Let's turn back time slightly, to about ten minutes ago, not long after the War Game had just begun.
Hyakinthos, having buried the Apollo Familia's flag, quickly arrived at the main battlefield, drawn by the sounds of battle between Levi and the Freya Familia's reinforcement team.
However, he was actually a bit late.
To be more precise, Levi was too strong.
It seemed like he had several exchanges with the five members of the Freya Familia team, but in reality, from the moment he encountered them to the moment all five were crippled and on the ground, the entire process took less than two minutes combined.
This even included Levi's attempts to persuade them and the passionate responses from the Freya Familia team members.
Thus, by the time Hyakinthos arrived at his destination, all he saw was a field stained red with blood—the five heavily injured members had already been taken away by the Ganesha Familia, who were responsible for emergency medical treatment.
As the captain of the Apollo Familia, the 'Emperor Favored by Sunlight' certainly detested Levi Bright, who would compete with him for Apollo's affection.
But he had never denied the combat prowess of this young man who, despite now possessing a Lv.4 Falna, had yet to earn a 'Title'.
In less than five seconds, Hyakinthos determined that Levi had been the victor in the battle he had missed.
And it was very likely a complete and utter victory!
"!!!!"
After reaching this conclusion, his breathing stopped for a moment.
Having been beaten consecutively for two weeks, the Emperor Favored by Sunlight was all too aware of the Freya Familia's foundation and overall strength.
Even so, they couldn't defeat Levi and had even met a very tragic end.
Even if I had been there...
Hyakinthos shook his head. He hated, one could even say loathed, Levi.
But because of that, he was all the more unwilling to underestimate his opponent.
'Plan A is terminated. Commencing Plan B,' he thought to himself.
Then, from a simple pouch on his leg, he took out a dark purple glass sphere about the size of an adult's fist.
The glass sphere came from the Far East, where in that distant land, it was given the name 'Sessho-seki'.
The so-called Sessho-seki is a special magic item that, through sacrifice, can store the soul of a fox person within it. By consuming the wielder's mana, it can cast the magic that the sacrificed fox person mastered in life.
The Sessho-seki in Hyakinthos's hand was the final, completed product of the ritual.
The fox person's soul sealed within had been a nobleman from the Far East in life, but he was sentenced to be a living sacrifice for violating the law.
As for the magic he had mastered...
"There is only one chance."
Hyakinthos repeated the words Apollo had spoken when he handed him the Sessho-seki.
He had to get within a certain distance before he could use the magic within the Sessho-seki.
Otherwise, all his previous efforts would be for naught.
Unfortunately.
This 'Emperor Favored by Sunlight', just like his patron god, had made the mistake of insufficient intelligence gathering.
Or perhaps, it was that Levi was getting stronger far too quickly.
When he saw the white fog approaching from a distance, Hyakinthos's first reaction was actually to sneak away.
But the invisibility cloak and helmet he wore were constantly consuming his mana.
It might not be noticeable in the short term, as Hyakinthos had brought plenty of supplies.
But if the time was extended to several hours, or even a day...
'There is only one chance,' he repeated in his mind.
And he plunged headfirst into the Ice Fog Domain that Levi had deployed.
And then...
"Guh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
If it were just the ice crystals being inhaled into his lungs, Hyakinthos could have actually suppressed the discomfort and coughing with his strong willpower.
But an attack that turned his entire area into a sea of lightning? Never mind him, even if a Lv.6 from the Freya Familia or Loki Familia were here, they would have to grunt a little.
The fact that he could remain conscious and not pass out was already a result of Hyakinthos's sufficiently firm will, or perhaps the 'Hateful Jealousy' he had awakened recently taking effect.
'Not enough! Not enough! Not enough!'
Hyakinthos gritted his teeth. Due to the attack, the effects of the magic items he wore were all interrupted.
His entire body now exposed in the ice fog, he bit down hard, refusing to fall.
His eyes, fixed on Levi, blazed with infinite hatred.
'A little closer, a little closer, a little closer... a little closer... a little closer...'
Levi was not a god and couldn't be omniscient; of course, he couldn't hear Hyakinthos's inner thoughts at this moment.
However, he was a very cautious person by nature. Seeing the last enemy reveal himself, he smiled and condensed five Icy Kitty Paws around his body.
Watching as the youth's ice-attribute magic was about to be unleashed, Hyakinthos knew that if he didn't act now, he would truly have no chance left.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
"Go to hell!!!!!!!!!!!"
He roared and immediately took out the Sessho-seki he was clutching tightly.
On the Falna panel on his back, 'Hateful Jealousy' flickered wildly.
Then, as if by a miracle, a pink pillar of light shot out from the Sessho-seki an instant before Levi launched his attack.
Even Levi could not evade an attack at the speed of light (shields do not block mental attacks).
Watching the youth get hit by the pillar of light and freeze in place, Hyakinthos, despite being on the verge of death, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"I knew it, I knew it!"
"Lord Apollo's plan couldn't possibly fail!"
"Now, tell the referee you surrender!"
...
In the Denatus hall, with Hyakinthos's successful spell-casting, Apollo, who had been holding it in for so long, finally let loose.
"Hahahahahahahahaha—"
"Hestia, it seems this time, I'm the one who won the War Game, hmm?~"
Looking at the scene in the divine mirror, the twin-tailed goddess, for a fleeting moment, truly had the thought, 'Levi isn't going to screw this up, is he?'
But then, remembering something, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up.
In fact, it wasn't just Hestia; Hephaestus, sitting beside her, also suddenly smiled at that moment.
Her gaze towards Apollo was now filled with utter pity.
"Hephaestus, what do you mean?"
Apollo frowned; he had certainly not missed Hephaestus's glance.
The red-haired, one-eyed goddess shrugged. "Apollo, I actually thought your child had a chance to live, but now... I can only say, hmm, you reap what you sow."
"?!"
Hearing her verdict, this time, it wasn't just Apollo; all the gods present showed expressions of confusion.
And at almost the same time,
within the divine mirror, the voice of the pale-golden-haired youth suddenly rang out:
"Freya, I pray to you now, please grant me the goddess's protection!"
____
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