The arena plaza—
The atmosphere around was tense and strained.
Guild staff deployed to manage the festival's operations were—
Moving in a noisy rush, stirring unease among the people.
In stark contrast to the cheers still echoing from the arena—
An undercurrent of anxiety and chaos continued to spread.
Members of the Ganesha Familia, armed and on alert, had scattered across the plaza.
Near the southern gate, several Guild staff stood in a circle, anxiously discussing something.
Passing by was Ais, who glanced curiously in their direction and approached.
"…Excuse me, could you tell me what's going on here?"
The Guild staff all turned suddenly, eyes widening the moment they saw her.
"A-Ais Wallenstein…?!"
They froze for a moment—
Then a male staffer snapped back to his senses and hurriedly explained the situation.
According to him—
Some of the monsters captured for the festival had escaped from the cages beneath the arena.
And now, they were scattered across the eastern district.
"We don't have enough manpower to subdue the monsters—please, we beg for your help…"
Hearing this, Ais found no reason to refuse.
She calmly grasped her Desperate Sword and whispered:
"[—Awaken (Tempest).]"
A swirling green wind immediately cloaked her body.
With a graceful leap—
The sound of rushing wind followed.
In an instant, she soared above the arena, her golden eyes surveying the entire district.
From this vantage point—the highest point nearby—
She could clearly see from East Main Street to the crisscrossing alleyways below.
"…Found them."
...
"ROOOOOAAAARRRR!"
With a leap at his feet, Raven Eltharion flashed like a phantom behind the Barbarian Warrior.
His sword technique, executed at sonic speed, carved countless slashes across the monster's body.
Until the final strike—
A silver flash gleamed in the air.
"MUUUAAAAAAHHHH—!"
The mutilated Barbarian Warrior let out a pitiful cry as blood gushed from its wounds.
And then—
Boom.
Its giant body crumbled into ash, leaving behind only a magic stone.
Against this rampaging bull—
Raven didn't even use Chaldao's finishing strikes. He'd purposely held back.
If he'd used the Gluttony sword style—
Forget just Orario, even Daedalus Street would've suffered a massive earthquake.
This supreme magic sword, worth 8.8 billion, cut through the Barbarian Warrior like a melon.
And so began the clash with monsters.
In that instant—
Cheers erupted from all around.
"Wooooah, wooow woow woooow!"
"That's the power of the Heavenly Feather Demon Lord?!"
"So strong!"
"He's amazing!"
"…"
These cheers came from the residents of Daedalus Street, who had been watching Raven battle.
In that moment—
Their pent-up excitement exploded.
No longer hiding inside their homes, they poked their heads out of windows and cheered aloud.
It was exactly because Raven had thought about the innocent civilians nearby—
That he hadn't gone all out with attack magic to instantly wipe out the monsters.
As the applause and cheers rang around them—
Hestia's face lit up with joy. She jumped straight into his arms.
"You were amazing, Raven-kun~~"
Raven held her steady with one arm and said,
"Let's go. It's not over yet."
"We're going to visit the mastermind."
Using his passive perception skill—
He had already locked onto a certain goddess watching him from a rooftop nearby.
He ignored the cheering residents.
With a light leap, the two of them landed atop the roof.
Not far away—
Stood a woman cloaked in a deep blue robe.
Her soft, pale skin shimmered like snow.
From under her hood spilled long, silver hair, and her red lips curled into a faint smile.
"…Freya."
"What's the meaning of this?"
Hestia narrowed her eyes.
With just a glance—
She saw through the woman's identity.
"Oh my, you figured it out?"
Still lingering at the scene, Freya let her silver hair catch the sunlight as it fluttered in the breeze.
The next second—
A small, lightning-fast figure instantly appeared in front of her, shielding her.
It was none other than the Goddess's Chariot—
Allen Fromel.
Holding a silver spear, his sharp gaze locked onto Raven like a blade.
"Well, since I've been caught, I'll just say it directly."
"Would you kindly give me your Raven?"
Freya's beautiful eyes stared directly at Raven, her words blunt and shameless.
Her enchantress eyes—capable of charming all beings—glimmered faintly with eerie silver light.
Hestia blinked in shock, but only for a moment.
"Are you joking? There's no way I'd ever agree to that."
Freya's bold request left Hestia furious, snapping back with a harsh refusal.
"You know, Hestia, I actually like you a lot."
"But I like your child even more."
Still smiling gracefully, Freya spoke with unnerving sweetness.
"So please, I don't want to get rough with you."
"Could you hand Raven over to me, Hestia?"
"No. I refuse."
The answer had been decided from the start.
"No matter what you say?"
"No matter what."
"Really?"
"Really."
Hestia's brows furrowed sharply, her voice firm.
"Raven-kun is my Familia—he's my beloved child. There's no way I'd ever give him to you."
This was Hestia's one and only reverse scale.
"I see. Then it can't be helped."
Freya's face suddenly turned emotionless.
"Let's play a War Game."
"Just like with Apollo—if I win, hand Raven over to me."
"If I lose, you can do as you please."
Hestia narrowed her eyes again.
"You think I'd agree to that?"
Let's not forget—
The Freya Familia was the strongest faction in Orario.
Their strength level was S-class—on a completely different scale compared to Apollo.
"There's no comparison."
Freya's voice turned icy.
But then Raven spoke up:
"Fine. I accept."
"Let's play your War Game."
"If I lose, I'll go with you. No conditions—I'll agree to anything, right?"
Freya seemed surprised, but then smiled.
"Oh my, I really do like men like you."
"Yes, that's right~"
Raven thought silently, then added:
"Give me one week. The Loki Familia is also planning to fight me."
"Oh?"
"Then how about I crush them first?"
Freya raised a brow, her tone light.
"No, what I'm saying is…"
"Since both of you are the strongest factions in the city—"
"Why not both of you fight me at once, in the same War Game?"
The implication was clear—
The Hestia Familia, in a one-on-many duel, would challenge both kings of Orario head-on.
---
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