A week had passed since the declaration and the ambush incident that had befallen the Hestia Familia. During that time, all three of them had gone through a week-long period of training, each following their own method in order to become stronger overall.
For Bell and Lili, their training began with an unexpected encounter. At first, they were rejected at the front gate of the Twilight Manor by Tione. However, this rejection was only a ruse. Tione secretly instructed the two members of the Hestia Familia to meet Aiz and Tiona at the side of the manor, where the two were already waiting for them.
After meeting with the two, Bell and Lili followed them toward the top of the wall that surrounded the city. It was the very same place where Bell had previously trained for the first time with Aiz. The location itself held memories of Bell's earlier training, and it now became the stage for an even harsher period of improvement.
Bell, being trained under the likes of Aiz and Tiona, underwent major improvement. The training he received was extremely harsh. In fact, it was practically the same as trying to survive while fighting two Level Six adventurers who were essentially beating him to the brink of death. Of course, even though they did so with good intentions, it did not change the fact that Bell had to endure rigorous and very rough training throughout the entire process.
The same could be said for Lili as well. She went through training under the same circumstances that Bell did. Just like Bell, she too was beaten brutally by the two Level Six members of the Loki Familia. Through that constant pressure and relentless combat, she also underwent major improvement, increasing both her strength and her skill. Much of that improvement came from the constant onslaught she received from Aiz and Tiona.
However, her training was not limited to only those two.
One morning, while she was warming up and practicing her spearmanship skills, she was secretly approached by Finn, who was staying undercover. Intrigued by her hard work and determination, he volunteered to personally train the Hestian prum under his tutelage. This opportunity allowed her to further sharpen her mastery of the spear while also expanding her arsenal with the weapon, giving her more versatility and capability in battle.
As for Aurelius, his training took place within the dungeon itself. He ventured toward the deeper areas of the middle floors. There, he essentially went ahead and massacred every monster that he encountered along the way. However, he intentionally held back his strength for a time in order to increase his stats. To achieve this, he allowed the monsters to "beat him up" while he fought with a handicap placed upon himself.
Of course, it was not as if the monsters could truly threaten his capabilities, but the constant pressure and repeated battles were enough to warm up his muscles and push his body to continue adapting.
After spending time within the middle floors, he eventually descended further toward the lower floors. Just like before, he continued massacring the wild inhabitants that roamed those areas. However, this time there was at least some form of difficulty involved.
Within the lower floors, Aurelius was finally placed in a situation where his capabilities were truly tested. The primary factor that was being challenged was his strength. It was safe to say that he had to genuinely try during these battles, something that had not happened for quite some time, especially since before he had reached Level Three.
Originally, Aurelius had intended to fight the Rex Monster that resided within the Water City located between the twenty-fifth through the twenty-seventh floors: Amphisbaena.
However, after waiting for some time, the monster did not appear at all. It simply did not spawn.
Because of that, Aurelius guessed that another party had already slain the monster rex recently before he had arrived in search of it. While it likely would have respawned if he had waited long enough, time was not on his side. Because of this, he chose not to remain idle.
Instead, he continued hunting down the regular monsters that inhabited those floors, doing so while remaining in his base form.
Using his golden form would have been somewhat of a waste. By staying in his normal form, he was able to improve his stats more effectively. Much like a Saiyan, he preferred enduring the rough beatings in his base form rather than performing a one-sided massacre in his golden form. As the saying goes, "High risk, high reward."
This was especially true considering that he had chosen to neglect the use of his shield during this training period. Instead, he fought using only his fists, possibly attempting to obtain a new Development Ability sometime in the future when he would eventually level up. Whether or not such efforts would bear fruit remained something that only time could reveal.
From there, Aurelius continued venturing deeper within the lower floors, repeating the same cycle again and again as the difficulty steadily increased. Even so, the rising danger did nothing to deter the Hestian captain.
To Aurelius, any difficulty that stood in his path was simply another opportunity for him to grow stronger.
Because of that belief, he willingly accepted every threat that attempted to kill him, confronting them head-on without hesitation.
After a long week of going through training, the time had finally come. Now, at the ruins of what was once their home, they waited. Bell, Lili, and Hestia stood together within the remains of the destroyed place. Determination and composure adorned their expressions as the bright and peaceful morning sunlight shone down upon the area.
Despite the calm atmosphere of the morning, the ruins around them served as a reminder of what had happened not long ago.
As they waited patiently for their captain to return, the three of them eventually heard the sound of footsteps approaching their location. The sound slowly grew louder with each passing moment as the footsteps drew closer.
All three of them then turned their attention toward the direction from which the sound had come.
Within the light morning fog that lingered in the distance, a large silhouette of a man could be seen walking toward them. The figure appeared tall and imposing even from afar. As the silhouette slowly approached, its identity gradually revealed itself.
The person approaching them was none other than Aurelius, their captain.
Seeing this, the three of them instinctively gathered closer together at one spot as they waited for him to arrive. After a short moment of waiting, Aurelius finally reached their position.
"Yo," Aurelius said casually, greeting his comrades and his goddess after a full week of not seeing each other. "I'm back and ready to win this thing."
Bell and Lili nodded in response to their captain's words. The confidence they carried had now reached heights that many people would likely consider foolish. However, to them, that confidence served as the very source of strength that pushed them forward.
Hestia, seeing her children so spirited and determined to fight what many believed to be a losing battle, smiled proudly at them. The sight of their determination filled her with pride.
Before they could depart for the war game, she decided to notify them of something important.
"Before you three go," Hestia said, gaining the attention of the Hestians, "I want to update your statuses first. A week-long rigorous training would not be worth it if you didn't do so."
The three of them nodded in agreement.
They then began preparing themselves for their Falna updates. Since Lili was the only female familia member present, she was brought to a more secluded place so that her Falna could be updated properly.
After Hestia finished updating her status, both she and Lili returned to where Aurelius and Bell were waiting. Once they had regrouped, Hestia then proceeded to update the statuses of Aurelius and Bell as well.
After finishing the updates, Hestia looked at them with a satisfied expression. The results she had seen made her more confident than before. With their new statuses, their chances of winning the war game had now moved into a more optimal range of victory.
"Congratulations, Bell, Lili. You both have now levelled up to Level Three," Hestia said, briefly celebrating their level ups. "Don't worry about the stats you had before you leveled up or the feats that you performed to qualify for it. All that matters now is that we have a better chance of winning."
After saying that, Hestia turned her attention toward Aurelius. Her expression became firm and determined as she looked directly at him.
"Aurelius," she said, "lead your comrades well. Lead us to victory at any cost."
Aurelius nodded his head toward the goddess of the hearth, silently showing that he understood the responsibility placed upon him. The gesture also showed that he appreciated the trust that had been given to him as the captain who carried that responsibility.
Soon after, the three of them turned around, now facing away from their goddess.
A war game awaited them.
Their victory or their defeat now rested entirely within their own hands.
<->
Time had slowly moved closer toward noon. The city of Orario was bustling with activity, filled with people moving through the streets.
Both ordinary citizens and adventurers could be seen walking around the city, gathering in groups and filling the public areas.
In fact, the city seemed even more lively than usual. The amount of excitement present in the air was far greater than what one would normally see on a regular day.
Everyone appeared to be in high spirits. Many people were talking among themselves, their voices filled with anticipation as they waited for an important event to happen.
But what exactly was the cause of such excitement? What was the reason that so many people were gathered and so eager at this moment?
The answer was simple.
All of them were waiting for a War Game to begin.
To be more precise—
The War Game between the Hestia Familia and the combined forces of the Apollo Familia and the Plutus Familia.
Somewhere within the city, a large crowd of people had gathered in front of the Amphitheatron, the massive arena that belonged to the Ganesha Familia. The structure itself stood proudly within Orario, known to many as the place where major events were held.
The people gathered there waited patiently for the official announcement that would begin the War Game. In front of them stood a small stage that had been prepared by the members of the Ganesha Familia. The stage was clearly meant to serve as the place where the event would be introduced.
The crowd continued to wait, their excitement steadily growing.
Then, suddenly, a voice echoed through the area.
The sound appeared to come from some sort of speaker-like device, allowing the voice to reach every corner of the gathering crowd.
Hearing the voice, the people immediately turned their attention toward the stage. Standing there was a man with pale peach-colored hair. A pair of goggles rested on his head as he stood confidently before the crowd.
"Good morning, everyone!" the man spoke enthusiastically. He held a microphone-like device that was powered not by technology, but by a magic crystal embedded within it. The crystal amplified his voice, allowing it to be heard clearly by everyone present.
"At last, the day for the promised War Game has arrived!" he continued.
The crowd immediately erupted into cheers upon hearing his words. The very mention of the War Game was enough to send waves of excitement through the people gathered around the arena.
"I'm your MC and commentator for today's War Game, Ibri Achaa!" the announcer declared proudly.
The man, now known as Ibri Achaa, the "Fire Inferno Flame", grinned as he looked out at the sea of spectators before him.
"And I am glad to be here to watch it together with all of you!" he added enthusiastically.
The excitement of the crowd only grew louder.
Ibri then raised a hand slightly as he continued speaking.
"And along with me," he said, gesturing toward someone beside him, "is my familia's god, Lord Ganesha!"
Ibri proudly presented the towering god standing nearby, directing the attention of the entire audience toward him.
"Lord Ganesha, do you have a word or two to say to the crowd?"
Ganesha, hearing his familia child call for him, stepped forward slightly. Without hesitation, he delivered the phrase that everyone in Orario had come to recognize.
"I am GANESHA!"
Ibri listened as his deity finished speaking. After hearing those words, he gave a small shrug, as if fully expecting that exact response.
"Well, there you have it, folks!" Ibri announced with a grin. "Lord Ganesha!"
The crowd erupted once again with loud cheers and applause.
The excitement of the audience had reached an even higher level now. Everyone present eagerly looked forward to the War Game that would soon begin.
Up in the Tower of Babel, within the halls of the Denatus, many gods had gathered and were waiting for the War Game to begin.
At the edge of the balcony inside the hall, one that notably had no guard rails, Loki could be seen standing while looking down toward the bustling crowd below.
"Wow!" she said in amazement as she looked at the countless people gathered beneath the tower. "Everybody's all excited! I've never seen them all this riled up before!"
Loki continued leaning slightly forward as she observed the sea of people below, clearly entertained by the excitement spreading through the city.
Then, a voice spoke from behind her.
"War Games are practically an industry in Orario, you know."
Loki turned around after hearing the voice and saw Hephaestus walking toward her.
"Oh, it's you, Hephaestus!" Loki said in a happy and playful tone as she greeted the goddess.
Hephaestus gave a small nod toward Loki, acknowledging the greeting before speaking.
"I'm sure the children who are being used to create this spectacle hate it, though," she said calmly. "Especially those four, seeing their god abusing his power and influence to get whatever he wants."
Hephaestus' remark clearly referred to the four top members of the Plutus Familia.
Loki responded to Hephaestus' words with a casual tone.
"Well, there is an unspoken rule that we don't talk about that."
Hearing this, Hephaestus simply closed her eyes briefly. She chose not to pursue the topic any further, silently accepting the reality of the situation.
Moments later, Loki suddenly noticed someone entering the Denatus hall.
"Oh, speaking of the star of the show," Loki said, catching Hephaestus' attention.
Hephaestus then looked toward the same direction Loki was watching.
There, she saw Apollo walking confidently toward the seats of the Denatus.
"There's Apollo," Loki said, making the appearance of the Sun God even more obvious to the smithing goddess. "Look at him, walking all confident and whatnot."
Hephaestus watched Apollo as he walked across the hall, seemingly heading toward Hestia.
Her expression slowly twisted into a look of displeasure as unpleasant memories surfaced in her mind regarding the Sun God.
"Eugh," she grimaced quietly, clearly bothered by the thoughts that had surfaced from the distant past.
She then murmured to herself,
"To think I fell for this jerk back in heaven..."
The scene then shifted to another part of the Denatus hall.
Hestia sat quietly in one of the bystander seats within the hall, maintaining a calm demeanor as she waited for the War Game to begin. Despite the situation surrounding her familia, she remained composed.
At that moment, she held faith that her three familia children would win the battle ahead, even though the circumstances they faced seemed nearly impossible for any familia dragged into such a situation.
As she sat quietly within her own moment of peace, someone approached her.
"Hestia."
Apollo's voice broke the silence as he called out to the Goddess of the Hearth.
Hestia turned her head and looked toward him with a blank expression. Her composure remained steady even while facing her enemy.
"Hello there, Apollo."
Apollo, however, responded with an arrogant smile. Clearly amused, he began mocking the goddess.
"Have you said your goodbyes to Bell Cranel and Liliruca Arde?" he asked mockingly. "Or are you already accepting defeat?"
His smile then widened into something even more unpleasant as he continued.
"When I win this War Game and you lose all your familia children, I'm going to have you leave Orario..."
The Sun God paused for a brief moment.
Then he changed his words.
"No," he said, correcting himself with a smug expression. "I'm going to make sure you leave the Lower World entirely."
Hestia remained silent.
She slowly turned her gaze away from Apollo, her calm expression still firmly in place.
Her eyes then landed on another figure sitting opposite from her seat.
There, she saw Plutus.
The God of Wealth looked back at her with a smug expression, as if silently telling her that her loss was already inevitable.
Even so, Hestia did not falter.
She paid the God of Wealth no attention and instead shifted her gaze toward the centre of the hall.
Hermes and Asfi had also witnessed this interaction. However, they paid attention only to the situation itself rather than to the words being exchanged.
To them, it was better to leave the matter as it was, especially considering how calm Hestia remained instead of reacting in the opposite manner that many might have expected.
With that thought in mind, the two of them shifted their attention back toward the matter at hand.
Asfi glanced at the time and noticed that noon had already arrived. Realizing that the moment had come, she spoke to her familia god.
"Lord Hermes, it is about to begin."
Hermes turned his gaze toward his familia child and gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Alright," he said calmly. "Let us begin."
He then stepped forward slightly and faced the large table positioned at the centre of the Denatus hall. Raising his hand lightly, Hermes called out to someone who was not physically present in the room.
"Ouranos," he said, addressing the ancient god, "allow me the permission to use my power for this War Game!"
A voice then echoed throughout the hall.
Although its owner was nowhere to be seen, the presence behind the voice was unmistakable.
Ouranos spoke.
"Permission granted, Hermes."
Upon receiving the confirmation from the primordial god, Hermes snapped his fingers.
Moments later, a circle of energy began to form in the middle of the room. The magical energy slowly gathered and expanded until it fully materialized. Soon after, a large screen appeared within the center of the hall.
Displayed upon it was the image of an abandoned castle.
Every god and goddess present inside the Denatus hall immediately turned their attention toward the hologram-like projection. Their eyes remained fixed upon it as they waited impatiently and excitedly for the War Game to finally begin.
This magical display was not limited to the Denatus hall alone.
All across the city of Orario, the same hologram had appeared in various places.
Within bars filled with people placing their bets on which side would emerge victorious, and even along the busy streets where civilians had gathered to watch the coming event, people everywhere had been given the privilege to witness the spectacle.
Such an event did not happen often, and many were eager to see how it would unfold.
Within the Twilight Manor as well, the hologram had appeared.
The top members of the Loki Familia had gathered together, watching the projection while anticipating the outcome that would soon unfold.
One particular Amazonian seemed especially focused.
Tiona watched the screen intently.
Seeing the familia of the person she liked, fighting in what many considered a losing War Game made her feel constant anxiety. Even so, she knew very well what the captain of the Hestia Familia and his two comrades were capable of.
Her eyes remained fixed on the image displayed before her as thoughts continued to run through her mind.
'They'll win this,' she thought firmly. 'I'm confident that they would.'
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Freya Familia, the hologram had also been presented to their top members.
The room remained quiet.
Everyone watched in silence as they waited for the event to begin.
Among them, two individuals were particularly focused on the projection.
Zephyra and Ottarl.
Ottarl, who rarely concerned himself with matters unrelated to his goddess Freya, wore a serious expression as he watched the screen. No one could tell exactly what thoughts were going through his mind at that moment.
However, one thing was clear.
He was interested in seeing what the Hestia Familia would do.
Zephyra, on the other hand, was focused in a different way.
Her attention and serious expression were directed toward her friend, Aurelius. As she watched the screen, her mind was filled with thoughts about the many possibilities of how the War Game might end.
Back at the Amphitheatron, another hologram had appeared above the stage where Ibri and Ganesha stood.
Ibri, who had taken the lead as the commentator, prepared to announce the beginning of the War Game.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" he declared through the microphone-like device, his voice filled with grandeur as he attempted to hype up the audience. "The clock has just struck noon!"
He then raised his hand high into the air, clearly just as excited for the War Game as the crowd watching before him.
"Let the War Game begin!"
The people gathered around the Amphitheatron erupted into loud cheers filled with joy and excitement.
Everyone eagerly prepared themselves to witness the event that was about to unfold.
<->
At the abandoned castle, many members of the Apollo Familia and the Plutus Familia waited for whatever might come as they maintained their defense. Considering that the War Game had been declared as a siege and that the time limit given for it was three full days, they did not have much to worry about at this moment.
From their perspective, the situation appeared favourable. With the advantage of the castle's defenses and the long time limit, there seemed to be little reason for concern.
Two adventurers from the Apollo Familia could be seen standing on top of the walls of the abandoned castle. The two of them were leaning casually as they kept watch over the area in front of the fortress. Despite their role as guards, their posture and behaviour were rather relaxed.
They talked leisurely with one another as they observed the quiet surroundings.
"It's begun, huh?" one of them said, his voice carrying a relaxed tone. "We've got three days. Surely they won't attack immediately—"
His words stopped midway through as his eyes suddenly landed on something in the distance.
Directly in front of the abandoned castle, not too far from the walls, three individuals had appeared.
Both adventurers stared toward them in confusion as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing.
"That's them, isn't it?" one of them said as he narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah, that's them!" his friend replied quickly, recognizing the figures as well. "Are they stupid or something? Are they wishing to lose early and humiliate themselves?"
From their point of view, the sight was almost unbelievable. The only three members of the Hestia Familia had come to face an army made up of two familias combined straight was equivalent to suicide.
However, their mocking thoughts quickly began to fade when they noticed something unusual.
One of the three members of the Hestia Familia, a small figure with the frame of a prum, held a spear in her hand. The weapon had begun to glow as a thick wind-like element coated its blade and its upper parts.
The two adventurers were briefly alerted by the sudden action. Even so, they did not pay serious attention to it. To them, the situation did not appear threatening enough to cause concern.
However, this moment of carelessness would become their greatest mistake.
The prum then stepped forward.
She slowly began walking toward the wall of the abandoned castle, her eyes fixed ahead.
As she moved forward, the wind-like magical energy surrounding her spear grew even thicker. The magic intensified, swirling around the upper portion of the weapon as it gathered power.
Her slow steps gradually turned into faster movement.
Soon, she broke into a full sprint.
The speed at which she ran was extremely fast, far too fast for many of the members standing on the wall to properly follow with their eyes.
While sprinting forward, she pulled her spear back behind her, clearly preparing to launch a powerful charging attack.
As she approached the walls of the abandoned castle, she suddenly stopped her sprint.
In the same instant, she thrust her spear diagonally downward toward the ground.
"[TORNADO]!" she shouted.
At that very moment, a massive tornado burst forth.
The enormous spiral of wind rose violently into the air, towering high enough to exceed even the height of the castle's tall defensive walls.
The tornado surged forward with tremendous force as it was sent directly toward the fortress.
Many of the defenders standing on the wall immediately panicked after seeing the attack coming toward them.
The plans they had previously prepared for defending the castle were now collapsing in an instant.
Some attempted to shout warnings while others tried to react and prepare countermeasures against the approaching attack.
However, their attempts were useless.
The tornado moved far too quickly, and the overwhelming power contained within it made it nearly impossible to counter.
Within moments, the tornado collided with the castle wall.
The sheer destructive force of the attack struck the thick stone defenses with terrifying strength. The sturdy wall, which had been built to withstand powerful blows, was shredded apart as if it had been made from nothing more than paper.
The longer the tornado remained in contact with the wall, the larger the destruction became.
Stone cracked, shattered, and was torn away as the wind continued to tear through the structure.
When the tornado finally disappeared, the result was devastating.
The section of the castle wall where the prum had directed her attack was completely gone.
In its place was a massive hole that stretched from the top of the wall all the way down to the ground.
Where the wall once stood, there was now only a wide and open gap.
The prum, more specifically LIli, stood quietly as she looked at the destruction she had just caused.
A small smile formed on her face.
She felt satisfied as she witnessed the results of the power she had gained after her level up. This attack had allowed her to see for herself just how much she had grown.
A moment later, Aurelius and Bell stepped forward and came to stand on each side of her.
The three of them looked ahead at the large opening that had been created in the castle wall.
Confident smiles appeared on their faces as they stared at the entrance before them.
All three of them looked forward to what awaited inside.
After all, they were about to face an army formed from two familias combined.