"Damn it…"
Hedin cursed under his breath, but he wasn't about to give up.
Even if it was just to buy time, to salvage a shred of dignity—he had to unleash this final strike.
Taking a deep breath, he gripped his double edged magic staff, Dizaria, and began his chant:
"Fight eternally, immortal soldiers of lightning!"
BOOM—!
Lightning roared!
Hundreds of compressed thunder spheres shot toward Ryota with the force of sonic booms, shrieking through the air.
But just then, a figure dove down from the sky.
Hedin snapped his head up, eyes widening.
At some point, a golden-haired girl had appeared on the back of the Giant Drill-Beaked Bird.
Ais leaned forward slightly, her voice soft as she whispered:
"Awaken."
The next moment—
She leapt, weaving through the storm of lightning spheres like a phantom, her sword Feather's Echo slicing through the air.
Each orb of lightning exploded the instant her blade tip pierced it.
Brilliant bursts of light lit up the sky like fireworks, echoing with sharp pops and crackles.
Ais landed gracefully back onto the Giant Drill-Beaked Bird's back.
Her eyes locked onto the main keep ahead. One girl, one beast—they surged toward the inner fortress.
Hedin stood atop the shattered wall, frozen in place.
His mind roared in chaos, but his body refused to respond.
That figure—Ais.
Her movements, her speed, that precision…
"Something's wrong…"
"When… when did she reach Level 6?!"
That thought barely had time to form before the ground quaked again.
The eight summoned beasts flooded through the gates like a doomsday torrent.
Behind them, Ryota walked forward at a steady pace.
And further back—the main force of Loki Familia, led by the three executives, charging into the city in unison.
At that moment, the battle was no longer in question.
It was over.
Hedin lifted his gaze.
Hogni still stood there, rooted in place like a broken puppet, his soul trapped in Tsukuyomi, suffering endlessly.
Allen lay crumpled on the ground, black flames faintly flickering over his body, gnawing away at him—life or death uncertain.
Hedin tried to raise Dizaria, to chant again.
But his hands trembled. Under such immense pressure, even his magic circuits faltered.
It was clear.
This fight… no longer mattered.
After a brief struggle, he finally lowered his weapon.
Closing his eyes, he whispered:
"We lost."
Inside the city.
Ryota stood atop the broken walls. He took the victory flag Finn handed him and drove it hard into the central tower of the main keep.
—PAH!!!
The flag snapped open in the wind, its emblem of victory flying high.
Gods, Adventurers, everyone alike—staring through the broadcast screens, watching that flag flutter, fell into dead silence.
From the start of the War Game, from the moment Ryota had stepped onto the field—
From the breaking of the city gates, to the instant two Level 6s were defeated.
From the eight summoned beasts storming the fortress, to Finn handing over the victory flag.
The entire process had taken… barely fifteen minutes.
Freya Familia's casualties?
No one paid attention.
No one cared.
All they knew was—Loki Familia hadn't lost a single person.
Not even a proper chant or spell had been cast by most.
This second round of the War Game wasn't even a Familia vs. Familia battle.
It was Ryota's solo show.
From start to finish, he was the one who pushed the entire match forward.
He destroyed the main gate.
He suppressed Freya Familia's strongest.
He—alone—took on the entirety of Freya Familia!
BOOM—
All of Orario erupted.
On the streets, people raced to spread the news, as if humanity had just discovered fire for the first time:
"We won!! Loki Familia won!!!"
"Holy shit—is this something a human can do?!"
"We've witnessed history…"
"..."
The gambling dens collapsed under the weight of their losses.
"Pay up!! I won, damn it!!"
"I'm ruined… I bet everything I had on Freya…"
"Same here, bro. Same here…"
"..."
But amidst the cheers and despair, a thought quietly crept into everyone's mind:
Ryota never even used that rumored skeletal giant.
And even without it, he still trampled the strongest Familia in Orario underfoot.
Everyone knew it.
Everyone understood.
The name Ryota would go down in Orario's history—forever.
...
At that very moment, inside the Guild's secret chamber.
The War Game had long been declared over, but the screen still hovered in the air, frozen on the moment of victory.
On screen, Ryota wore an easy, confident smile, casually explaining something to Finn.
The little Pallum leader was biting his thumb, trying to wrap his head around concepts like "Third Kazekage" and "Summoning Beasts."
Ryota's expression wasn't like someone who had just won a War Game.
More like a bored teenager wrapping up a dull afternoon.
On the other side of the seats, Freya sat quietly.
She lifted her chin slightly, slender fingers propping up her face, her eyes—those eyes that seemed to see through all things—locked tightly onto that figure in the screen.
Silent, yet smiling.
Still the high and mighty Goddess of Beauty.
But now she looked more like a girl who had finally met her destined one.
Her smile held satisfaction—and danger.
"As expected… You're still the one who fascinates me the most, Ryota."
Suddenly, the screen in the air flickered a few times.
With a soft pfft, the image went dark. The screen vanished.
The War Game was over. No need for a live broadcast anymore.
The chamber fell silent for a moment.
Then—
"Haaaaaaahhhhhh—!"
Loki collapsed into her seat like a sack of potatoes, frantically fanning herself.
"It's over… finally over…"
She looked like a commander after a grueling battle, completely drained.
"Why do I feel more exhausted than the kids?!"
Next to her, Hephaestus chuckled softly, saying nothing. Her lips curved into a small smile, her eyes reflecting quiet wonder.
Hestia, on the other hand, was bouncing in her chair, legs shaking with excitement.
"Aaaaahhh, this is perfect!!"
"Ryota doesn't have to join Freya Familia!"
"He's about to become part of my Hestia Familia!!!"
At those words, Loki bolted upright.
"…What did you just say?"
She grabbed Hestia's head, pressing down hard.
"You little shrimp, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"Whose Ryota? He's obviously ours!"
Hestia flailed like mad, waving her arms wildly.
"You damn flat-chest!! Ryota hugged me—has he hugged you?!"
"Make him transfer! You don't deserve him!!"
Loki rolled her eyes, pure disbelief written all over her face.
"Pfft, get lost, shrimp. Come back after you get your first member."
"You—go die already!!!"
The two of them argued louder and louder, eventually breaking into a full-on scuffle right there in the seats.
The red-haired goddess quietly took a few steps back, pretending not to know them.
Before long, footsteps echoed in the chamber.
Everyone turned to look at the entrance.
Ryota walked in with Finn, Ais, and the others.
The Third Kazekage and Ajisai were already gone.
The entire chamber fell silent.
Even Loki and Hestia froze mid-fight, their scene suddenly paused like a stage play.
Both of them hurried down from the stands and rushed toward Ryota.
"Ryota, are you feeling okay anywhere?"
Loki circled around him, scanning him nervously.
Ryota smiled.
"Lady Loki, you're worrying too much. I'm perfectly fine."
His gaze shifted.
"Lady Hestia, Lady Hephaestus—you're here too."
At the mention of her name, the little goddess shot up straight, stars in her eyes, arms raised high, her voice ringing out:
"You're amazing, Ryota! I officially request to live with you for an entire year—as emotional compensation!!"
Everyone: ...…
Ryota's smile froze.
This goddess… seems even more aggressive than in the original story?
"Shut your mouth, youu!!"
"You don't even have a Familia! Where are you gonna put him, huh?! At least follow the order of things!"
Hestia crossed her arms.
"You always say I don't have a Familia? Well now I do! Ryota, hurry up and switch over!"
"I didn't agree to that, dammit!!"
The two were about to brawl again when footsteps sounded from the platform.
Loki and Hestia both looked up.
Freya stood before them, just like after the first round's defeat—alone.
She didn't speak right away.
Her eyes, still burning with that intense, unrestrained desire, locked onto Ryota.
After a long pause, she finally spoke:
"The War Game—Freya Familia has lost."
She glanced around at everyone, then turned to Royman.
"I will honor the agreement. I'll disband my Familia."
Her words fell, and everyone—except Ryota—couldn't help but react.
Who would've thought? One of Orario's strongest Familias… reduced to this.
But Freya continued:
"However—"
"I… will not leave Orario."
With that, she gave Ryota a long look, then slowly turned and walked toward the exit.
Ryota stood still, watching her back, a slight frown forming.
"Not leaving Orario…?"
"What does that mean?"
"Is she planning to charm the entire city?"
"Or… does she have something else in mind?"
No one knew—not even Ryota.
The black-haired boy who always appeared in full control…
At this moment, for the first time, felt a strange sense of unease.
But no matter what—
The War Game was over.
This grand spectacle, watched, bet on, and debated by all of Orario's gods and mortals alike—
Had ended with Loki Familia's victory.
The first round: 1v1.
Ryota, still officially Level 2, used the terrifying Susanoo to one-punch Ottar, a Level 7.
The second round: Siege battle.
With Susanoo and Kamui banned, he relied on the Third Kazekage and a summoned army to crush defenses, break the walls, and plant the flag.
Two straight wins. Zero casualties. Total domination.
This War Game, which nearly everyone had predicted as "0% chance for Loki Familia to win,"
Had completely flipped Orario's expectations under Ryota's lead.
Wine glasses shattered in taverns, gamblers cried in the streets, countless gods went bankrupt.
The front of Twilight Manor was packed with Adventurers begging to join Loki Familia.
The title of Orario's strongest Familia—was no longer Freya Familia's.
It now belonged, completely, to Loki Familia.
And the one who made all this happen—Ryota—
Was currently lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, quietly waiting for his mission rewards.
[Ding! Main Branch Quest Objective: Participate in the siege and lead your side to victory—Complete!]
[Reward Calculating—]
[Reward 1: Dōryoku +10%!]
[Reward 2: Chakra Capacity +200,000!]
[Reward 3: Sage Jutsu Chakra +10%!]
[Reward 4: Hashirama Cells +10%!]
[Reward 5: Inferno Style: Flame Control—Unlocked!]
[Reward 6: Scroll of Sealing x1!]
Ryota shot upright, eyes wide, doubting his life choices.
"…Wait, wait, hold on—"
He checked the rewards list in his mind over and over again, no less than three times.
"This is… the reward for a branch quest???"
He waited for a moment, but no new mechanical voice came.
Even though he had led Loki Familia to overwhelming victory in both rounds, crushed Freya Familia—
Even though the disbanding of Freya Familia would officially begin tomorrow—
Loki Familia was already Orario's number one.
So why… wasn't the Main Quest completed?
Could it be that this victory… wasn't the true "ascension" yet?
Did the first seat require more than just wins? Was there some kind of multidimensional evaluation?
"…Forget it. No point thinking about it."
Ryota shook his head, flipped his wrist, and summoned the Scroll of Sealing into his hand.
"Let's see what surprise you're going to give me."
----
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