, he would avoid killing them.
Of course, the final decision remained his.
If his life was placed in genuine danger, restraint would no longer matter.
Fortunately, Kiriya possessed enough strength to show mercy.
"So he spent that much energy merely to show off?"
Loki narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
...
The ruins of the Old Castle Town of Shreme had changed beyond recognition.
A breach more than ten meters wide had been blasted through the eastern wall. Cracks as thick as a man’s arm spread densely outward from the opening.
The Rasengan Railgun had not merely punched through the fortifications.
The overwhelming kinetic force had compromised the stability of the entire wall.
Most of that side of the fortress was now in danger of collapsing.
The damage extended far beyond the wall.
The central tower, corridors, and entire blocks of buildings had been reduced to rubble.
A fortress that had appeared impregnable moments earlier had become a crumbling ruin with a single attack.
Hedin and the other commanders stared grimly at the Familia members buried beneath the debris.
Many who had escaped being trapped were still severely injured by the shock wave.
"You’ve got to be kidding me..."
Allen stared at the destruction, unable to accept what he was seeing.
"One attack."
His fingers trembled around his spear.
"He did all of this with one attack..."
Kiriya did not even look tired.
Judging from his calm breathing and steady posture, he could probably fire the same technique another seven or eight times.
If that happened, he would not even need to approach.
He could simply stand outside the fortress and bombard it until nothing remained.
And without a fortress, there could be no Castle Siege.
They had expected to face a dangerous wolf.
Instead, a dragon had appeared at their gates!
’Are we actually going to lose?’
"No."
Allen clenched his fist.
"I won’t allow it."
"We can’t remain here and wait to be destroyed. We attack him now!"
He raised his spear and shouted,
"Heith!"
"I know."
A weary female voice answered, followed immediately by a rapid chant.
"My name is gold, attendant to the goddess who swore an eternal oath."
"Though burned thrice by flame, though my flesh be pierced forever, even within the inferno of blazing spears, radiance shall be born anew and death shall be cast away."
"Blessing, blessing, blessing."
"I am gold, and with the light of rebirth, I summon endless struggle once more."
"Siðr Gullveig!"
A massive golden magic circle appeared above the ruins.
Radiant light poured across the battlefield.
The wounded and unconscious members of the Freya Familia opened their eyes as their injuries rapidly vanished.
Broken bodies were restored, and exhausted adventurers rose once again at full strength.
This was the power of Heith Velvet, Orario’s foremost healer.
With a single spell, she could restore an entire army.
"Everyone, follow me!"
Allen swept his spear toward the city gates.
"We’ll meet them outside!"
He charged forward first.
The other warriors exchanged glances before roaring and following him.
For their goddess, they feared nothing.
Hedin, Hogni, and the remaining commanders looked at one another.
Then they joined the advance.
Defeat was not an option!