Hyakinthos's screams were incessant!
The arena, and even the entirety of Orario, fell into a brief silence. What had they just witnessed?
Roy had cast magic without finishing the chant!
Hyakinthos was now scorched black, his hair frazzled, but the worst was his handsome face, which looked like it had been roasted in a furnace, utterly disfigured.
Bang!
Roy lunged forward, his large hand gripping Hyakinthos's head, and violently smashed him onto the ground, burying the opponent's face deep into the dirt.
"Impossible?!"
"Your chant wasn't finished! Why were you able to cast magic?" A distraught Hyakinthos cried out, struggling to move his eyes to stare at Roy.
Roy held down the struggling Hyakinthos and chuckled, "Who knows? Sometimes it just comes out."
No one would believe that explanation.
Hermes analyzed, "It's impossible to cast magic by interrupting the chant. Either his incantation was only the part he just uttered, or it's..."
"A No-Chant Magic!"
Upon hearing this, everyone paled in shock, the gods included. Many deities immediately stood up.
A miracle!
Since the gods descended, they had bestowed Blessings upon various races for thousands of years, uncovering their potential and giving birth to various Skills and Magic.
Even the most simplified magic required a super-short chant, consisting of at least two words.
Yet, Roy's magic could be cast at any time!
An ultra-ultra-rare magic!
The gods' breathing became ragged, like a pack of hungry wolves spotting a piece of fresh meat.
This immediate speed also shattered the composure of mages who could only cast magic while standing still, their eyes red as they stared at the youth in the arena.
Since the Goliath subjugation, Roy had been setting a trap for Hyakinthos, making him believe that his magic required chanting.
During his "chant," Hyakinthos naturally assumed he had become a sitting duck and rushed up, relaxing his guard. The inevitable result was this.
He took Roy's magic head-on.
Hyakinthos quickly figured everything out. The look in his eyes when he stared at Roy was filled with horror. The opponent had been calculating against him since that time; it was too terrifying.
"Hah!"
Roy roared, bent over, and rushed forward, grabbing Hyakinthos's head and using his face like a rag to violently grind him into the ground.
Hyakinthos couldn't even manage a scream.
"Enough, Bud of Justice! The victory has been decided!" Shakti, the Captain of the Ganesha Familia, jumped out as the referee. If the fighting continued, someone would surely be killed!
Roy turned his head, staring coldly at Shakti.
Shakti subconsciously took a step back. She felt as though she was being stared at by an enraged lion. It was strange; she was a Level 5 adventurer, yet the mere Level 2 Roy could cause a hint of alarm in her.
Hyakinthos was already halfway to the gates of hell. He was unconscious, his entire face ground flat, bloody and pulpy, completely unrecognizable.
Ryuu, in the stands, frowned. The moment the magic hit Hyakinthos, he had already lost. What Roy did afterward was pure torment.
Goddess Astraea whispered softly, "Daphne, the child who was cooperating with Roy, was severely beaten by Hyakinthos in an abuse of power."
Ryuu suddenly understood. This was the source of Roy's anger, and it was the Apollo Familia's own doing, karma for forcing people to join their Familia.
Looking at the young man's back again, Ryuu seemed to realize something. There was "Justice" in his heart too.
At this moment, the Elven girl began to accept Roy as a member of the Astraea Familia.
Hermes pulled his hat down. It seemed this 'Hero Candidate' had quite a personality, too.
Author: Zhai Ren Yong Dong Ji (宅人永动机)
"Hyakinthos is defeated! 'Bud of Justice' Roy is victorious! I declare the winner of this War Game to be the Astraea Familia!" Ibri announced loudly.
"Oohhhhhh—"
A deafening cheer, like a mountain roar and a sea surge, erupted.
They didn't care about Roy tormenting Hyakinthos. In Orario, which admired strength, it was perfectly normal for the strong to torment the weak!
Hadn't the Apollo Familia also relied on its power to coerce others? But this time, they had kicked an iron plate!
Furthermore, this youth before them was a true powerhouse, one who dared to draw his sword against the strong!
Today, they witnessed a miracle.
Since ancient times, the massive disparity between Levels was an undeniable fact. A Level 2 adventurer defeating a Level 3 adventurer was almost unheard of!
Roy's skill, strategy, magic, and everything else made everyone incredibly excited!
Even Level 5 and Level 6 adventurers felt their blood boil.
Being experienced, their fighting styles had gradually become safe and predictable, yet they had forgotten their younger selves: doing whatever it took to defeat a strong enemy—if the weapon was lost, use fists; if fists failed, use teeth...
The mantra was to leave a mark on the enemy, no matter the cost, even if it meant death!
Roy's battle reminded them of something important: adventurers need adventure!
"To the Dungeon!"
Many adventurers rushed straight towards the Babel Tower, plunging headlong into the Dungeon. If they didn't burn off this excess energy, they wouldn't sleep tonight.
Of course, some chose another outlet: Ishtar Familia's Red-Light District was surely going to be a night of intense action.
Praise poured in from the gods, who spared no effort in extending goodwill toward the brave Roy.
"He really does have some skill," Loki muttered under her breath, then grabbed her head in pain. I shouldn't think that, or I'll fall into regret again.
The doll-like, beautiful blonde girl stared blankly at Roy in the arena, then lowered her head to look at her long sword, a contemplative look on her face.
The most devastated of all was Apollo.
"Impossible. Hyakinthos lost?"
Apollo slumped to the ground, paralyzed, staring disbelievingly at the arena. How he wished everything he saw was just a nightmare.
Protected by Ryuu, Goddess Astraea approached Apollo. Her footsteps sounded like a heavy hammer, pounding heavily on Apollo's heart.
"Wait, Astraea, I was just trying to pull a prank," Apollo pleaded, his face pale.
Astraea's exquisite face maintained her smile. "Apollo, leave Orario!"
Apollo's punishment had already been decided:
All of the Apollo Familia's assets would be confiscated!
Members who were forced to join would be granted freedom to decide whether to stay or leave on their own. Apollo would be exiled, forbidden from ever setting foot in Orario, and vowed never again to use violent means to force anyone to join his Familia!
Apollo let out a shriek of despair. Every single penalty was like cutting flesh from his heart.
The gods laughed. The more miserable their fellow god was, the happier they were.
A War Game punishment was something no one could refuse. As the saying goes, if you refuse to leave with grace, the gods have many ways to make you leave without it.