Chapter 204
Orario had become one enormous festival.
An unprecedented War Game was about to begin.
On one side stood Sylvan, the adventurer who had shattered the thousand-year record for the fastest level-ups.
A monstrous talent who, despite being only Level 3 at the time, had defeated opponents possessing Level 6 strength.
On the other side stood the Freya Familia, widely regarded as the strongest Familia in Orario.
At its peak was Ottar, the King, an almost insurmountable Level 7. Supporting him were Allen, Hedin, Hogni, and a host of other first-class adventurers.
Their ranks were filled with elite warriors.
No matter how anyone examined the matchup, it looked hopelessly one-sided.
Some even began wondering whether Kiriya had secretly wanted to join the Freya Familia all along but had been too proud to admit it, so he had created this War Game as an excuse to lose gracefully.
Even so, Kiriya’s previous achievements had been far too extraordinary for the public to dismiss him completely.
They could not help wondering what he might do.
What impossible maneuver would he attempt?
What new ability would he reveal?
How many minutes could he survive against the full might of the Freya Familia?
Those questions proved irresistible to mortals and gods alike.
Betting markets appeared almost overnight.
Some wagers focused on how long Kiriya would last.
Others asked which member of the Freya Familia would finally defeat him.
The endless variety of bets only made Orario even more excited.
...
Inside the gods’ assembly hall at Babel Tower, Freya listened calmly as the surrounding deities debated how many minutes Kiriya could endure.
"Hestia, I must thank you for your generosity."
She smiled with perfect composure.
"I’ll be taking that child now."
"Don’t worry. I’ll treat him very well."
Hestia had already been irritated by the gods’ discussions.
Freya’s words pushed her over the edge.
"Heh. Freya, do you know what people call that kind of line in heroic tales?"
"What?"
"Tempting fate."
Hestia showed no mercy.
"The more confidently you brag now, the more humiliating it’ll be when everything blows up in your face."
"Oh?"
Freya remained unbothered.
"You really are adorably naive, Hestia."
"You haven’t been in the Lower World for very long. Perhaps you don’t understand what Level 7 truly means."
"No."
Hestia crossed her arms confidently.
"You’re the one who has no idea what Kiriya can really do."
Before Freya could respond, Hermes’s voice rang through the hall.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the War Game everyone has been waiting for is finally about to begin."
He turned his attention upward.
"Lord Ouranos, permission to activate the Divine Mirrors."
"Granted."
An ancient, powerful voice echoed from somewhere beyond the hall.
"Perfect."
Hermes straightened and snapped his fingers.
The other gods did the same, their movements almost perfectly synchronized.
Snap!
Divine Mirrors appeared throughout the meeting hall and across countless locations in Orario, displaying the battlefield for every god and mortal to watch.
The first images caused nearly everyone to draw a sharp breath.
The battlefield was the Old Castle Town of Shreme.
It had been completely restored.
The Freya Familia’s support units had repaired every trace of the damage left from Kiriya’s previous War Game against the Apollo Familia.
They had also reinforced the fortress far beyond its original condition.
Shreme could once again have served as a defensive stronghold against a full-scale monster invasion.
And the fortress itself was not even the most intimidating part.
That distinction belonged to the people defending it.
More than a hundred adventurers stood in formation along the walls.
Every one of them wore high-quality equipment.
Their lines were perfectly organized, and the pressure they radiated was unmistakably fierce.
Even the Familia’s Level 1 and Level 2 members had survived relentless combat training within Folkvangr.
Their experience and ability values placed them among the finest adventurers of their respective levels.
Behind them stood dozens of Level 3s and Level 4s—a military force powerful enough to terrify even one of Orario’s largest Familias.
And behind those rank-and-file members waited adventurers whose names were known throughout the city.
Allen Fromel, Vana Freya, Level 6.
Hedin Selland, Hildsleif, Level 6.
Hogni Ragnar, Dainsleif, Level 6.
The four Gulliver brothers, collectively known as the Bringar, all Level 5.
Each represented the highest tier of combat power in Orario.
Any one of them could change the balance between major Familias.
They also had Heith Velvet and the Freya Familia’s elite healers providing them with the strongest medical support in the city.
Several gods estimated that, excluding the Loki Familia, defeating this force would require the combined strength of at least twenty medium or large Familias.
And even then, those Familias would need absolute trust and flawless coordination.
Their opponent had brought only one person.
"Is that kid really going to be all right?"
One god muttered the question, earning murmurs of agreement.
Many of them repeatedly glanced toward Hestia.
The small goddess showed no anger or anxiety.
Her composure was almost unsettling.
"Hahaha! Kiriya was the one who proposed this War Game."
Hermes smiled with intense interest.
"Surely he didn’t come here merely to be beaten."
"I’m very curious to see what strategy he has prepared."
"This should be a remarkable contest—a perfect combination of tactics and force."
Everyone turned toward another Divine Mirror.
Then their mouths fell open.
Kiriya was simply walking toward the castle.
No concealment.
No protective formation.
No attempt to approach from another direction.
He was marching directly toward the front gates in full view of every defender.
"Does he intend to repeat what he did against the Apollo Familia?"
A god stared blankly at the screen.
"Pfft!"
Another deity burst into laughter so violently that tears appeared in his eyes.
Noticing everyone looking at him, he awkwardly wiped his face.
"Sorry, I just... I couldn’t help it."
"That boy is far too innocent!"
"Almost charmingly so."
The surrounding gods began laughing as well.
The Apollo Familia and the Freya Familia were not remotely comparable.
Did Kiriya truly believe he could charge into this fortress alone and defeat an entire army again?
The confidence required bordered on insanity.
"Well, he isn’t completely alone."
A goddess pointed toward the figure following him.
The newcomer was concealed beneath a green cloak, with even her face carefully hidden.
Only the shape of her body revealed that she was female—and most likely a beautiful young woman.
"What a shame."
One god sighed dramatically.
"That poor girl must have lost her mind. Why would she volunteer to support him at a time like this?"
The assembly hall erupted with laughter.
"Hmph. Keep watching."
Hestia had no interest in arguing with them.
"You’re about to learn what real strength looks like."
Ryu’s appearance had surprised her, but it changed nothing important.
Kiriya would still win!
Under the gaze of all Orario, Kiriya stopped five hundred meters from the fortress.
Then he created a shadow clone.
The unfamiliar technique briefly drew the gods’ curiosity.
Their attention was soon captured by the blue-white sphere forming in Kiriya’s hand.
Crackle! Crackle!
Violent lightning surged around it, distorting the air itself.
Kiriya aimed the spinning sphere toward the fortress walls and smiled.
"I brought you all a present."