News that a War Game would be held spread like wildfire among the gods.
Of course the adventurers and residents of Orario couldn't help but notice the excited and highly spirited gods around the city. The gods walked with light steps, wide smiles adorning their faces, occasionally laughing heartily in public places. Some were even seen placing bets secretly in back alley bars.
Something else happened just moments after Hestia and Apollo's announcement was officially declared.
War Game.
A battle between Familias witnessed by all gods, arranged with clear rules, and the results divinely binding.
After the matter was settled, and with a guarantee that Apollo Familia would no longer hunt Hestia Familia—at least until the War Game began—Charlie bid farewell.
"I'm leaving first." He said briefly to Hestia and Bell. "Still have business."
Hestia nodded understandingly. Bell tried to smile, though his face was still pale and his body full of wounds.
"Thank you for today, Charlie-san." Bell said sincerely. "I won't forget this."
Charlie just nodded, then together with Kei walked away from Apollo Familia's headquarters. Behind them, the gods were still celebrating, discussing the coming War Game.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Babel Tower.
Charlie and Kei passed through the crowd of adventurers also discussing the War Game, then descended into the large hole that was the Dungeon entrance.
That day, they went down to Floor 15.
Kei finished off the monsters she encountered without significant difficulty. Flare-chan in her hand worked with terrifying efficiency, monsters falling before they could approach.
Faced with firearms beyond the times, those monsters were helpless. They could only run toward their deaths, or wait to be slaughtered by Kei's accurate shots before they could attack.
Moreover, Kei's mental power wasn't the same as the first time she entered the Dungeon. A week of continuous fighting had transformed Excelia into real strength. Her Status increased drastically. She could use Flare-chan longer, shoot more, without feeling dizzy like before.
Occasionally, for variety and to save mental energy, Kei switched to attacking with her magic—Myriad Curse.
Small curses that slowed, weakened, or poisoned monsters. Though not as effective as Flare-chan, this magic gave her useful mid-range combat options.
Kei appeared like a rampaging Valkyrie on a battlefield. However, her toughness wavered when she faced one specific type of monster: Dungeon Worm.
A giant worm monster that only had teeth—rows upon rows of sharp teeth in a gaping round mouth. Its body long, slimy, pale gray colored, moving with a disgusting writhing motion.
Its visual appearance triggered primitive fear embedded in every normal girl's DNA.
As soon as a Dungeon Worm appeared, Kei wouldn't let it approach.
She fired a barrage of lasers without caring about mental consumption. Orange rays repeatedly pelted that Dungeon Worm, burning, mutilating, destroying it to pieces. Kei shot as if avenging her deceased father and brother—with an irrational anger that could only be understood by those who also feared creeping creatures.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
When Charlie and Kei exited Babel Tower, the sun had already shifted west.
Afternoons in Orario were always beautiful—golden orange rays bouncing off white stone walls, creating a warm atmosphere contrasting with the Dungeon's coldness.
On the way back to Empyrean Citadel, they passed through markets and main streets. And wherever they went, the same topic was heard.
"Apollo Familia will definitely win!"
"Yeah, obviously. Hestia Familia only has one member."
"Apollo has hundreds of members! Several Level 3s too!"
"The gap is too big. This isn't a match, it's a slaughter."
"Poor Hestia-sama. But she chose the War Game. Why not just run away?"
"Maybe she's too stupid to run."
Laughter and mockery were heard here and there. Only a few sympathized with Hestia. Most Orario adventurers and residents were realistic—they saw numbers, statistics, and military strength.
Compared to Hestia Familia which was a new Familia and only had one active member, people were optimistic Apollo Familia with hundreds of members and several Second Class Adventurers (Level 3) would achieve absolute victory.
There was no other choice.
The gap between both sides was too significant. Unless there was a miracle, Apollo Familia would definitely win. That's what everyone thought.
Kei listened to the conversations around her all along the way. Several times she glanced at Charlie, who walked with his usual flat expression.
Finally, she couldn't resist asking.
"What do you think, Charlie-san? Does Hestia Familia have a chance to win?"
"Hestia Familia will definitely win."
Kei frowned in wonder. She was confused about where Charlie's unwavering confidence came from, considering the statistics on paper showed the opposite.
"Why is Charlie-san so sure? Everyone says otherwise. Logically, Apollo Familia is stronger. Their members number in the hundreds, Hestia Familia only has one person. Did Charlie-san see something I didn't?"
"Protagonists are called protagonists because they're able to reverse unfavorable situations. That's already a basic rule of stories."
Kei looked at him with an expression mixed between confusion and frustration.
"That's not an answer at all!" Kei rolled her eyes, feeling that answer was too abstract. "This world is real, Charlie-san. This isn't a book or movie with a predetermined script..."
Facing Kei's disbelief, Charlie only smiled faintly and didn't provide further explanation. Although he was aware his presence might trigger small changes, he knew that the wheel of Bell Cranel's fate had momentum that was difficult to stop.
If no drastic butterfly effect occurred, Bell's victory was guaranteed by destiny.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
In front of Empyrean Citadel's gate, Charlie and Kei's steps stopped when they passed Astraea who had just returned from the emergency Denatus meeting.
"You're back. How is everything, is everything alright?" Astraea asked in a gentle, calming tone.
Kei stepped forward, reporting with respect to her Main Deity. "No problems, Astraea-sama. Everything went smoothly. Today, I went down to Floor 15."
Astraea smiled faintly, then stroked Kei's head with a mother's affection.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Kei. Remember, you can reach that far a floor only because Charlie accompanied you. Next time, when you've started being independent and are no longer under his protection, you must be far more careful."
Kei nodded seriously. Her eyes showed she truly understood.
"Um. I understand, Goddess."
"..."
Charlie just observed that interaction in silence.
The three of them walked together entering Empyrean Citadel's gate. As soon as they crossed the invisible boundary, the illusion barrier that deceived outsiders' eyes showed the actual view inside.
In the sky above the courtyard, the Azure Dragon and Qilin flew freely. The Vermilion Bird perched on apple tree branches. The Black Tortoise lay lazily on green grass, occasionally extending its head to bite grass. And the White Tiger was running around with Est on its back.
That sword spirit girl, riding the White Tiger like a pony, her silver-white hair fluttering in the wind. Her usually expressionless face now appeared slightly happy.
Of course, all those creatures were in chibi form—cute versions of their true selves. If not, the majestic and terrifying true forms of those Divine Beast Spirits would trigger great commotion in Orario. Perhaps even attract the gods' attention.
"Welcome back, everyone."
On the house terrace, Aishia who had previously been sitting calmly in a wooden chair immediately stood up to greet them. Her face remained flat and emotionless as usual, but her eyes followed Charlie's every movement.
Everyone entered the house. Kei, after changing into casual clothes, began preparing food, helped by Aishia who seemed interested in learning cooking skills. From the kitchen came the sound of Kei patiently explaining cooking steps, and occasionally Aishia's "Oh" murmur as she learned.
In the living room, Charlie and Astraea sat facing each other. Two cups of hot tea steamed on the table—Kei had prepared them before joining Aishia in the kitchen.
The atmosphere became slightly more serious when Astraea began speaking about the Denatus results earlier.
"Through traditional drawing, a battle format was chosen. It's called Castle Siege." Astraea explained in detail. "One side defends inside the castle, the other attacks. If the attackers succeed in reaching the throne room and capturing the flag or 'king' within the determined time limit, they win. If not, the defending side wins."
"As soon as this format was announced, Apollo immediately felt on top of the world. His face was beaming. And no wonder—his Familia has hundreds of members. They can guard the castle with layers upon layers of defense. Meanwhile Hestia... only has Bell."
"..."
Charlie remained silent, listening.
"For a while, it seemed Hestia would be finished without resistance. But then Hermes spoke up." Astraea's tone changed, slightly impressed. "He proposed an additional rule: allowing outside help. He said, to make it more interesting. With just one member, Hestia Familia wouldn't be able to provide a worthy 'show'. The audience would be bored."
"Initially Apollo vehemently refused. But then Freya mocked him in front of all the gods. 'Does Apollo not trust his own children?'"
Astraea laughed slightly. "The other gods who were initially just watching began supporting Hermes' proposal. They said the War Game would be boring if too unbalanced. They wanted to see drama, not an execution."
"Under that pressure, Apollo had no choice but to agree. But with one condition: outside help could only be one person, and must come from a Familia outside Orario."
Charlie raised his eyebrow slightly. "Outside Orario?"
"Yes." Astraea looked at him. "That automatically disqualifies almost all adventurers in this city."
Charlie nodded slowly, pondering that information. After a brief pause, he commented in a cynical tone:
"A siege format with hundreds of guards, but only allowing one person's help from outside the city? Apollo's attitude is truly petty. He doesn't just want to win, he wants to ensure Goddess Hestia has not the slightest gap to fight back with the help of a High Class Adventurer from within this city."
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