Earlier, before Aurelius arrived at his current position, the atmosphere between the two sides, the lone Hestian captain and the four top members of the Plutus Familia, alongside their subordinates, was extremely tense. The sheer seriousness radiating from both sides was enough to make anyone watching from the sidelines break into a cold sweat.
As all of the Plutus members waited for the Hestian captain to make the first move, Aurelius spoke, deliberately provoking the four elites before him.
"Here I thought you four wanted to fight me fair and square. What's this about bringing your crewmates along with you?"
Hearing the Hestian captain's words, the members of the Plutus Familia were quick to retort. Each of them raised their voices, declaring their loyalty with fervor and pride.
"Anything for Captain!"
"Even against a monster like you, we won't falter!"
"You don't scare us, Titanborn!"
Orihime, Cael, and Leona smiled confidently, knowing their comrades remained high-spirited even in the face of overwhelming domination.
Aurelius, witnessing the resolve of the Plutus Familia members. Hearing their words and seeing the unwavering respect they held for their captain, felt a trace of reverence form within him.
"It seems like you are well respected, Marcus," Aurelius said, his tone carrying a hint of surprise at their reactions. "I'll admit, I thought you were an arrogant piece of shit when I first saw you at the banquet. Looks like I was proven wrong."
Marcus, upon hearing the Hestian captain's words, let out a loud, hearty laugh.
"HAHAHAHA! I've received many such words, young man!" he boomed. "Though I only take them as compliments! A boost of morale for both me and my comrades!"
The rest of the Plutus Familia cheered with renewed determination. With their captain present, even knowing they were no match, they were prepared to fight until the very end.
"So then, strong beast!" Marcus declared, his voice echoing throughout the area. "If it's a fight you crave, then a fight we shall give!"
The members of the Plutus Familia roared at the top of their lungs as they charged toward the Hestian captain. Meanwhile, the top four members remained composed and focused, holding their positions as they prepared to support and protect their comrades from the rear.
"[RULER'S AUTHORITY]"
However, before the charging members could even make it halfway toward the Hestian captain, they were suddenly halted mid-motion, as if an invisible force had seized their bodies and locked them in place.
"W-What?!"
"I—I can't move!"
"T-This power… it's that telekinetic ability!"
The immobilized members cried out, quickly realizing the source of the force restraining them.
Aurelius stood calmly, his right hand raised and glowing with a golden, silhouetted aura. His fingers were spread wide, his palm facing the halted enemies before him. His eyes shone with a radiant gold as he stared down the four elite members of the Plutus Familia.
"I would like to spar with all of you," Aurelius said, almost metaphorically, his voice steady. "But right now… I'm craving to hunt some strong beasts rather than ordinary monsters."
With a casual motion, he swung his arm to the side.
Instantly, the restrained members of the Plutus Familia were sent flying in multiple directions, left and right, launched across the battlefield with overwhelming force. Their bodies crashed violently into the ground, each impact creating small cracks upon contact. One after another, more than twenty of them were rendered completely unconscious.
Silence fell.
The four top members stood still, watching as their comrades were taken down so effortlessly. The ease of it was almost humiliating.
"That was anticlimactic," Orihime remarked dryly, adding salt to the wound.
Aurelius then turned his full attention toward the four remaining opponents, his expression shifting into a more serious one.
"Alright then," he said, his tone firm, "give me a damn fight!"
The four members of the Plutus Familia stood their ground, unmoving. None of them made the first move.
The thought of attacking the Hestian captain head-on was, in truth, suicide. They knew it. Even so, rather than act recklessly, they chose to hold their formation. It might seem cowardly, but it was the most rational decision.
They positioned themselves carefully. Two at the front, two at the rear. Orihime and Cael stood side by side at the front line, while behind them, Marcus stood protectively in front of Leona.
Aurelius observed their hesitation, his impatience beginning to surface.
"So this is the kind of game we're playing, huh?" he muttered, visibly annoyed by their lack of movement. "Fine then. I'll come to you instead!"
In an instant, Aurelius surged forward.
His speed was terrifying.
Even the spectators watching from Orario were left bewildered at the sight of a Level 3 moving at such incredible velocity. The four members themselves could barely track his movement as he closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
Yet, even as Aurelius drew closer, the four remained calm. They did not panic. They did not break formation.
And then—
At the very moment Aurelius reached them, Orihime, Cael, and Marcus swiftly moved aside, clearing a direct path forward.
"?!"
Aurelius's eyes widened in surprise.
Because the one person who did not move…
…was Leona.
Standing firm, the vice-captain of the Plutus Familia had already begun charging her attack. Her rapier gleamed brilliantly, radiating an intense light that grew stronger with each passing second.
"…Let light strike you with judgment!"
With the final line of her chant completed, Leona shouted—
"[FULGENS ICTUS]!"
She lunged forward, thrusting her rapier straight toward the Hestian captain. The attack carried a far greater presence than it had a week ago. Her arm moved at blinding speed, her intent absolute.
she would strike him down in a single blow.
The attack connected.
BOOM!
A blinding explosion of light erupted upon impact, swallowing the battlefield whole. The brilliance was overwhelming, far surpassing the attack she had unleashed just a week prior. The entire area was engulfed in radiant luminosity.
For a moment, nothing could be seen.
Then, as the light gradually faded, a thick cloud of dust spread across a wide radius, obscuring the aftermath. The air itself seemed heavy, weighed down by the force of the impact.
The four members of the Plutus Familia stared intently toward the point where Leona's attack had struck.
They waited.
As the dust slowly began to settle, anticipation gripped them tightly.
Hoping—
That the strike had been enough to bring down the Hestian captain.
<->
At the Denatus, every single god and goddess present watched in a mixture of awe and horror. To witness an attack of such magnitude, formed by a mere Level 4, was nothing short of insanity. It defied expectations, shattered common sense, and left even the most experienced deities momentarily speechless.
Many among them couldn't help but feel envy toward Plutus. Beneath their astonishment lingered a quiet jealousy, that they themselves did not possess a child of such exceptional calliber within their own Familias.
Plutus, on the other hand, was utterly ecstatic.
He threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice echoing across the hall as he openly mocked the Goddess of the Hearth.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Have you seen it now, Hestia?!" Plutus exclaimed, his face twisting into a cruel, almost unhinged smile. "I don't care if your child is dead from that attack. All I care about… is that YOU LOSE!"
Despite his taunting, Hestia showed no reaction.
She remained seated, her gaze fixed on the holographic magic screen before her. Her expression was calm, far too calm, completely unfazed by the Wealth God's mockery.
Plutus noticed.
And that calmness… began to irritate him.
Slowly, his laughter died down, replaced by a growing frustration. His expression darkened, his patience thinning as her silence continued to persist.
"Why are you SO CALM, you BITCH?!" Plutus shouted, his voice now laced with anger and agitation. "Can't you see that your captain is DEAD?!"
Even then, Hestia did not immediately respond.
She neither flinched nor frowned. For a brief moment, she simply continued watching the screen in silence, as if his outburst had never even reached her.
Then, at last, she spoke.
"Are you sure about that, Plutus?"
Her voice was quiet, yet steady, carrying a certainty that sharply contrasted his rage.
Plutus froze.
The confidence in her tone caught him off guard, causing his expression to twist into one of confusion. Without another word, he turned his attention back toward the holographic display.
And he wasn't the only one.
Across the hall, the other gods and goddesses followed suit, their gazes snapping back to the screen as the scene continued to unfold.
What they saw…
Made their eyes widen.
Their pupils shrank.
Shock spread across their faces in unison, replacing the earlier awe and horror with something far more intense.
Hestia, upon seeing their reactions, allowed herself a small, knowing subtle smile, yet filled with quiet confidence. It was the kind of expression that suggested she had already known the outcome from the very beginning.
"Don't celebrate just yet when the match isn't over…"
She paused briefly, her smile lingering.
"…Plutus~"
<->
Back at the battlefield, the dust had completely subsided.
What was now revealed was the large building that had once stood behind the Hestian captain, now utterly destroyed. The sheer force of the attack had reduced it to rubble, its structure completely collapsed. The scale of the damage alone spoke volumes of the power behind that single strike.
However, despite the devastating destruction it had caused…
…the reality of the situation was entirely different.
The four members of the Plutus Familia stood frozen in disbelief.
As the last remnants of dust cleared from the air, their eyes locked onto a single figure still standing at the centre of it all—
The Hestian captain.
Aurelius stood there, completely unharmed. Both of his hands were raised in a guarding position, his stance steady and unshaken, as if he had just endured nothing more than a passing inconvenience.
"Whew…"
Aurelius let out a quiet sigh, lowering his shoulders slightly.
"What an attack," he admitted. "Honestly… I was a bit too careless there."
He then relaxed his guard, casually brushing off the dust that had settled onto his body. Small particles fell away as he cleaned himself, his movements calm and unbothered.
Turning his head slightly, he glanced back at the destruction left behind by the vice-captain of the Plutus Familia.
"Oh wow…" Aurelius mused, taking in the sight of the ruined building that had once stood tall behind him, now reduced to nothing but broken debris. "I swear, that attack of yours wasn't this strong before."
He shifted his gaze back toward the four members standing before him.
"Either you didn't let it loose fully a week ago… or—"
Aurelius paused, a small smile forming on his lips as he looked directly at them.
"You've levelled up."
The four reacted immediately, their expressions sharpening with caution. The atmosphere around them grew tense once more as they steadied themselves, fully preparing to engage the Hestian captain again.
"By the looks of it…" Aurelius said, his eyes settling on Leona. His mind raced, piecing together what he had just witnessed. "My guess might be right."
Then, his gaze shifted toward Marcus.
A smirk appeared on his face, as the same assumption surfaced in his thoughts once more.
"Well, it doesn't really matter that much now, does it?" Aurelius continued. "I'll find out whether it's true or not after this War Game."
He adjusted his stance slightly, readying himself for the next clash against the four elites.
The tension between them rose once again, thick and suffocating.
But just as the moment was about to break—
A sudden explosion echoed from a distance.
BOOM!
The sound was loud, powerful enough to draw all of their attention instantly.
Every one of them turned toward the direction where the explosion had originated.
And what they saw…
Shocked them.
The top floor of the highest tower of the castle had been blown clean off.
For a brief moment, silence fell over the battlefield.
The four elite members of the Plutus Familia stared at the sight, realization dawning on their faces. Panic and fear quickly began to seep into their expressions.
"That place…" Cael muttered, his voice trembling slightly with dread. "Isn't that where Hyakinthos is?"
The other three remained silent, their minds racing as they processed the implication of what they had just witnessed. Countless possibilities flashed through their thoughts—
…but all of them led to the same conclusion.
Meanwhile, Aurelius, upon seeing the top of the tower destroyed so cleanly, simply let out a smug smile.
His expression carried a sense of expectation.
As if…
He had been waiting for this exact moment all along.
"Well, would you look at that," Aurelius said, his voice carrying a hint of joy, "Seems like my comrades found him. At this point, it's only a matter of time before he's taken down."
He then turned his gaze back toward the four members of the Plutus Familia.
"Better hurry," he continued, his tone steady yet pressing. "Your odds of winning here are slowly becoming none, Marcus."
Marcus, alongside his three closest comrades, looked toward the Hestian captain with growing dread. The time they had was being cut short, and yet they were still trying to think of a way to defeat him.
Then—
Marcus spoke first, breaking the heavy tension that had settled among the three behind him.
"You three, stay back," Marcus said firmly, stepping forward from his position. With each step, his presence became more resolute. "I'll be facing this man alone right here."
The three were stunned, unable to believe the words that had just come from their captain.
"Captain!" Leona called out, her voice filled with concern. "Are you crazy?! The chances are close to zero if you fight him alone right now! With the three of us, there's at least a better chance of winning!"
But Marcus did not stop.
As he reached the front, placing himself between Aurelius and his comrades, he simply let out a small, calm smile. He then dropped his hammer onto the ground with a heavy thud, the sound echoing faintly across the battlefield.
"It still doesn't matter," Marcus said, his tone unwavering. "What matters now… is the new opportunity that we'll have after this."
Orihime, Cael, and Leona all looked at him with confusion. His words did not align with the situation they were currently in.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Orihime spoke.
"What do you mean by that, Marcus?"
Marcus did not answer immediately.
Instead, he fell silent.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze and looked straight at Aurelius, locking eyes with the Hestian captain.
"Aurelius."
Aurelius reacted the moment his name was called. A hint of confusion appeared on his face as he wondered what the Plutus captain wanted at a time like this.
"After this War Game is over…" Marcus began, his tone oddly casual despite the circumstances, "would you like to have a drink with me? You seem like someone fun to drink with, son."
For a brief moment—
Aurelius simply stared at him.
Blankly.
Then, suddenly—
"HAHAHAHA!"
He burst out laughing, completely caught off guard by the sheer absurdity of the offer.
"Really, old man? At a moment like this, you're asking me that?!" Aurelius said between laughs.
He continued laughing, harder this time, to the point that tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. His shoulders shook slightly from the intensity of it, the tension of the battlefield momentarily broken by his reaction.
After a few moments, his laughter gradually died down.
He wiped at his eyes, exhaling softly as he regained his composure.
Then, he looked back at Marcus—his expression now serious, yet carrying a faint smile.
"Sure thing."
Behind Marcus, Orihime, Cael, and Leona stared at their captain with completely deadpan expressions.
'Are you serious, Captain?'
The same thought echoed silently in all three of their minds as they judged his decision at such a critical moment.
Marcus, however, only turned his head slightly toward them, his wide grin still present.
Without a word—
He raised his hand and gave them a confident thumbs-up.
Marcus then turned his attention back toward Aurelius. The hesitation that once lingered within him had now completely vanished, replaced by a burning determination. His resolve had been awakened, fully prepared to face the "beast" standing before him.
He steadied himself, planting his feet firmly against the ground. His gaze sharpened as he locked onto the Hestian captain.
Then—
He began to chant.
"O pride that sleeps within my blood,"
His voice rang out clearly across the battlefield. Despite the significance of the chant, Aurelius did not move even an inch.
Marcus noticed.
His eyes narrowed slightly, his focus intensifying. He quickly understood what this meant—
Aurelius was giving him the leeway to use his trump card.
"O crown unseen, yet never lost,"
As the words left his lips, a faint aura began to seep from his body. It grew steadily, taking on a deep golden-orange hue that shimmered with intensity.
"Let the roar of kings resound in my veins,Let my body ascend beyond its limits,I am the throne, I am the fang,I am the ruler of my own strength—"
With each passing line, the aura surrounding Marcus surged stronger. It flared wildly, pulsing with power, as if responding directly to his will. The air around him seemed to tremble slightly, signaling that his magic had reached its peak.
"[DIGNITAS LEONIS]!"
At the moment he released the final words, the raging aura suddenly collapsed inward, cooling down in an abrupt yet controlled manner.
What remained was a dense, concentrated layer of golden-orange energy that enveloped his entire body.
Marcus exhaled slowly, a steady breath escaping his lips as he centered himself. The transformation was complete.
"By the record, Aurelius," Marcus said, lifting his gaze toward the Hestian captain with unwavering determination, "you were right about Leona being a Level 5 now."
He paused briefly.
"And that also includes me."
The declaration hung in the air for only a moment—
Before Marcus moved.
In an instant, he rushed forward.
His speed was overwhelming, so fast that it resembled teleportation rather than movement. The distance between him and Aurelius disappeared in the blink of an eye.
And just like that—
Marcus was already at Aurelius's side.
His fist was drawn back, muscles coiled with immense force, ready to strike the Hestian captain directly in the head.
Aurelius's eyes widened in shock.
He had seen Marcus move—
But his body couldn't keep up.
There was no time to react.
Aurelius, in a desperate attempt to block the incoming attack, raised his right hand toward his face, shielding himself from Marcus's strike. He barely managed to intercept it, his arm taking the full force of the Plutus captain's blow.
The impact was immense.
Aurelius was sent flying in the direction the punch had been thrown. His body tore through the air before crashing violently into a nearby broken structure. The collision kicked up a massive cloud of dust, obscuring the area almost instantly. The already-damaged structure could not withstand the force as it snapped in two and collapsed completely.
Marcus did not hesitate.
Having experienced Aurelius's strength firsthand just a week prior, he knew better than to allow even a moment of recovery.
He immediately rushed forward.
His speed was absurd, far beyond what one would expect. It was so fast that even top-tier adventurers within Orario would struggle to properly follow his movements.
As he closed in on Aurelius's location, Marcus leapt into the air.
While mid-air, he raised both of his hands high above his head. Then, with ferocious force, he brought them down, aiming to crush everything beneath him, the thick cloud of dust, the shattered ground, and the Hestian captain within it.
However—
Before his crushing blow could connect—
A massive arm suddenly shot out from within the dust.
Its large hand spread wide, catching both of Marcus's fists mid-strike.
The impact still landed, but instead of devastation, it resulted in something else entirely. The force of the collision dispersed the dust, clearing the battlefield in an instant.
As the dust vanished, the scene became clear.
Aurelius stood there.
Completely unharmed.
Beneath his feet, the ground had caved in, forming a large, webbed crater that spread outward from his position.
"You've really gotten a lot stronger than last time, old man," Aurelius said, a clear smile on his face, excitement evident in his expression.
Without giving Marcus time to respond, Aurelius swung his arm, throwing the Plutus captain away from him.
Marcus was sent flying, landing roughly as his body rolled across the ground. However, he quickly regained control, forcing himself back onto his feet with steady footing.
Aurelius watched as Marcus recovered.
Then, without hesitation, he prepared to strike again. His body tensing as he intended to rush forward.
But before he could make his move—
Two figures suddenly appeared.
Their arrival was abrupt, drawing the attention of all five individuals present on the battlefield.
The two figures were none other than Bell and Lili.
Seeing the two members of the Hestia Familia on the battlefield, the four members of the Plutus Familia were left in shock.
'Already?!' Leona thought, her mind racing. 'But how?! It should've taken them longer, even against Level 3s alongside Hyakinthos…'
Then, a realization struck her.
'Don't tell me…' she thought, her eyes widening in disbelief. 'They've already leveled up too?!'
Aurelius looked toward his two comrades, a smile of satisfaction and relief forming on his face.
"I'd take it you guys are done with your part?" Aurelius asked.
Bell and Lili both nodded.
"Yup," Lili replied. "It was a bit of a hassle. The three guarding Hyakinthos were a bit troublesome to deal with. But… all in a day's work, Captain."
Aurelius nodded in acknowledgment of her words.
Then, he shifted his gaze back toward Marcus.
"Well, it's been fun, Marcus," Aurelius said, his tone calm yet decisive. "But there's no point in dragging this out any longer."
Marcus, along with Cael, Orihime, and Leona, looked at him in confusion, unsure of what he meant.
However—
That confusion would not last long.
Because in the very next moment—
Aurelius began to chant.
"O crownless king of titans!
He who shatters stars and silences storms—"
As the words left his lips, his body began to glow with a thick, radiant golden aura. With each passing second, the aura grew denser and more intense, its brilliance steadily increasing.
"Descend upon this flesh!
By my roar, the world shall tremble!"
Aurelius stood there, now shining like a beacon of pure light. His presence alone radiated overwhelming power as he spoke his final words.
"[GOLIATHIS AEGIS]!"
A brilliant golden light erupted from his body, engulfing him entirely. The radiance intensified, illuminating the battlefield even further, surpassing the natural light of the sun.
Everyone present instinctively raised their arms to shield their eyes.
The light was blinding.
For a brief moment, nothing else could be seen.
Then—
Gradually, the light began to fade.
As the brightness subsided, all eyes turned toward Aurelius.
And what they saw—
Left them in stunned silence.
Aurelius stood there, his entire body now clad in golden armour from head to toe. Even his face was fully covered, concealed behind the same radiant armour with only the sockets for his eyes.
His hair, once a messy yet majestic blonde, now gleamed with a golden shine, glowing as though infused with immense energy. His eyes shone with a piercing gold, fixed upon the Plutus captain with a gaze filled with pure judgment.
The four members of the Plutus Familia could only stare.
Dread crept into their expressions.
The pressure emanating from Aurelius was overwhelming, far too immense to belong to a mere Level 3.
It felt… unnatural.
Aurelius slowly inhaled.
Then exhaled.
As he did, his gaze softened slightly.
"It's been a while since I've used this," Aurelius said, now looking directly at Marcus.
A faint smile formed.
"Well… let's see how you hold up now, old man."