"Then, Belle-sama, Mikoto, Haruhime, we will act according to Lucien-sama's plan."
Outside the ruins of the fortress, Lili gathered with the others and spoke clearly.
"Well, let's proceed as Lucien-sama instructed."
"Lucien-sama, I'll ask you to temporarily draw their attention."
No one objected, and Belle respectfully looked toward Lucien leaning casually against the nearby wall.
"All right, I will act shortly. You guys lurk nearby."
Leon nodded slightly and then turned, heading toward the ruins.
Originally, Leon intended to take down other members of the Apollo familia himself, creating an opening for Belle to fight.
But now, he was ready to play a supporting role—letting Lili and the others contain the Apollo familia's forces.
Lili's ability wasn't strong yet. She needed to get close to be effective, pulling enemies into the world she created.
Everyone was a bit far from the ruins of the fortress, but Lili's power could perfectly hide them and bring them near.
However, concealing herself that thoroughly and arriving near the ruins without detection would consume a huge amount of energy for Lili, so Leon rejected the idea.
Since everyone was participating in the war game, they had to show their faces and could step out to draw Apollo familia's attention, saving Lili some effort.
Leon left the group's hiding spot and appeared openly, walking quietly toward the fortress.
His posture was relaxed, like taking a leisurely stroll—not like a warrior preparing for battle.
But the Apollo familia members weren't relaxed. They were all ready and alert.
They had never seen Lucien before, which meant he was the foreign aid Hestia's familia had invited.
And this foreign aid was personally invited by Leon himself.
A person's reputation is like a shadow cast by a tree. Though they didn't know the strength of this unknown person, they dared not underestimate him.
If not for the distance keeping them out of range of magic, bows, and arrows, the Apollo familia would have acted long ago.
The moment Lucien appeared, Orario's atmosphere surged with excitement.
"Leon boy, is this the foreign aid that Lucifer found?"
From the top of the Tower of Babel, in the assembly hall on the 30th floor, Loki turned to look at Leon and asked.
"Yeah, his name is Lucien, somewhat like Lucifer's. He's someone that guy knows from the outside world."
Leon nodded and introduced the identity of his thought projection.
"How strong is he?"
Loki nodded and asked the question on everyone's mind, as the gods' eyes focused intently.
"First class!" Leon smiled and answered.
"No way! That's impossible. How could an adventurer from outside have such strength?!"
As soon as Leon spoke, Apollo exploded in disbelief and roared loudly.
The other gods were first shocked, then one by one they began to gloat, watching Apollo's hysterical outburst with amusement.
"Is that true?!" Loki was a little taken aback and suspicious.
"Well, I can't confirm it, since Lucien doesn't seem to plan to act. Lucifer just invited him here as a backup."
"To handle Apollo's familia, Belle and the others are enough." Leon shrugged.
This time, his thought projection shouldn't need to fight—just distract Apollo's familia so Lili and the others can lurk near the fortress ruins.
Then Lili, Haruhime, and Mikoto would naturally take on Apollo's familia.
"Hey, are you kidding?!"
Hearing this, Loki shouted immediately and quickly looked at Hestia, seeking her reaction.
Other gods shared the same sentiment.
Apollo's familia had countless members, many above level 2.
Hestia's familia obviously couldn't match them one-on-one.
Most expectations for this war game rested on the foreign aid Lucifer invited, eager to see the feast he might bring.
And now to hear the foreign aid may not even fight?
What good is that?
Hestia just smiled brightly.
"Hehe, just watch. Belle and the others will put on a performance that will blind your eyes."
"Well, if Hestia says that, Belle and the others must be amazing."
Someone spoke mysteriously, causing everyone to react.
Yes, Hestia's confident expression clearly didn't foreshadow defeat for her familia.
The gods' fading expectations reignited, and their eyes returned to the mirror.
Only Apollo remained silent yet no one paid him any mind.
The scene shifted back to the fortress ruins.
Facing Apollo's familia on high alert, Leon paid no mind, continuing to stroll leisurely, moving slowly under their watchful eyes.
His casual demeanor caused intense psychological pressure on the Apollo familia guarding the fortress walls.
Leon's reputation made the Apollo familia treat the foreign aid invited by the Lucifer familia with utmost seriousness.
They were extremely vigilant. But this vigilance also brought psychological stress under Leon's calm.
The Apollo familia members wanted to attack Leon but neither magic nor arrows could reach his current distance.
They could only wait for him to come into range.
The situation tormented them. Their palms' sweat drenched their grips on weapons.
Luckily, Leon didn't make them wait long.
After a few minutes, he entered their attack range.
Without hesitation, the captain on the wall issued the attack order.
Archers and mages stationed there unleashed their assault instantly.
Mages chanted spells while archers shot long-prepared arrows.
An overwhelming storm of arrows rained down on Leon.
Leon remained calm facing the barrage. With a single wave of his hand, a strong gust of wind blew away every arrow aimed at him.
Seeing this, the crowd watching in Orario erupted in cheers and excitement.
Since the appearance of Leon's thought projection, the battle had finally begun.
And at the very start, Leon gave everyone a dazzling show.