Chapter 68: Don't Dare to Compete with Me? So This Is All the So-Called Gods Amount To!
"You could see through my divine authority so easily?" Apollo looked at Shirou in surprise, his gaze trembling intensely. "As expected, your victory over Soma wasn't just a stroke of luck."
"That wasn't really a victory," Shirou replied calmly. "I merely happened to create a dish that neutralized the effects of divine wine."
Shirou's demeanor didn't change in the slightest.
The reason he had been able to so quickly deduce Apollo's divine authority was because he had been contemplating it well before their meeting.
—Although gods who descend to the lower world cannot use their divine powers, they can still wield their authorities.
After learning this principle, Shirou had been constantly considering what kind of authority Apollo might possess.
At the same time, he also questioned how Apollo managed to control all the casinos.
As the master of all casinos, Apollo must possess some sort of special ability; otherwise, it would be impossible to dominate the gambling scene so thoroughly.
Since Apollo had such overwhelming control, that was proof of a corresponding divine authority.
Moreover, a god's authority often related to their title: Loki, the god of trickery, had the authority of [Deception]; Freya, the goddess of beauty, had [Charm]; Soma, the god of wine, had [Brewing]...
Apollo, as the sun god, must have authority tied to the concept of the sun.
But just knowing he was the sun god wasn't enough to figure out a specific power.
After all, the sun is most associated with light and heat.
Surely Apollo's divine authority wasn't just to make himself glow?
When Shirou's thinking hit a wall, Apollo's earlier display in gambling provided him with a great clue.
Apollo could win any bet.
That was clearly a manifestation of his divine authority.
So what kind of power could be connected to the sun and also grant someone invincibility at the gambling table?
At that moment, Shirou had his answer.
Apollo's authority as the sun god was [Extreme Luck].
Just as sunlight shines across the land and sweeps away all shadows, his presence eliminated the very concept of misfortune.
The result was an overwhelming, absolute advantage in any situation—a divine form of extraordinary luck.
Once Shirou formed this theory, Apollo's reaction confirmed it. His ability truly was absolute fortune.
However, seeing through Apollo's authority didn't change anything.
Even though Shirou now understood that [Extreme Luck] was the key to Apollo's control over the casinos, he still had no way to affect this divine power, much less erase it.
That was why Shirou stared at Apollo.
He waited—for Apollo to explain why he revealed his divine authority, and also for an opportunity.
An opportunity to defeat Apollo. His one and only chance!
"You're saying your win over Soma was luck?" Apollo looked at Shirou with a mocking smile. "To speak of luck in front of me, you sure are bold."
"So, Apollo, you're absolutely confident in your luck?" Shirou glanced sideways at him, provoking him with a simple taunt.
"Hmph, I wouldn't say 'absolute,' but I don't believe anyone can beat me at gambling," Apollo said arrogantly. "I know what you're hoping for. You want me to give you a chance to challenge me, just like Soma did. A fair contest against a god. But why should I bother? I'm not a fool like Soma, obsessed with brewing to the point of madness."
"Is that so? Then if you won't compete with me, I could turn your casinos upside down," Shirou threatened directly. "You wouldn't want me to keep winning at your tables, would you?"
Shirou's words hit Apollo where it hurt.
The two were now in a standoff.
Shirou couldn't physically harm Apollo, but he could use Projection Magic to cheat at gambling, disrupting the casinos.
Meanwhile, Apollo couldn't do anything to Shirou either—because Shirou was waiting for him to act first and show weakness, giving Loki and Freya's Familia a chance to intervene.
As tension mounted, Apollo finally spoke coldly: "You really want to prove your strength, don't you? Even though you're just a mortal—it's impossible for you to surpass a god like me."
"Whether I can surpass a god or not will be decided by facts," Shirou said calmly, looking Apollo in the eye. "If you don't even have the courage to face a mortal like me, then maybe your so-called divinity is nothing special."
"How dare you say something like that!!"
Apollo was finally rattled by Shirou's words.
He stared coldly at Shirou, but the latter didn't flinch in the slightest, unaffected by divine intimidation.
As the atmosphere grew colder, Apollo eventually said, "Fine. Since you're so full of yourself, I'll give you a chance."
"You'll face me?"
"No, I'm just giving you an opportunity."
Apollo maintained a lofty attitude—he was clearly the more composed of the two.
As the master of the casinos, so long as he wasn't caught red-handed, the Loki and Freya Familia couldn't touch him, nor could he be easily overthrown.
Shirou could use Projection Magic to cheat and irritate him, but Apollo could impose all kinds of restrictions and delays to prevent Shirou from freely operating in the casinos.
The real reason Apollo was even willing to meet face-to-face was simply because he had taken an interest in Shirou—and wanted to obtain him.
That, and his absolute confidence in his divine authority.
He didn't believe his [Extreme Luck] could ever be defeated by a mortal, unlike Soma's divine wine. Even in ten thousand gambles, he believed he could win all ten thousand!
Apollo looked at Shirou and said, "I'll give you a chance to challenge me—but only if your Hestia Familia agrees to a War Game with my Apollo Familia."
"War Game?"
"What? Never heard of it?"
Apollo sneered, "A War Game is a battle between Familias, where members are used like game pieces on a board, fighting to the death.
Typically, both sides deploy all their forces and fight in a designated area until one side wins. The victor takes everything from the loser's Familia—including its members and assets."
"You think I'd agree to something like that?"
Shirou gave Apollo a cold look.
He was willing to put himself at risk to challenge Apollo, but he didn't want to drag the Hestia Familia into it.
Especially since the strength difference between the two Familias was obvious. If Shirou wanted to keep his power secret, he couldn't recklessly accept the challenge.
"Well, I figured you'd say that." Apollo wasn't surprised. "Your Familia only has a few Level 1s—poor in quality and small in number. You're not even qualified to compete with my numerous and powerful members. So I'll make an exception for you. Instead of a full-scale War Game, we'll do a one-on-one duel."
"One-on-one?"
"Yes, but I get to choose the duelists," Apollo said, staring at Shirou with a sinister smile. "I choose your adventurer—Bell Cranel—to face my Familia's captain, Hyacinthus Clio! One-on-one. That will take the place of the War Game."
"Bell... You bastard..."
Seeing Shirou's expression change, Apollo laughed loudly.
"Don't worry. Since this is a special War Game, the stakes can be unique too. If my Familia wins, you give me Bell Cranel. If you win, I'll let you challenge me at the gambling table. Fair enough, right?"
"…"
Using Bell as the wager for a mere chance to duel Apollo.
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn't a fair deal.
Not only was Hyacinthus a rumored Level 3, while Bell was only Level 1—but even if Bell won, the only reward was the right for Shirou to challenge Apollo in gambling.
Such extreme conditions were completely unreasonable.
But that thought only crossed Shirou's mind for a moment. Then he turned a cold gaze toward Apollo and asked, "If you set the terms of the War Game, can I decide the terms of the subsequent gamble—if we win?"
"You think you'll win?"
Apollo found the idea laughable, but since the possibility technically existed, he nodded reluctantly. "Fine. If your Familia wins, you can set the conditions of the gambling match."
"Very well," Shirou said, waiting for those words. "First, I get to choose the specific gambling event. Second, the bet is this: if you win, I'll stop interfering with your casinos. But if I win—your Apollo Familia's casino rights will be fully confiscated by the Loki and Freya Familia. You yourself must be exiled from Orario, and before that, you must tell us everything you know about the Dark Faction."
"You greedy brat!"
Apollo burst out laughing in disbelief at Shirou's outrageous demands.
Shirou, calm as ever, replied, "Risk and reward are always proportional. The greater the risk, the greater the return. I'm taking on both a War Game and a divine gambling match. If I win, don't you think I deserve a worthy reward? Or… do you lack the confidence to win?"
Shirou's words silenced Apollo.
He weighed the pros and cons.
The Hestia Familia stood no chance in the War Game. And even if they did somehow win, they couldn't possibly beat him at the gambling table.
Each event had maybe a 0.0001% success rate. Combined, the odds were practically zero.
So he nodded in agreement: "Fine. I accept—if you can actually win."
"Great. Then let's sign a formal contract."
"A contract?"
"Unlike Soma, I don't trust you," Shirou said bluntly. "Unless Loki and Freya jointly witness it, I won't agree to any deal with a god like you."
"Hmph. It's not going to happen anyway. Do as you like."
Apollo casually summoned someone to fetch pen and paper, and signed the contract with Shirou.
Shirou then planned to have Loki, Freya, and even the Guild co-sign as witnesses, maximizing its binding power and making it impossible for Apollo to back out.
Before leaving, Shirou asked offhandedly, "You've been targeting Bell for a while now, haven't you? I'm curious—why? He shouldn't be special enough to catch your attention."
"Tch. You're only asking that now?" Apollo sounded tired from sparring verbally for so long. "At first, I didn't care about him. But then someone gave me information about Bell Cranel. That's when I realized what a hidden gem he was. Although, now... I want you, Shirou Emiya, even more."
"Who gave you that intel?"
"I won't say exactly. But as a reward for figuring out my authority, I'll tell you this—it's all connected to Zeus."
"Zeus?"
Shirou paused at the name.
He'd heard of Zeus—a god from one of Orario's strongest Familias in the previous era.
But rumor said he disappeared long ago.
So Bell was connected to Zeus?
A flood of thoughts filled Shirou's mind.
Silently, he turned and left the Apollo Familia.
The War Game was scheduled for one week later.
That meant Shirou had one week to train Bell—raising his power to the point where he could fight a Level 3 adventurer.
And at the same time, he needed to figure out a way to overcome Apollo's [Extreme Luck] and defeat him at gambling.
With time so short, even Shirou had no room for distractions.
He had to use everything he had to find a path to victory!