Under the gaze of all, the divine mirror reflected the battle. A gauntlet swept past white hair. A dagger sliced through skin.
Bell, relying on his skill, dodged attacks and lured "Black Fist" and "Black Cat" into attacking each other. Even as the wounds on his opponents multiplied, Bell remained composed. The side effects of [Argonaut] were beginning to show, with fatigue steadily building up. This battle had to be resolved swiftly.
At that moment, Hyakinthos made his move.
"My name is love, precious child of light. I offer my body to my sun!"
Hyakinthos had already realized that Bell Cranel was not someone he could defeat. If they clashed directly, he would be defeated in moments.
"My name is sin, jealousy of wind. I call a gust of wind to my body.!"
Hyakinthos chose to avoid a direct confrontation. Even if ambushing his opponent was disgraceful, he was determined to secure a victory for his Familia God. With "Black Fist" and "Black Cat" still standing, he began chanting his magic.
"Released ring of fire - come…"
Amidst the furious assault of gauntlets and daggers, Bell sensed the magic emanating from Hyakinthos. He had been wary of the man, who had yet to engage in the battle, and saw his opportunity in a brief gap in defense. Bell unleashed Quick-Cast Magic, aiming to strike first.
"Firebolt!"
The fiery thunder erupted, unleashing a wave of heat. Yet Hyakinthos raised his Salamander Wool, forcibly absorbing the blow. Even with his flame resistance, the lightning left a scorched wound on his body. But Hyakinthos seemed unfazed.
The only thing that mattered to him was the affection between the boy and the girls. He would never acknowledge it. In Hyakinthos's eyes, the favor of that noble (Apollo) was infinitely more noble than Bell's.
"—wind of the west Rupele!"
The youth would fall beneath this spell. That so-called affection would perish here.
Hyakinthos chanted with maniacal fervor, the magic power surging relentlessly. Bell, however, couldn't stop him. "Black Fist" and "Black Cat," consumed by hatred, threw themselves in front of Bell, desperately blocking his path. They too had realized that once Hyakinthos unleashed his magic, victory would belong to Apollo's Familia.
Both "Black Fist" and "Black Cat" roared in fury, clinging desperately to Bell.
The next moment, Hyakinthos lowered his center of gravity and assumed a throwing stance.
"Aro Zephyros!"
The gathered magic power blazed like the sun, dazzlingly bright. The sun wheel shot forth, hurtling straight toward Bell.
"Firebolt!"
Bell's firebolt collided with the spinning sun wheel. A blinding flash of fire erupted as the lightning was consumed entirely.
Bell, managing to knock down "Black Fist" and "Black Cat" at the last possible moment, dodged to the right.
"?!"
But the crimson disc darted deftly into the air, tracing an arc before returning once more.
"You've already lost!" Hyakinthos declared, a twisted smile spreading across his face. From the moment he had begun chanting the magic, Bell's defeat had been sealed.
This solar disc possessed tracking properties—utterly impossible to evade.
Bell recognized this.
Should he charge forward, using Hyakinthos as a shield...?
The teardrop pendant given to him by Syr glowed faintly.
In an instant, Bell made his optimal decision.
But just as he was about to act, a sudden flash of light altered his resolve to go down fighting.
—"Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy!"
A brilliant orange light enveloped the ruins beyond.
The fairy girl, her golden-yellow hair fluttering in the wind, had timed it perfectly.
Magic power had gathered.
The incantation was complete.
"Arcs Ray!"
With a crisp, resonant voice, the light cannon fired.
Lefiya's target wasn't the distant enemy.
Accompanied by blinding light, the arrow shot straight toward the Sun Wheel.
"Thousand Elf?!"
Hyakinthos's face twisted in shock.
That arrow possessed tracking properties too!
Bell watched the two shifting beams of light and made a split-second decision.
He pivoted his body and sprinted toward Lefiya.
The Sun Wheel followed close behind, the Light Arrow just inches away.
Just as he was about to collide with the arrow, Bell maintained his speed, ducked low, and dodged Lefiya's magic.
The next second, the Sun Wheel and the Light Arrow collided.
The boy and the golden-haired elf embraced.
"Whooo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!!"
The crowd's cheers and the god's shouts echoed across the sky.
"W-wait... wait?! What the hell are you doing?!?!?!"
Lefiya let out the most mortifying scream of her life.
Bell could swear he had simply failed to brake in time, combined with the side effects of [Argonaut], which had made him embrace Lefiya.
Chased by the Sun Wheel, his momentum was enough to slam her to the ground.
Only his desperate efforts had managed to stop himself from pushing her further.
But Lefiya, of course, couldn't possibly understand any of this.
The battle was nearing its climax.
Everything had happened in an instant.
"You eternal horny rabbit! I'll hear your explanation later!!"
Lefiya clutched her wand in her right hand, maintaining her embrace with the boy as she poured her magic into the Light Arrow.
She never imagined her unconventional training would actually prove useful.
The thought of the entire city watching this scene made her heart race.
And to think the one who had stolen her first kiss was now holding her.
The roots of Lefiya's slender ears flushed a deep crimson.
Seeing the two embraced, Hyakinthos assumed the boy was mocking him.
"Hmph?! That noble's affection surpasses anyone else's!!"
With a frenzied roar, the Sun Wheel and Light Arrow erupted in dazzling colors.
Hyakinthos's eyes widened in rage.
The Light Arrow was forced backward by the Sun Wheel's push.
"I don't care about that! Just end this already!!!"
Lefiya raised her wand and channeled all her magic power into it.
Her sense of shame had reached its breaking point.
Lefiya just wanted to go home, crawl into her blankets, and ignore everything.
No, first, she had to confront the boy—why did he suddenly hug her?!
"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!!"
"The decisive blow?!"
"The Thousand Elf's love is in no way inferior to his!"
"This is the true light of love!!"
"The Thousand Elf and the Little Rookie, Lefiya Viridis and Bell Cranel—this is the power of the harem!!"
In the dazzling collision, the fading light flared brilliantly, halting the advancing Sun Wheel's momentum.
As magic power surged through it, the Light Arrow coalesced and pulsed.
Finally, it shattered the Sun Wheel, exploding into countless particles of light.
"No?! Impossible!"
Hyakinthos's eyes widened in shock.
The next instant, the youth was already upon him.
In the fading light, Bell swung his dagger.
"Guh?!"
Hyakinthos frantically drew his short sword, thrusting it toward the boy's throat.
His face twisted in delight.
Such an obvious ambush, with the attack range clearly in his favor—there was no need to fear.
The dagger was about to pierce his skin when a crimson dagger blocked it midair.
Clang!
The boy wouldn't allow his opponent to counterattack.
He deflected the short sword and charged forward.
"Gah?!"
Hyakinthos raised his left fist, attempting to block the boy's attack by striking his face.
A flash of blue-purple light erupted as Hestia's Knife cut in a diagonal arc, tearing open Hyakinthos's right arm.
The boy wouldn't allow his opponent to defend.
The distance between them closed relentlessly.
"Guh..."
Hyakinthos's face twisted in terror as he stumbled backward.
The boy wouldn't let him escape.
"Firebolt!"
Fiery lightning exploded at close range, blinding Hyakinthos.
In the next instant, slashes as swift as the wind followed in rapid succession.
Blades flashed, blue-purple light mingling with crimson strikes.
The boy played the final song upon the battlefield.
Hyakinthos collapsed to the ground, unable to rise again.
...
The wind died down.
The distant love song also ceased.
In the silent battlefield, the first sound to break the stillness came from Lefiya, her face flushed bright red.
She placed her wand on the ground and covered her cheeks with both hands.
Beneath her crimson face, it was hard to tell whether it was joy or shyness.
"Ohhhhhh!!"
In that moment, as the curtain fell, the high-pitched cheers tore through the clouds.