At the top floor of Babel Tower.
War Games taking place in Orario were nothing unusual, but a War Game between the Apollo Familia and the Hestia Familia was enough to gather countless gods here.
And the reason that drew them... was that a certain "Hephaestus" had opened a betting pool on this War Game; otherwise, they could have simply found somewhere else and watched through projection stones.
If Ron were here, he would certainly be able to spot quite a few familiar faces on the scene.
Freya, Loki, Hephaestus, and Hermes—wearing a hat, looking languid with his arms folded across his chest—all gathered because of this game.
"It feels like there's no suspense left in this bet, right..."
Even though the War Game had not yet begun, through the live feed, one could already see the Apollo Familia, fully armed and ready, having arrived at the site of the "Siege Battle," their neatly uniformed attire especially eye-catching.
Not only that, from the excited expressions on those adventurers' faces, one could see their intense fighting spirit.
Sitting in her chair with her legs crossed like some old man, Loki narrowed her eyes as she looked toward the Apollo Familia in the image. Setting aside overall quality for the moment, at least in terms of numbers, it made her feel quite reassured.
If she had money in her own pocket—rather than betting funds borrowed from Hephaestus—she definitely would not have wagered on that bunch from the Apollo Familia.
What fun was there in betting big with the small? Wasn't it far more interesting to believe in that slim hope and stage an upset to overturn the strong?
"It's not at the point where we can discuss the outcome yet."
Hephaestus maintained a relaxed attitude.
She did not care about the result of the bet at all. Whether victory or defeat, it would only amount to adding a zero or two behind her already dull balance.
Compared to that, what she truly looked forward to was whether Ron—whom she had watched grow from the stage of a rookie adventurer to where he stood now—could once again create a miracle...
"You know him well?"
Faced with Loki's question, and with the curious gaze cast by Freya beside her, Hephaestus finally experienced the pleasure of playing the riddler and smiled as she shook her head.
"I can only say that Apollo wanting to use the War Game to take Ron away…"
"is not without reason."
After all, the theoretical limit-breaking ability values within the Falna system spoke for themselves. She murmured softly, "Perhaps this War Game, which in most people's eyes—has long had its outcome decided... might also see a miracle appear?"
...
Early morning.
The War Game arrived as scheduled.
Compared to the usual clear weather, the sky, now covered in dark clouds, seemed to lay a faintly tragic undertone over this War Game with such a disparity in strength.
Having fully rested, this time Ron chose to travel light. He wore no armor, carrying only the greatsword "Great Fortune," along with two fast-attack daggers.
After all, this was not a Dungeon expedition.
And a War Game was not aimed at slaughtering the opponent's Familia; once the target lost the ability to resist, it was essentially equivalent to forfeiting and withdrawing from the dispute.
Standing at the entrance of the communal dormitory, just as Ron was about to head to the "Hostess of Fertility" to look for Ryuu, the moment he stepped out the door, he saw a figure leaning against the wall, draped in a gray-brown cloak.
Short light-green hair, and that trace of cool aloofness.
Her identity needed no further explanation.
"Senior Ryuu..."
Recalling that farcical encounter in the Dungeon, although she had joined the War Game initiated by the Apollo Familia only as a temporary companion, Ron smiled and teased, "Does this count as us being comrades fighting side by side?"
"..."
'Comrades fighting side by side.'
Ron's relaxed words tried to knock at Ryuu's heart, yet she still had not let go of the tragedy from five years ago—the destruction of the Astraea Familia.
The girl's face remained tense.
"This is the last time."
And noticing Hestia and Mikoto approaching from a distance, Ryuu gently shook her head. "As for words of thanks, let's wait until after the War Game ends."
"I'll go ahead to the battlefield and wait for you."
"Alright."
The disparity in Familia numbers was laid out plainly.
There was no need to formulate any plan; even if the Apollo Familia dispatched a Level 2 adventurer, they might not necessarily be able to defeat Mikoto after her level ascension.
As for the rest, after becoming proficient in mastering the various abilities of the "Sekiro" template, Ron did not feel particularly nervous. What he felt more was a longing for battle.
"We should set out as well."
"If we don't arrive at the location within the stipulated time, it seems we'll be judged as having forfeited..."
He had no intention of letting all the effort he had put in during this time go to waste.
Ron's gaze swept over Mikoto before finally settling on Hestia. She was still wearing that familiar white dress—only, compared to yesterday—
The girl showed not the slightest trace of panic.
After hearing the decision to set out, she naturally reached out and took Ron's hand on her own initiative. The smile blooming on her youthful face was especially bright—and filled with trust.
"Alright."
"I believe you can do it."
"Just like when you created that record that shook Orario, Ron... After this War Game ends, I'll wait for you to come and pick me up."
There was no unnecessary elaboration.
With Ron's mature and steady personality, there was no need to worry about safety. On the contrary, Hestia was concerned that the more she reminded him of things, the greater the psychological pressure it might place on him.
Along the Adventurers' Street, Ron and Hestia continued moving toward the southern main street of Orario. Perhaps because of this War Game, the highly conspicuous god-and-familia entourage naturally drew the attention of passing adventurers. As for the skeptical talk from the crowd, Hestia's smile remained confident and composed.
Her steps did not falter. After arriving at the abandoned southern main street—long neglected since the disappearance of the Evilus Familia—as far as the eye could see, the ruined walls of abandoned buildings lay collapsed in disarray. Their surfaces, battered by wind and rain, were already covered in thick moss; weeds grew everywhere, and the entire place was scarred and desolate.
"To be honest..."
"In this kind of environment, it actually feels quite suitable for me to hide."
Sensing the relatively heavy atmosphere within the Familia's group—and not wanting Ron to shoulder too much pressure—Hestia showed no sign of worry.
Instead, she joked about the surrounding environment.
After choosing the church tower as the hiding place and clearing out a spot to stay, the hourglass hanging at the girl's waist indicated that the War Game's countdown was about to end...
Looking once more at the grown boy standing before her, Hestia gently rose onto her toes, smoothing the wrinkles at the collar of Ron's shirt. In the end, she buried the reluctance and attachment in her eyes deep within her heart.
She clapped her hands lightly, her tone firm: "Do your best!"
"I will."
"Mikoto, I'm entrusting Lady Hestia to you."
After hearing the specific arrangement, Mikoto tightly gripped the hilt of her katana, her expression solemn as she nodded heavily.
The War Game had already begun.
Ron stepped forward, making no promises—only knowing clearly that in this War Game against the Apollo Familia, there were things he had to protect.
Beautiful girls, and the Familia assets that had originally belonged to him!!
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