The War Game was scheduled for exactly one week later.
"..."
"..."
The banquet ended as if by prior agreement the moment the War Game was declared, and the gods and their children all seemed to be looking forward to the battle that would come in a week.
And then,
"..."
"Ahaha..."
the very next day after Bell requested the War Game, he came to my workshop at the crack of dawn.
"Come in."
"Ah, yes."
I could guess the reason he'd come.
He probably wanted me to make a [magic sword] for the War Game.
"So, you want a [magic sword] too?"
"Yes."
I pulled out a folding chair for him and handed over some simple tea.
"What's it for?"
"I'm planning to use it in the War Game against the Apollo Familia... if that's all right."
"..."
Hmm...
"You've got valis, right?"
"Ah, yes. About 50,000..."
"That'll cover the raw material cost."
"T-Then..."
"Two blades should be enough, right?"
Since I happened to have some things I wanted to test, I might as well make them now.
One week later, the War Game began.
"Ouranos. Permission for Arcanum,"
"[Permission granted.]"
A giant mirror was projecting the battlefield across all of Orario.
"I am Ganesha—!!!"
"Yes. Lord Ganesha will be providing commentary for this War Game."
"I am Ganesha!"
"This War Game is a clash between the Apollo Familia and the Hestia Familia."
"Ganesha!!!"
"The War Game is a siege battle! The Hestia Familia will be fielding the recently transferred Lv. 1 Selena Al Andromeda, Lv. 1 Lili Ruka Ade, and Lv. 2 Bell Cranel!"
The commentator did his best to interpret Ganesha's incomprehensible rambling.
"Bell Cranel. Have you finished your farewells?"
"There's nowhere for me to leave to, so why would I need to?"
"...I'll make you regret that."
"That's my line."
The tension between them rose, and just before the War Game began, Bell took out a bow.
"Hoo..."
"A-Are you really sure this is okay?"
"Of course! It's a Crozzo [magic sword]!"
Unlike the tightly strung Bell and Lili, Selena looked extremely excited.
"Now then, the War Game... begins!!!"
"""Waaahhh!!!"""
As soon as the War Game began, the Apollo Familia surged forward.
"Huuuu..."
Bell's hands trembled as he drew the bowstring back.
"Behold, is what this means...!"
What was nocked to the string was a [magic sword] shaped similarly to the arrows I'd made.
The unusual part was that this [magic sword] contained my blood.
"[Stella]—!!!"
Bell released the bowstring and collapsed on the spot.
Hyakinthos, watching from afar, was certain of victory.
But,
the [magic sword] cut through the wind and landed squarely in the Apollo Familia's formation, and
Boom
the [magic sword] exploded, carving out a massive crater.
"This is... a Crozzo [magic sword]..."
"Wow..."
The two of them looked at the sword embedded in the crater, shaped like an arrow, and while one was thrilled and the other was horrified, they supported Bell as he stood there.