The next day.
As sunlight streamed through the gap in the window and warmed his face, Ryota finally opened his eyes.
He stared at the ceiling in silence for a few seconds before getting up to dress.
Walking to the window, he looked outside.
In the distance, Babel Tower soared into the sky, like a giant pillar piercing the heavens.
Everything looked so familiar, yet somehow so alien.
For a moment, he almost felt dazed.
If it weren't for the faint sounds of people talking outside, he might have thought today was just another ordinary day.
"The first round of the War Game, huh…"
He murmured softly to himself.
By all rights, this was the kind of moment that could decide the fate of the Loki Familia, reshape the balance of Orario, and even determine where he himself would belong in the future.
Anyone — no matter how composed — should have felt at least a sliver of tension.
But Ryota didn't.
In his heart, there was only a calm so steady it felt almost unnatural.
As if, from the moment he set foot in this world, everything had already been foreseen, already set on its rails.
His destiny would not lose control today.
And his enemy… would not win.
"The sun's up," he said with a sudden, gentle smile, looking into the orange-gold light.
"Ottar — I'm coming."
…
This War Game was a spectacle Orario had not witnessed in countless years.
Not just for the combatants themselves, but for the watching crowds, and even for the gods observing from on high, everyone knew — this was more than a simple War Game.
It was practically a divine gladiatorial match, with dignity and fate on the line.
Loki Familia versus Freya Familia.
The two greatest, most legendary Familias in all of Orario.
Once allies who had driven the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia out of the city together, now they stood opposed.
And these two gods were icons of popularity both in the god's realm and the mortal world.
Since the day before, a specialized battlefield had already been set up around Babel Tower.
Magic projection screens for observing the match, and live relay spells covering the entire city, were all in place.
The entire city seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for this showdown.
Yet popularity was one thing — hype was one thing —
No one really believed in Loki Familia's chances.
More precisely, no one believed in the one representing Loki — Ryota.
Freya Familia's champion was the Strongest, Ottar, Orario's only Level 7, whose power had long since transcended any human benchmark.
Meanwhile, Loki Familia's representative had never changed, even up to the final moment before the match.
That same person — the one Freya herself had "handpicked," the one whom the entire city gossiped had seduced a goddess with his looks, was only Level 2.
Ryota.
So, as the betting houses closed their books, Loki Familia's odds had exploded to a ridiculous 1:500.
They were all sure this would be a one-sided massacre.
But no one knew —
that the person they all doubted, all speculated about, all declared "destined to lose,"
was already quietly walking toward the arena.
And destiny had never cared about the voice of the majority.
At this moment—
Inside the Guild's secret chamber, a space built like a half-circle amphitheater.
This was where the previous Denatus had gathered, now repurposed as the gods' viewing area.
The air was thick with divine power, and several light-screens hovered overhead, projecting real-time images of the battlefield.
Loki was lounging near the front, legs crossed and leaning back in her seat.
Beside her sat Hephaestus, and on her other Hestia, who was practically bouncing around:
"Where's Ryota? Where's Ryota?!"
Hestia leaned so far over the railing her big eyes practically fused with the screen, like a mother searching for a lost child.
"The match is about to start and he's still not here!"
"What are you getting so worked up for? Our kid just left the house two minutes ago — takes a little time to walk over, you know?"
"He should be here by now! What if some crazy Freya fan snatched him off the street?!"
Loki rolled her eyes.
"Are you a grade-school mom picking up her kid? If he can be kidnapped, then our Familia might as well quit adventuring altogether."
Hestia was about to snap back when a slightly lazy voice chimed in behind them:
"Oh dear, oh dear, Ryota is probably on his way. You know, he is the star of the show today."
The three of them turned to see Hermes, with his trademark feathered hat perched on his head.
"You again?"
Loki shifted her posture.
"Didn't you try to mediate this mess a few days ago?"
"Your Ryota was too stubborn. Mediation failed, what can I say?"
Hermes shrugged with a carefree grin.
"And I'm not so thick-headed, you know."
He pointed up at the projection screens overhead.
"These city-wide viewing spells — they only exist because I built them with Ouranos' permission."
"Without me, you think you'd have this?"
Hephaestus gave him a sidelong glance and sighed with a hint of mockery.
"Of course you'd know how to play with these illusions. Back in—"
"Okay okay Hephaestus, I was wrong, alright?!"
Hermes quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"I just thought for an unprecedented War Game like this, the audience deserved to see everything, right? Especially since the main star is Ryota, the one who turned me down…"
His smile never changed, but his tone dropped ever so slightly.
"I'm actually looking forward to the shock he'll bring."
Loki snorted.
"You really care more than anyone else, acting like you don't."
Hestia nodded seriously.
"But he's right! Ryota is the hero today — everyone should be able to see him clearly!"
"Can you make a close-up? Like, right on his face?"
Loki: …
Hephaestus: …
Farther along the stands, the rest of Orario's gods had already gathered.
Freya was there too.
But unlike the other gods who arrived in groups, she sat alone, wearing that familiar gentle smile, her eyes locked on the screen.
She was waiting.
Waiting for him to step onto the stage, waiting for fate to set the "work of art" she'd chosen right before her.
In other areas of the gallery, gods like Apollo, Ishtar, and Miach had clustered up with their friends.
Some laughed and made bets, some scoffed, some just watched in silence.
The whole place felt like the calm before a festival.
About five minutes later, the projection screen rippled, like the surface of water brushed by a fingertip, and a figure slowly sharpened into view.
Ryota stepped into the center of the arena, looking up at a place that was built to rival a Roman colosseum, raising one eyebrow.
"Gotta hand it to them, they went all-out with the decorations."
The Guild staff had told him on his way here:
In a duel War Game, both sides were allowed to use any magic or Skills they possessed.
Because of that, the temporary arena had been reinforced with multiple defensive barriers, strong enough to withstand almost any attack.
In other words—
this was going to be a no-holds-barred, fight-to-the-finish battle.
Of course, if someone surrendered ahead of time, they'd be spared.
Ryota glanced up at the huge barrier shimmering in midair, then spoke softly.
"So… you're saying I can cut loose today?"
Then, noticing the projection screen, he laughed and gave a little wave.
In the audience section, Hestia practically tackled Hephaestus' arm, her voice going nuclear.
"Ahhh — it's Ryota!! He's waving at me!!!"
"…Calm down already."
Hephaestus raised one hand to keep the excited little goddess from jumping off the balcony, but even she couldn't help smiling a bit as she kept her eyes fixed on Ryota.
Below the gods' viewing platform, in the seats reserved for the Loki Familia, the core members were gathered together.
Finn looked up at the screen, seeing the familiar black-haired youth wave to the camera, and let out a small laugh.
"Ha."
"He doesn't look like someone about to fight Ottar…"
"Standing there like he's taking a Sunday stroll."
Then Finn seemed to remember something and turned to Riveria.
"By the way… did he ever actually look at those plans the three of us made?"
Riveria's expression didn't change, her voice calm as she countered.
"What do you think?"
Finn scratched his head, sighing helplessly.
"Well, guess we pulled an all-nighter for nothing."
While they whispered among themselves, the image on the screen suddenly shifted.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the other end of the arena.
The view locked in.
A man so big he nearly filled the entire frame appeared.
Massive, solid, like a living bronze fortress — Ottar the Strongest.
Ryota's eyes narrowed, and his right hand reached for his back.
Shing—
The Kusanagi Sword slid from its sheath, letting out a crisp metallic note.
At the same time, his normal pupils turned instantly into the glowing crimson of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ottar, of course, saw the change in Ryota's eyes, but didn't seem to care, and spoke in a low voice.
"Freya told me…"
He pulled the giant sword from his back.
"Defeat you. And bring you back."
Ryota stared at this mountain of a man, ignoring his muttered words, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
"If I can beat this guy—"
"I'll complete my Main Branch Quest."
"Really can't wait to see the next reward."
There was no referee.
No announcements.
No countdown.
No fancy rituals.
In the same instant, both figures vanished from where they stood!
And then—
BOOM!!!
The ground exploded with a deafening roar, the air itself seemed to rip apart in a savage shockwave, and the magic barriers compressed to their absolute limit!
In that moment, all of Orario — even the gods watching from their high seats — couldn't tell who had moved first.
They only saw two blurs, appearing and disappearing, crashing together at the heart of the arena!
On one side, a blade worth four hundred million valis, forged by Goibniu himself around the core of the Udaeus' Black Sword!
On the other, the Kusanagi Sword, blazing with lightning and fire!
Black clashed against crimson electricity, brute force against razor-sharp ferocity.
The first round of the War Game had officially begun!
----
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