The divine assembly buzzed with discussion. The gods began voicing suggestions one after another but without exception, every opinion was floated only after glancing toward Lucifer. His silence carried more weight than any god's words.
"…Or, how about letting the captains of both familias duel?" Hermes proposed, resting his chin on his hand with a casual smile.
"No! I don't agree!"
Apollo immediately leapt up as if stung, vehemently rejecting the suggestion before anyone else could react.
He then stepped forward with exaggerated bravado, his tone rising with a strange mix of nervousness and enthusiasm.
"Let's draw lots! Yes, draw lots! Everyone writes down a proposal, we toss them into a box, and then a neutral god picks one."
He paused, forcing a confident grin but his darting eyes never left Lucifer.
He was clearly terrified of him making any slight movement. The memory of those godly slaps still echoed in his mind and on his face.
The other gods' eyes turned to Lucifer as well, waiting for his response. After all, no one dared to move forward without his approval now.
"I don't mind," Lucifer said with a light shrug and a soft chuckle. "Let's do it that way."
"Then it's settled!" Hestia chimed in with a smile, raising both fists in support.
With Leon's agreement, the rest of the gods nodded quickly. No one was willing to argue anymore—not after that terrifying eruption of divinity earlier. That pressure, that weight… They weren't eager to taste it again.
It wasn't long ago that some of these same gods had banded together to petition the Guild, protesting Lucifer's escalating influence. Their plan had been simple: combine their divinity to pressure him. Normally, divinities balanced one another. A group of gods acting together could suppress even a powerful outlier.
But after what they just witnessed?
They realized the truth: Lucifer's divinity was in a different league.
Even their united strength would crumble under his pressure. The gods who once puffed their chests in righteous protest now sat meekly in their seats, thankful Lucifer hadn't decided to settle scores.
No one wanted a repeat of the Ishtar Familia Incident.
In fact, they now prayed Lucifer would remain as aloof and restrained as he was now.
The gods, one by one, scribbled down their proposed formats and placed them into a golden box. Apollo and Hestia then stepped forward and nominated a neutral party to draw the lot.
Naturally, that person was Hermes. His reputation for neutrality—paired with his ties to both sides—made him the perfect choice.
And just as fate (or perhaps the author) intended, the chosen format turned out to be a siege war, just like in the original timeline.
The war game would take place in seven days.
Apollo's familia would act as defenders, occupying a ruined fortress far outside Orario, while the Hestia Familia would serve as the attackers.
The Apollo Familia mobilized that very day, departing toward the designated location. Members of the Ganesha Familia were also dispatched by the Guild to clear out the local bandits and riffraff, ensuring the battlefield was untainted for the sacred conflict.
As for the Hestia Familia—
Belle began residing at the Twilight Manor, the training ground of the Loki Familia, for intensive combat preparation.
Leon had specifically requested Anakitty to oversee Belle's training and naturally, she had agreed without hesitation. The stats granted by Belle's Falna surged day by day, fueled by her growth-type skill and rigorous training.
Meanwhile, events began to echo the past. Members of the Takemikazuchi familia, carrying lingering guilt from their past with Belle, stepped forward with an offer to help.
Though Hestia initially tried to decline, Mikoto insisted. Only through supporting Belle and her new familia could she find peace.
Even Takemikazuchi gently persuaded Hestia, who ultimately agreed and accepted Mikoto's conversion into the Hestia Familia.
Over the next two days, Leon remained busy. Between training Lili in combat techniques and waiting for Tsubaki and the Demeter Familia to gather the necessary materials, his schedule was packed.
On the third day, word came.
Tsubaki had summoned him.
When Leon entered the appointed room, he was greeted by a shocking sight—a small mountain of glittering magic stones stacked neatly in the center.
"Oh?" Leon raised an eyebrow with mild amusement. "That's a lot of magic stones. What's the value?"
Tsubaki, standing tall with arms confidently akimbo, grinned. "Three hundred million valis."
Leon let out a low whistle. "Not bad. You pulled this off in just a few days?"
"This is as much as I could get." Tsubaki said with a huff. "I would've collected more, but Demeter's people were gathering too. The market's been tighter than expected."
"Ah, no worries. I asked Demeter to help gather magic stones as wellm" Leon replied with a knowing smile.
"Oh? So it was your doing?" Tsubaki blinked, then laughed. "Let me guess—it's because you saved her familia before?"
"Bingo."
"I figured. Well then, what's next?" She asked, stepping closer. "You've got your materials. What do we do with them?"
Leon didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised his right hand.
A dark magical glow surged from his palm, and a barrier of shadow and light expanded to envelop the entire room. The magical field was potent—blocking out all divine and mortal senses from penetrating the space.
"What are you—?" Tsubaki began.
But then, Leon moved again. With a wave of his hand, he summoned something from his system storage.
A radiant light burst forth, and before Tsubaki's astonished eyes, a shimmering pond formed on the ground.
It was about six or seven meters across, framed by natural stones arranged in a perfect ring. The water inside glowed with a pure white light, exuding a sacred aura so intense that it made Tsubaki's heart tremble.
This was no ordinary magic.
This was divinity incarnate.
"Is that…?" She asked, eyes wide with awe.
Leon nodded, his tone calm and reverent. "Yes. This is the Angel Reincarnation Pond."
"Amazing…" Tsubaki whispered, stepping closer. "The sacred breath… I can feel it even in my bones…"
"As long as you immerse yourself in this pond for one hour, you will be reborn as an angel." Leon explained plainly