"You three, don't move."
After tossing Belle across the sky corridor like a ragdoll, Lucien turned his cold gaze to Daphne and the others standing before him. His voice was light, almost indifferent, but the weight behind his words was undeniable.
Despite the calm tone, the invisible pressure bearing down on Daphne and her companions was suffocating. None of them dared to take a single step. The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Lucien had given a simple order, and the three obeyed without hesitation—frozen like statues.
Feeling the oppressive aura radiating from the man before her, Daphne involuntarily gulped hard. Her instincts screamed danger.
"This guy… he feels more terrifying than Hyakinthos," she thought, her eyes narrowing.
"There's no way he's below Level 4. He's definitely an adventurer above Level 4!"
Daphne herself was Level 2. Her abilities had been honed over time, and with enough great deeds accumulated, she could ascend at any moment. Yet despite her strength, she couldn't help the chill crawling up her spine. The sense of crisis Lucien exuded with a mere word crushed any thoughts of resistance.
Lucien, on the other hand, didn't spare them another glance. He didn't care about appearances or perceptions. He walked over to the wall of the sky corridor and casually sat down, resting his back against the cold stone. Then, without a word, he closed his eyes and relaxed as if nothing around him was worth his attention.
Even with Lucien retreating into what appeared to be rest, Daphne and her companions remained rooted in place, not daring to lower their guard. Their eyes stayed fixed on him, vigilant and cautious, as if he might strike at any second.
As for Belle, who had been flung through the corridor by Lucien and entered the tower beyond, the three of them could only watch helplessly. They had neither the ability nor the courage to pursue her.
The scene left the spectators utterly speechless.
They had come expecting a fierce confrontation—an epic battle. But what they got instead was Daphne and her team frozen stiff under Lucien's silent pressure. The expected clash never came, and naturally, the crowd was disappointed.
Still, disappointment or not, the audience had no say in how things played out.
Fortunately, Belle didn't let them down.
After entering the tower, she quickly found her target—Hyakinthos.
The moment the two met, Hyakinthos looked down on Belle with contempt and arrogance, mocking her without reservation. The tension exploded instantly, and without exchanging many words, the two clashed.
The battle began.
To the amazement of everyone watching, Belle held her own. As a mere Level 2, she went toe-to-toe with Hyakinthos, trading blows and standing her ground. There wasn't a trace of defeat in her stance or movements.
The audience had already witnessed Leon leap across multiple levels in combat—defeating the Gulliver Brothers and even Allen.
Yet, seeing Belle herself cross levels and engage Hyakinthos in an even match stirred a different kind of excitement.
Orario erupted in cheers. The roaring of the crowd surged like a tidal wave, the sheer enthusiasm nearly shaking the skies themselves.
But that wasn't the end of the surprises.
Soon, everyone's attention shifted once more—this time to someone even more unexpected.
Lili.
To everyone's shock, Lili was seen battling a small squad of Apollo Familia adventurers all on her own.
What was more unbelievable was that she was fighting evenly with one Level 2 adventurer and several others at Level 1 and not only was she holding her own, she was gaining the upper hand.
Had it been Mikoto, the crowd might not have been so surprised. After all, Mikoto was Level 2 and had been exposed during the Denatus, where she'd even received an alias: Absolute Shadow.
But Lili?
This was a girl who had been nothing more than a supporter—a backpack carrier with no combat role. She was only Level 1, someone whose job was to carry supplies, not fight.
And now she was taking on five adversaries, including a Level 2… and she wasn't losing.
The revelation struck the spectators like lightning. The level gap was vast, and yet, here was Lili, transcending limits.
Excitement surged higher than ever. The crowd clung to every movement, not daring to blink for fear of missing a single moment.
Outside the assembly hall, the mood was one of frenzied celebration. But inside the hall, where the gods themselves sat, the atmosphere was different—quieter, yet no less intense.
The eyes of the gods occasionally shifted toward two figures in particular—Leon and Hestia.
Their earlier reactions hadn't gone unnoticed. Many of the divine beings present had already pieced together that the astonishing growth of Belle and Lili likely had something to do with Leon.
And they weren't wrong.
The gods began to understand that after this War Game, once the truth about Lili spread among adventurers, the name Lucifer Familia would once again become the center of attention.
As for Hestia Familia… most of the gods didn't give them much thought.
All of this was unfolding in the heart of Orario.
Meanwhile, far from the city, deep in the ruins of the fortress, another battle was unfolding—within Lili's inherent barrier.
Here, she unleashed herself completely.
Though most of her energy was channeled into maintaining the barrier, Lili still wielded a portion of her hero's power boost along with the amplification from the Uchide no Kozuchi.
Her current strength, bolstered by both tools and training, was no longer that of a mere supporter. Within the domain of her own magic, Lili dominated the battlefield, holding her own against a small group of enemies—and gradually seizing the upper hand.
In contrast, Mikoto's performance, while strong, lacked that explosive edge.
Having trained under the God of War Takemikazuchi, Mikoto possessed refined combat techniques and great experience. Facing off against an equal-level opponent plus several Level 1 adventurers wasn't an issue for her.
But unlike Lili, Mikoto couldn't outright overwhelm her enemies. Their battle was a balanced struggle, the tide refusing to lean too far in either direction.
However, the two girls didn't have the luxury of time.
If Lili and Mikoto couldn't defeat the Apollo squad they were facing soon, they would be in real danger.
Two more small groups from Apollo Familia had already noticed the commotion and were closing in fast.
If reinforcements arrived, the situation would no longer be a fair fight.
And at that point… the battle would become a desperate one.
Of course, Lili could have chosen the easy route—she could have recalled her inherent barrier, gathering all the residual energy into one overwhelming force. Had she done so, wiping out the Apollo Familia members in front of her would've been a simple task.
However, Lili remembered Leon's parting words before their departure.
"Treat this War Game as a test. Don't reveal everything unless it's absolutely necessary."
Because of that, unless she faced imminent danger, Lili would not unleash her full power so easily.
Meanwhile, inside the tower, the battle between Hyakinthos and Belle raged with ferocity. The intensity of their clash easily overshadowed Lili's confrontation outside.
Yet, what shocked all who witnessed it was that this battle… defied the logic of levels.
Hyakinthos, a Level 3 adventurer, was being completely overwhelmed by Belle.
Over the past few days, Belle had undergone rigorous training under Anakitty at the Twilight Manor. Her stats had soared—already reaching SS-tier and beyond in multiple categories. Add to that the combat techniques honed by first-class adventurers, and Belle had transformed into a powerhouse.
On the other hand, Hyakinthos wasn't someone who had maximized his potential before leveling up. His stats before ascension barely scraped the C and B ranks.
As a result, even though he had achieved Level 3, his actual combat ability was vastly inferior to Belle's.
After just a few dozen exchanges, Hyakinthos found himself being suppressed—pushed back without mercy. It was clear to all that his defeat was only a matter of time.
The humiliation burned in his chest like poison.