Staring at their would-be foes, Mordred folded her arms and scoffed. "So, I'm taking the big guy. Any complaints?"
Hector rubbed the back of his head with a relaxed grin. "That's fine with me."
Li Shuwen narrowed his sharp eyes, studying the elven woman across from them. "I'm more interested in the elf anyway."
Mordred's lips curled into a smug smirk. "Glad we're in agreement. Who wants to start us off?"
Before they could choose, Allen shouted furiously from the opposite side of the arena. "Are you idiots seriously talking about us like we're not here? Shut the hell up and come get your asses kicked!"
All three heroic spirits frowned at the lack of manners. Hector sighed heavily. "I guess I'll start. Someone needs to teach that brat some respect."
Mordred pointed her sword toward Allen and growled, "Do it before I kill him."
Hector walked toward Allen at a leisurely pace, relaxed and seemingly careless, which only made Allen angrier. The young man snarled, "Are you fucking mocking me?!"
He burst forward with explosive speed, thrusting his spear straight toward Hector's face. But Hector's wrist guard flicked up casually, knocking the attack aside like a bothersome fly. In the same fluid motion, Hector slammed the pommel of his spear into Allen's gut. The impact knocked the air right out of him and sent him tumbling across the arena floor.
Seeing Allen struggling to breathe, Ottar rushed forward to help him… only for a gleaming blade to intercept him. Mordred stood in his path, eyes burning with excitement.
"Where do you think you're going, big guy?" she taunted. "You're fighting me now."
Once she had his attention, she withdrew her sword from blocking position and casually rested it on her shoulder. Ottar sighed, unimpressed.
"I don't have time for children."
Mordred's eye twitched, rage sparking like a match. "Did you just call me a child? Alright, pal. I'll tell you what. I'll give you one free shot. After that, I'm kicking your ass."
"Such arrogance will get you killed," Ottar said coldly.
He raised his massive greatsword and brought it down toward Mordred's head with crushing force. The blade struck, shaking the entire arena. Dust burst into the air, cracks spider-webbing beneath their feet.
Ottar scoffed. "As I thought. A child who didn't know her place."
He tried to lift his sword for the finishing blow… but it wouldn't move. He pulled harder. Still nothing.
A mocking, venomously smug voice drifted through the settling dust. "Is that really all you've got?"
The dust cleared. Ottar's eyes widened.
Mordred stood exactly where she had been, completely unharmed. One hand was gripping the blade of his sword… and the metal was cracking under her fingers.
With a casual clench, she snapped the weapon in half.
Before Ottar could react, Mordred delivered a brutal uppercut to his chin that launched him skidding across the arena like a ragdoll. She stabbed clarent into the ground then stomped over to him, grabbed him by the shirt, and began beating him over and over, each punch echoing through the stands. Ottar's body eventually went limp.
Judging him unable to continue, Mordred let him drop and retrieved Clarent. She rolled her shoulders, disappointed.
"That was boring."
She looked up at Tet's box and shouted with zero shame, "Hey, boss! Send me to the stands! I'm hungry!"
In a flash of light, she vanished from the arena.
------
Back with Hector, Allen unleashed a furious barrage of spear thrusts, trying his hardest to skewer the older warrior. Yet every attack only fueled his frustration, because Hector casually dodged and countered each blow as if he were swatting lazily at a fly.
Allen paused, panting and sweating, trying to catch his breath. Hector smirked and said in a teasing tone, "Don't stop now, kid. You're making such a nice breeze."
Allen growled through gritted teeth. "Would you take this seriously?!"
Hector chuckled, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "You don't want me to be serious."
"Oh yeah? Why not?" Allen snapped, lunging forward for another stab.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock. A violent burst of burning pain roared through his side. He looked down to find Hector's spear already slicing cleanly through his body. When Allen looked back up, Hector's relaxed face had vanished… replaced with a cold, merciless indifference.
"Because you'll die. That's why."
With a sharp yank, Hector pulled the spear free, spun it around with frightening speed, and struck Allen upside the head with the shaft. The brutal crack knocked him out cold, his body collapsing limp onto the arena floor.
Satisfied the fight was over, Hector raised his hand and called out, "Boss! I'm done. Bring me into the stands. I need a smoke."
A flash of light whisked him away, just like Mordred before him.
----
Up in the stands, Mordred, who had been trying her best to eat in peace, was surrounded on all sides by excited young demigods.
A boy from the Ares cabin shouted, eyes shining with awe, "That was so awesome! How'd you get so strong?"
A girl from the Aphrodite cabin leaned in with a dazzling smile. "You're so pretty! How do you keep your skin so flawless?"
A boy from the Hephaestus cabin pointed eagerly at her sword. "That sword is amazing! Who forged it, and how?"
Mordred felt her stomach twist with panic. All of their energy and praise crashed into her like a tidal wave. For once in her life, she was completely speechless, desperately scanning for a way out.
Suddenly, someone shouted from the crowd, "Oh my gods, look over there! It's Hector!"
Like a flock of hungry birds, the mob instantly turned and sprinted after him. Mordred slumped with a deep sigh of relief.
Clarisse walked up with a smirk, crossing her arms. "Glad that worked. Bunch of vultures."
Mordred looked up at her, grateful. "Thanks. You're Clarisse, right? I was backstage when you fought the Amazon chick. Not bad."
Clarisse rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Eh, it was nothing. I was hoping to settle it with brute strength or skill, but it didn't pan out that way."
Thalia approached, boots tapping against the stone. "There's always next time." She flashed a grin. "Nice to meet you, Mordred. I'm Thalia, daughter of Zeus."
Mordred raised a brow, looking at her with sympathy. "Oh man, that's gotta suck."
"You have no idea," Thalia groaned. "I was about to be torn apart by monsters once, and instead of saving me, the jackass turned me into a tree and left me there."
"What an asshole," Mordred snorted. "At least my father only stabbed me to death."
Clarisse blinked and huffed a laugh. "And suddenly I'm glad my dad's only a jerk. My mom's cool, though."
Thalia rolled her eyes at the sky. "Mine's a drunk, failed actress who agreed to let Hera take my baby brother in exchange for not killing one of us."
"Oh, I've got you beat," Mordred said with a dark little chuckle. "My mom's an evil witch that raised me to be a weapon against my father and treated me like an object my whole life."
Clarisse grimaced. "Maybe we should talk about something else."
Mordred shrugged lightly. "I've got a lot of modern knowledge thanks to the boss, but I don't know about the smaller things… like how food has progressed in the last thousand or so years."
Thalia lit up with a smile. "Ever had a cheeseburger?"
"Nope, but it sounds tasty," Mordred replied, intrigued.
"Oh, you and I are gonna be great friends," Thalia said with a laugh.
The three girls took off toward another food stall, spirits lifted.
---
Back in the arena, a tired Ryuu stared at the calm and undamaged old man before her. Her chest rose and fell with each strained breath. "How are you so fast? And why have you not attacked yet?" she demanded.
Li Shuwen stood with his hands behind his back, expression unreadable. "Because the moment I do, this fight will be over," he said calmly. "I need only one strike to defeat my opponent. Thus far, I have let you attack because I was interested in seeing what fighters from another world can do. You did not disappoint. But you are still not my match."
In a blur that the eye could barely register, he vanished. When he reappeared, he struck Ryuu in the stomach with a single palm thrust. In an instant, she crumpled to the ground, unconscious, her weapon clattering beside her.
Everyone in the stands went silent, staring in stunned awe.
Ganesha was the first to recover. He hopped into the arena and marched to the center before loudly announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this tournament is Lord Tet!"
The demigods erupted into cheers, celebrating fiercely, while the residents of Orario looked around nervously, unsure what this meant for their future.
Tet teleported into the arena, appearing beside Ganesha. He held out his hand, and Ganesha politely handed him the microphone.
Tet grinned. "For those of you who are panicking, don't worry. This doesn't mean much is going to change. The familia system will remain, and adventurers may still explore the dungeon."
His tone shifted to excitement. "That being said, a friend of mine and I are about to remodel the dungeon a bit. We're going to be adding new monsters, rest areas, treasure, and lots of other fun. So look forward to it! But stay out for a week. That's how long it'll take us to finish."
He spread his arms wide. "Anyway! To celebrate, I'll be hosting a week-long festival in Orario! That means free food, games, and other attractions! Well, that's all from me. See you later!"
With a final cheerful wave, Tet teleported out of the arena along with Li Shuwen.
----
Back in the V.I.P. box, Tet let out a tired sigh, shoulders slumping. "Finally, that's over."
Apollo leaned back in his seat with a grin. "Yeah. Thanks for throwing a festival, by the way. It'll be a great opportunity for me to try and get some familia members."
Tet snapped his fingers like he just remembered something. "Oh yeah. Better do that real quick."
A brilliant flash of magic spread across Orario. In an instant, food and game stalls appeared all over the city. Festive decorations wrapped around streetlights and buildings like colorful ribbons. Illusionary confetti drifted from the sky, melting away before it touched the ground. A petting zoo popped into existence in the square. A movie theater rose from nothing in an empty space downtown, and beside it, a full amusement park shimmered into place. Every attraction gleamed with magic. Everything was free.
The once nervous citizens stared in disbelief at the sudden transformation. Then excitement took over and they rushed out into the streets in droves to explore.
Tet turned to Rimuru with a cheerful nod. "Obviously, you and Milim are welcome to stay for the festival. I can send you back whenever."
Rimuru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe after I go back and get some of my people. They're probably freaking out wondering where I am right now."
Tet waved casually. "That's cool. What about you, Milim?"
Milim jabbed a thumb toward Apollo with a fierce grin. "Blondie owes me a fight."
Apollo choked on his own breath. "Wait, you were serious? Okay... damn. We'll do it later, I promise. But for now, I need to start rebuilding my familia. My other self really did a lot of damage to his reputation, and by extension, mine. So I've got a lot to do."
Artemis stepped forward, cool and composed. "I will bring some of my hunters by to enjoy the festivities."
Tet raised an eyebrow, concerned. "You sure they can handle being around that many men?"
Artemis brushed off the worry with a flick of her hand. "Ever since we liberated the Black Bullet world, they've been around men quite often. They've grown used to it and will be fine."
Hestia smiled warmly. "I'm proud of you, Artemis. You've grown."
Artemis sighed, cheeks slightly pink. "Yes, well... don't expect me to go further than tolerate them anytime soon."
Tet glanced over to Ramiris and pointed. "Hang with Apollo for a few days and enjoy the festival. I fibbed when I said it would take us a week. We can actually do it in a day or two."
Ramiris snapped a salute. "Yes sir!" And under her breath, whispering with a tiny grin, "Best boss ever."
She fluttered down and landed on Apollo's shoulder. Apollo started walking out, only to notice Milim trailing right behind him and Kunou quietly holding his hand. He stared at them with a deadpan expression. "Oh great. I'm babysitting." He let out a long suffering sigh and continued out the door.
Finally, Tet turned to Chiron, who had been waiting patiently nearby. "Do you want to take all the children to enjoy the festival here, or should I make one at camp?"
Chiron thoughtfully rubbed his beard. "I'll let them have some fun here for the time being."
"Alright," Tet replied with a nod. "I'll set something up for them back at camp for the rest of the week. Also, I need you available on Friday so you can meet some new hires for the camp."
Chiron blinked in surprise. "New hires?"
"Yes," Tet said, his tone firm but reassuring. "You have many charges to look after, so I'm going to be replacing Dionysus and sending you some assistants. So far, you have a former Valkyrie and an experienced monster hunter."
Chiron smiled in relief, shoulders relaxing. "That's a load off my mind. I've already been informed by Lord Apollo and Hermes that I will still be needed, so the extra help is welcome."
Tet continued confidently, "I'll also be adding cabins for the minor gods and new facilities. But that's after I deal with Kronos and his little rebellion. The minor gods will be punished, but not harshly."
Chiron bowed deeply. "By your will, Lord Tet." He trotted out with renewed purpose.
At last, Tet turned toward Hestia with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, dear. Shall we go now?"
Hestia happily linked her arm with his, leaning close. "Yes. Let's."
(Authors Note: Yeah my bad I couldn't visualize anything other than a one sided beat down even the weakest heroic spirit is kind of op)