"…"
Liang Yue's voice echoed through the microphone, carried to every corner of the coliseum.
The audience, who had just started to quiet down, instantly erupted again.
"Apollo Familia vs. Hestia Familia—War Game!"
"Arena battle!"
Everyone already thought the outcome was obvious.
With only a handful of fighters on Hestia Familia's side, there was no suspense.
The only thing to watch for was how long the so-called "strongest rookie," a fellow Lv.2 adventurer, could last—
and whether his title was deserved.
Passion? Excitement?
Impossible.
No one really believed a lone adventurer could topple Apollo Familia in a War Game.
But that one line—
"They are the challengers."
—was enough to spark the beginning of the battle.
Was it confidence?
Or just an attempt to salvage pride against overwhelming odds?
The gods and adventurers in the audience didn't particularly care.
To them, it was rare entertainment.
Across the arena, Apollo's expression grew darker.
"…."
"It'll be over soon."
Ignoring the thousands of stares, Liang Yue swept his gaze over his companions, lingering last on Hestia's face.
The stage was less than ten meters away.
His body, strengthened to its peak, thrummed with power.
He didn't bother walking down the passage.
Instead, Liang Yue bent his knees, launched himself from the waiting area, and soared gracefully over the stands—
landing smoothly in the center of the arena.
"Well then…"
"Let's begin."
There was no way to hide his techniques now.
The "Sword Soul" and its unique powers would inevitably be exposed before all of Orario.
And so—why not use them openly, to end this battle swiftly?
His decision made, Liang Yue activated every effect at once:
Flowing Heart
Battle Zeal
Extreme Weaponry
With one hand, he drew the short blade lent by Hephaestus.
Sword qi infused the weapon, filling the arena with a chilling hum.
The killing intent was suffocating.
Liang Yue held his knife casually in one hand, his eyes flat as he regarded the Apollo Familia adventurer stepping from the opposite tunnel.
No pressure. No fear.
Just another nameless Lv.2 stepping forward, waiting for Ganesha's signal.
Being corrected didn't anger Ganesha.
Instead, watching Liang Yue, he felt a strange sense of recognition.
Respect.
He hadn't expected such simple words to rouse the crowd's excitement again.
But remembering his duty, he raised his voice:
"This is an arena battle! Victory or defeat can mean life or death. Surrender is allowed. Both sides are ready—"
"I declare the match—begun!"
"As referee, I will also provide commentary. The challenger is… from Apollo Familia—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
For in the very instant the match began—
—it was already over.
Too fast.
Not even Ganesha caught the details, much less the audience.
"…?"
Liang Yue had been ready from the start.
Through his killing intent detection, he sensed the malice in this "no-name" adventurer.
Such a man, if left alive, could only pollute his Familia.
Better to cut down every last Apollo pawn.
"Then—"
"Let's go all out."
With an easy smile, he tightened his grip.
At Ganesha's signal, sword qi surged.
The cloaked opponent rushed forward, sword flashing—
—but Liang Yue was already moving.
"Draw Slash!"
A blinding arc of sword qi ripped forward.
The Apollo adventurer, confident in his experience as a seasoned Lv.2, had thought to test the waters.
Even if he lost, he could always surrender.
But when the glowing strike flashed toward him, he realized—too late—he couldn't keep up.
He raised his massive greatsword to block.
Metal clashed with sword qi.
The heavy blade fractured like glass, webbed with cracks, then shattered completely.
The force hurled him back like a ragdoll.
Armor crumpled under the blow.
His last coherent thought before blacking out—
"Instant-cast… magic?"
He crashed into the stone wall with a thunderous crack, leaving it fractured.
The match was over before it even began.
The audience sat in stunned silence.
Only a lingering trail of glowing sword qi marked what had just happened.
Liang Yue stood where he had begun, utterly calm.
He didn't even glance at his fallen opponent.
Instead, he looked back at Hestia's section and raised a hand.
Liliruca tossed him the mic.
Catching it, Liang Yue turned to the Apollo Familia's side, his voice clear and casual:
"Next."
The coliseum erupted in shock.
Apollo himself sat straighter, eyes narrowing.
The fighter he'd sent out first wasn't weak—
he was one of Apollo Familia's core combatants.
Yet he hadn't lasted even a moment.
"…So that's your confidence?"
Apollo hadn't obtained detailed intelligence on Liang Yue—
only vague rumors from the expedition.
But seeing this…
his desire to claim Liang Yue for himself only grew stronger.
Even if it cost him dearly.
He turned to Hyacinthus, his handsome captain.
"Can you handle this?"
"I won't disappoint you, Lord Apollo."
Hyacinthus's tone was cold and confident.
A miracle like that?
He didn't believe it could decide the outcome.
"…A cornered beast can thrash, but it changes nothing. Magic is rare—but it cannot decide a war."
Daphne, nearby, said nothing.
She only stared at Liang Yue's vibrant figure, a strange feeling stirring in her chest.
Maybe… this boy really could pull it off.
The crowd's impression of Liang Yue shifted instantly.
To defeat another Lv.2 so decisively—
clearly, he wasn't just a lucky rookie.
But could he endure a gauntlet against Apollo Familia's entire lineup?
Many doubted.
But gamblers who had staked everything on him roared in excitement.
"Liang Yue, crush Apollo Familia!"
"My whole life savings are on you—if you win, I'll treat you to drinks forever!"
"Don't let us down!"
In Hestia Familia's section, the goddess herself gripped the railing, eyes wide.
She had never seen him fight before.
The devastating strike was beyond imagination.
"…S-so fast?"
"Of course," Lili replied with a grin.
"If it were a siege battle, it would've ended even faster."
Armor and swords shattered instantly—
what chance would Apollo Familia have against such attacks in a mass fight?
This was why she believed in Liang Yue.
He would create a miracle.
Even in an arena battle, exhaustion wasn't something that could stop him.
On the referee's stand, Ganesha felt awkward.
There was nothing left to commentate.
Liang Yue had even called "next" himself.
Still, he couldn't help but feel excited.
This boy—
the one who destroyed Soma Familia as a Lv.1—
was surpassing even his expectations.
"…Liang Yue. Just how far can you go?"
Another Apollo adventurer stepped up to the stage.
The crowd leaned forward.
The atmosphere had changed completely.
This was no longer a foregone conclusion.
Now, they could believe in a miracle.
Liang Yue didn't use "Draw Slash" again.
It wasn't a wide-area move—
too easy to evade if expected.
Instead, he advanced openly, blade in hand.
The Apollo adventurer braced himself, sweat running down his neck.
Liang Yue moved—faster than most Lv.3s could follow.
"Rising Dragon Strike!"
A two-step lunge, blade surging upward with crushing force.
The air itself seemed to shatter.
The Apollo adventurer froze.
Honor and survival waged war in his heart.
At the last moment—he slid to his knees, head lowered.
"…I surrender."