(Regarding the format of the War Game: considering that a siege battle wouldn't be very interesting, the rules have been adjusted to an arena battle instead.)
When Ganesha announced that the War Game between the Apollo Familia and the Hestia Familia would be decided through an arena battle,
the previously calm atmosphere was instantly set ablaze.
There were many possible battle formats. But this one—without a doubt—was the most favorable to the Apollo Familia.
Arena battle.
Only when both sides had equal numbers and strength could it be called fair.
Even if there was a difference in overall ability, formations and strategy could allow the weaker side to pull off a victory.
But this time…
Excluding their supporter Liliruca, the Hestia Familia had only two actual combatants.
Liang Yue, and the recently transferred Lv.2 adventurer, Yamato Mikoto.
"...Arena… battle?"
"If Apollo didn't rig it, then the luck here is absolutely abysmal. With such a huge numbers gap…"
"Even if Liang Yue can take down many adventurers of his own level…"
"They could just wear him out through sheer attrition, and finally let Hyacinthus finish him off. I can't imagine how he could win."
"Tsk, tsk."
Many of the gods attending the assembly weren't even running familias; they were simply here in Orario for amusement.
They had no reason to hold back when commenting on Apollo.
And the truth was clear as day.
The overwhelming difference in numbers had already determined the winner of this War Game.
Still holding the slip of paper in his hand, with the surrounding gods muttering amongst themselves, Ganesha raised his voice with gravity:
"I am Ganesha!"
"By my divine name, I swear that this drawing was conducted fairly—without deceit!"
…
A War Game between familias of vastly unequal strength being decided through an arena battle…
Such a thing had never occurred in all of Orario's history.
As for a redraw? Impossible. That would break the rules of the War Game. No precedent could be allowed.
By swearing on his divine name, Ganesha managed to silence the chatter for a moment. But when his gaze shifted to Hestia, his eyes softened, and he couldn't help but shake his head.
He was somewhat familiar with Liang Yue. After all, it had been his own Familia that had helped clean up the aftermath of the Soma Familia's downfall.
And the intelligence they'd gathered on his status…
It was unprecedented—every stat at the theoretical limit, combat strength off the charts.
Even after a forced expedition, his growth was undeniable.
But to fight through a gauntlet in an arena battle against the entire Apollo Familia? That was simply impossible.
Still—
Compared to the shallow foundation of Hestia's Familia, the Apollo Familia had much greater numbers and strength.
And perhaps…
Liang Yue, with his extraordinary potential, might still one day continue writing an epic of his own.
No thought of redrawing ever crossed Ganesha's mind. His eyes swept over Hestia, then toward Apollo, flushed with excitement, basking in the attention.
After a discreet cough, he gave his final announcement:
"The format has been chosen. The battle will take place tomorrow at noon, in the eastern coliseum!"
"Do either side have any objections?"
…
"Gauntlet battle."
The declaration struck Hestia like a hammer. She immediately understood the meaning.
If the familias were evenly matched, this would be the most fair, most tactical type of war game.
But for her own Familia, with so few members? Their defeat was already determined before the battle even began.
Most crucial of all—
As a goddess, she could not halt the War Game now.
The only possible solution would be to have powerful adventurers switch allegiance to her Familia before tomorrow.
But was that even possible?
While Hestia sank into silence, Apollo was already savoring his victory.
The strongest rookie in Orario had joined a Familia.
Bathed in the stares of countless gods, his face flushed but his tone remained arrogant:
"Of course I have no objections."
"I've worked tirelessly for years to build up my Familia. Why should I throw away that advantage for some so-called 'fair fight' with Hestia's Familia?"
"Isn't this also a kind of unfairness?"
With such a huge gap in numbers and strength, there was no need for tricks. Victory was guaranteed.
Apollo had no intention of holding back.
The safest, most reliable method was to exhaust Liang Yue through the gauntlet—then let Hyacinthus finish him.
That way, Liang Yue's reputation as the strongest rookie would remain intact…
And Apollo could learn the full extent of his strength.
"What about you, Hestia?" he asked smugly.
…
Hestia had already prepared herself for the worst. Losing the War Game meant being forced out of Orario, returning to Tenkai alone.
She would have to wait a thousand years before descending again.
But she would find Liang Yue in his next life. This time, she wouldn't care about anything else—she would spend ten thousand years loving him.
Faced with Apollo's provocation, she showed no anger. Instead, she smiled sweetly, voice gentle:
"I have no objections. I believe in Liang Yue!"
…
From across the chamber, Hephaestus folded her arms, watching her friend closely. She could sense the complicated emotions behind Hestia's calm exterior.
It wasn't nearly as lighthearted as it looked.
Her brow furrowed slightly. Since supporters weren't allowed in War Games, the only loophole was to have other adventurers switch familias before tomorrow.
"Quite the headache…"
Should she respect Hestia's choice to believe in Liang Yue?
Or, as a friend, lend whatever support she could?
Her heart wavered. But then she remembered her own conversation with Liang Yue just yesterday.
That utterly confident look.
He'd even been thinking about how to spend his casino winnings.
"…Maybe I don't need to worry."
Though he was reckless, her divine intuition told her—things wouldn't be so simple.
She almost felt guilty for thinking it, but truthfully… Hephaestus was looking forward to tomorrow's War Game.
There was no more dungeon exploration that day. Time had to be reserved for rest and preparation.
After cutting down the Minotaur that Kashima had drawn in, and collecting the drops, Liang Yue led the party back to Orario with his stamina intact.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
With the War Game looming tomorrow, Liliruca as a supporter couldn't help much.
Even in battle, wielding a magic sword to defeat Lv.1 adventurers would be a struggle.
And knowing what the Apollo Familia had done only deepened her disgust.
It wasn't much better than the Soma Familia.
Walking beside Liang Yue, she glanced up. "The gods' assembly should be over. Is there anything you need me to prepare?"
"Nothing."
Then, catching the solemn look on her face, Liang Yue hesitated. "Actually… there is one thing."
"…?"
Her eyes rose, steady and unflinching.
But his next words made her expression crumble completely:
"Make an inventory of all the Apollo Familia's assets."
"And get our money back from the casino."
"…?"
The sheer audacity of it shattered the tension in the group. Mikoto blinked blankly, while Lili nearly dropped her jaw.
But more than confusion—her faith in Liang Yue's strength gave her a strange sense of confidence.
After leaving the Dungeon, Kashima and Chigusa returned to their own familias.
Only Liang Yue and Mikoto went back to the Familia's base—a rundown old church.
In the underground chamber, Hestia was already waiting for them.
As his footsteps approached, she looked up at his familiar figure, her heart tightening at the exhaustion she saw etched into his brows.
She felt even more guilty. Not only had she failed to provide a proper environment for her Familia to grow, but even now…
They had drawn the absolute worst lot for the War Game.
"You're back, Liang Yue."
"Mm."
"I just finished exploring the Dungeon. I came back to update my status, Lady Hestia."
Seeing her reserved, uncertain expression, Liang Yue smiled lightly. He already had a good guess about the War Game's outcome.
"Has the format been decided?" he asked casually.
"…It has."
There was no hiding it. With a strained smile, her voice carried the weariness she couldn't suppress.
"It was a fair draw."
"…Arena gauntlet battle."
"The gap in numbers between our Familia and Apollo's… is something we can't ignore. The result…"
Her voice trailed off, growing faint.
"Please, Liang Yue… don't let the pressure weigh too heavily on you. No matter what happens, I'll face it with you."
She knew full well the greatest weakness of a gauntlet battle—
The unending drain on stamina. Something ordinary adventurers couldn't possibly endure.
But for Liang Yue…
It wasn't even worth mentioning.
In fact, as he looked at the guilt-ridden goddess, he showed no worry at all. His tone was almost cheerful.
"This is a good draw."
"…A good draw?"
Hestia blinked.
He explained easily: "As long as I can swiftly defeat the early adventurers, the ones waiting behind will realize the gap in strength. Then the momentum will shift in our favor."
…
Swiftly cut down the opponents. Make the rest afraid.
Even though she knew Liang Yue's character, Liliruca's mouth twitched violently at his words.
If not for Hestia standing right there, she would've asked outright: Do you even hear yourself?
"I'll manage my stamina carefully. As for Apollo's Lv.3 adventurers—none of them should be a threat."
That was the confidence born from his accumulated stats…
And the unique mechanics of his Sword Soul template.
His gaze swept over the girls, his voice calm but resolute.
"Yes, the Apollo Familia looks overwhelming on paper. But we can't possibly…"
"…start thinking about how to retreat before the fight has even begun, right?"
Hestia, who had been weighed down by guilt, froze at the sight of his bold smile.
Then, without meaning to, she found herself smiling as well.
"Liang Yue… I believe you absolutely can do it!"
Her faith in him was unshakable. She wanted nothing more than to see him wipe the smugness off Apollo's face.
As for his status update—
With the burden in her heart lightened, she glanced at the others, especially Liliruca and Mikoto.
"Let me update your status now."
"Alright."
Knowing how private the process was, the girls quietly excused themselves from the basement.
But Liang Yue's earlier words had already made it clear.
He intended to crush Apollo Familia through pure strength alone—tearing apart their gauntlet strategy.
Even if she wouldn't fight directly, Mikoto's heart burned with anticipation.
To face such overwhelming odds… yet still stride forward without hesitation.
This—was the very ideal of a swordsman.
Perhaps…
That was why he bore the title Sword Soul.
The update process was second nature to Hestia by now.
Erasing the old stats, replacing them with the results of his latest dungeon battles.
As divine light spread across his back, she pressed the parchment down to record the new numbers.
Liang Yue
Lv.2
Strength: A860 → SS1013
Endurance: A801 → SS1048
Dexterity: A880 → SS1001
Agility: A844 → SS1050
Magic: B745 → S930
Development Ability: Sword Soul
Magic: War Zeal
Skills: Power of the Sword Soul, Killing Intent Perception
When Hestia's eyes ran down the parchment, her expression stiffened.
By common logic, after an adventurer leveled up, their growth rate would slow significantly.
And yet…
That logic didn't seem to apply to Liang Yue at all.
"…?!"
"These stat increases are way too outrageous!"
He hadn't even reached his theoretical limit yet. But already, his numbers were beyond the reach of almost every adventurer alive.
With the feat of slaying the Goliath behind him,
Hestia realized that if Liang Yue wanted to… he could probably advance to Lv.3 already.
Handing him the parchment, she slid off his back, moving to sit by his side instead.
Her eyes shone with undisguised joy—
And pride she couldn't contain.
"Liang Yue… with all those doubters watching, go show the Apollo Familia your true potential!!"