Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight: Wryyyyyyyyyyy!

How can you call yourself a supreme deity like this?

Bell angrily shook off Hermes's grip and pointed straight at Apollo's nose.

It was already ridiculous enough to force a hero to fight without using a Falna, but to make Hestia, who had only a single member in her Familia, go to war in a War Game against Apollo’s massive Familia—

Bell, I am touched that you would stand up for me, but I never said I was going to refuse.

Roland looked indifferently toward Apollo.

The chance to openly and righteously hold the power of life and death over the defeated is quite a rare one, after all.

Meeting Roland's incomparably chilling crimson pupils, Apollo subconsciously felt a chill strike his heart, but his shock quickly turned into rage born of wounded pride.

Why should he fear a human?

Although deities were forbidden from using their divine power due to the heavenly laws, they still possessed divine might. Ordinary humans shouldn't even be able to harbor the thought of harming a deity in the presence of that majesty, let alone put it into action.

Even the Dark Faction, which had wreaked such havoc previously, had never caused any true casualties among the gods. Once a deity suffered a fatal wound, their divine power would automatically activate, sending them straight back to Heaven.

To the gods, the Lower World was merely a game, yet he had actually felt fear toward a human?

Laughing in his fury, Apollo glared at Roland. In that case, are you accepting? Don't say I'm being unfair—you choose the time and the place, and the Apollo Familia will accompany you to the very end.

You've all already got your equipment on anyway, why bother putting on such a hypocritical act?

A mocking smile hung on Roland's face, the curve of his lips growing ever wider.

The next instant, a crimson streak of light suddenly burst from his fingertip, piercing swiftly through the air and striking right in front of the Familia members gathered beside Apollo.

Boom!

Though it was merely a small beam of light, it erupted with unimaginable destructive power. The explosion directly shattered their formation, leaving the golden bow-and-sun emblems on those adventurers' armor covered in soot and dust.

A few were even blasted directly into the air, crashing into the surrounding long tables. Though they had only been caught in the shockwave, flames gradually engulfed the entire tables the moment they slammed into them.

Several gods standing nearby were almost caught in the blast, but not a single person panicked. Instead, the atmosphere of the entire venue leaped instantly from a dead silence. The deities, who had moments before appeared elegant and detached, were pulled backward by their own Familia members while letting out fanatical, exhilarating cheers like bloodthirsty spectators in an arena.

It's here! It's here! At a time that decides the fate of the world, a War Game is the only way to settle it!

This is so intense!

How thrilling, how exciting! Without needing a magic mirror for broadcast, it's rare to witness a close-quarters War Game with our own eyes, and a hero soloing an entire Familia at that!

Even if we die watching this, it's worth the price of admission!

Without using a Falna, without chanting an incantation, Roland demonstrated his might through the most direct of actions.

The smile on Apollo's face froze instantly, then slowly vanished.

But smiles do not disappear; they merely transfer. The corners of Roland's mouth lifted slightly as he stepped onto an Apollo Familia adventurer who had been blasted right in front of him, speaking in an imposing tone.

The rules are simple. As long as one side completely loses the capacity to fight, the other wins. Consider that last little trick my declaration of war.

You...

Hyacinthus, who had just worn a triumphant smile, had his expression instantly twist. He cast a wary glance at Roland, feeling the numbness still lingering in the arm he had used to block the recent explosion. The sense of impending danger in his heart grew stronger by the second.

Yet at this point, he was riding a tiger and could not dismount.

With so many gods and level-headed first-class adventurers present as spectators, the opponent couldn't possibly be cheating with a Falna. Could he really have leveled up to Level 3?

Even so, it mattered little. A Roland who had just reached Level 3 and lost his Falna could possess only so much power, right? He had merely taken advantage of the moment and seized the initiative with an unknown magic.

Hyacinthus looked at Roland with eyes filled with hostility, mixed with a hint of malice and a sliver of lingering jealousy.

The moment this fellow arrived in Orario, he stole all the glory, and even made his beloved god completely infatuated with him. Unforgivable!

He had merely had a bit of luck and gained the favor of a spirit. Today, he would make this so-called hero understand that even among Level 3 adventurers, once stripped of their Falna, there were still chasms of difference!

He isn't wearing any equipment; he's just utilizing some special magic! We are fully geared up! Buy me time to cast my magic—charge him, all of you!

Ooooh!

Following Hyacinthus's command, the adventurers surrounding him raised their weapons high. As if preplanned, they rushed straight toward Roland, who stood alone in the center of the cleared-out hall.

Roland leisurely met their charge.

The first wave of offense broke out instantly. The adventurers rushing at the forefront raised their weapons against the unarmed Roland and brought them down with all their might.

Yet before anyone could even catch Roland's movement, they were sent flying in unison. A horrifying, gaping hole pierced the chest of every single one of them, and it was clear they were beyond saving. Even more terrifying was that though there were no flames on their corpses as they tumbled backward through the air, they were steadily turning into ash and drifting away.

This spectacle left even Ais, standing far off at the edge of the venue, with a look of puzzlement.

Even when facing Revis before, Roland had never displayed such blinding sword speed.

Ottar, standing beside Freya as Orario's strongest Level 7 adventurer, could not help but frown at that moment.

Such incredible speed...

He hadn't even managed to see how Roland had struck, and those low-level adventurers had already been punched straight through the chest.

In the face of such a bloody and bizarre scene, the adventurers standing behind Hyacinthus—those meant to follow the first wave and launch a secondary assault using human-wave tactics—came to an abrupt halt. They huddled together in terror, not daring to cross the invisible line by even a single step.

Hyacinthus froze completely. His pupils constricted, and ignoring the carnage before him, he whipped out the peculiar flamberge at his waist and began chanting a spell.

As the instigators who had deliberately picked a fight, they had come prepared. The Apollo Familia had amassed quite a fortune during the recent disaster, and this precious magic sword was one of those treasures.

The magic released through it would not only surpass his own in sheer power, but its properties would also harmonize with his own magic, exponentially multiplying its might. As long as he could successfully cast the spell, everything would turn around!

Hyacinthus chanted the incantation in a trembling voice.

I am named Love, the darling of light. This body is offered to my sun!...

Faster, it had to be faster!

The agonizing cries of his companions ahead grew more and more painful.

Fall back! Everyone fall back, this guy's a monster!

Hyacinthus raised his arm, causing a ring of light to take form above him.

Execute the Fire Wheel's Throw! Come, Western Wind!

Whoosh!

The screams of his companions ahead grew fainter, almost inaudible now, replaced solely by the sound of flesh being torn apart amidst screeching gales and the sound of approaching footsteps.

Hyacinthus stared fixedly at his own toes, watching the pool of blood slowly creep into his peripheral vision. He thrust the magic sword in his hand directly into the ring of light, gathering raging flames above the hoop until it blazed as brilliantly as a solar chariot.

It was complete!

Though countless sacrifices had been made, it wouldn't be in vain. Hyacinthus lifted his head in pleasant surprise and uttered the true name of his spell.

Ring of Zephyrus...

His voice cut off abruptly as he looked at Roland, who was standing right in front of him, letting out a yawn.

So slow. Are you casting some kind of Noble Phantasm over there? To think I actually wanted to see what kind of ultimate move you prepared. Defeating even a Level 5 with that kind of power would require sheer luck.

Then, it's your turn.

He hadn't heard a single sound. Despite the surroundings being flooded with blood, Hyacinthus hadn't even seen a single stain on Roland's shoes. How had he gotten over here?

Looking at the nonchalant Roland, Hyacinthus felt his heart fill with a turbulent storm of thoughts and a sense of profound desolation.

You'll do no such thing! Even if it costs me my life, I'll kill you!

He abruptly clenched his fists, abandoning the structured form of his spell to release pure, unadulterated energy directly!

Roland! Bury yourself in the flames together with me!

Amidst the excited and shocked expressions of the gods, a glaring flash of fire suddenly bloomed, centering directly on Hyacinthus and Roland, leaving no time or chance for evasion.

Watch out!

Seeing the sudden burst of fire, the temporary spectators among the adventurers instinctively stepped in front of the gods to shield them. Illuminated by the scorching glare, fragments of shattered light-wheels could be faintly discerned within the crimson flames.

Intertwining with the fire, they scattered indiscriminately in all directions. The fastest-moving ones pierced clean through the solid floor and walls of Babel.

Then, just as the flames were about to scorch Roland, everything suddenly froze as if trapped in amber. Following that, the stray tongues of fire seemed to gain a will of their own, surging toward Roland's open palm and condensing into a tiny spark.

Under Roland's calm and profound gaze, the spark expanded continuously, transforming into a self-rotating, viscous liquid sphere with a texture resembling magma—much like a miniature sun.

Roland, standing inches away from the explosion, didn't even have a trace of a burn, and his clothes weren't the least bit disheveled.

Playing with fire in front of me?

Wearing an expression that hovered between mockery and pity, he looked at Hyacinthus before him.

Got any other tricks up your sleeve?

Clearly the enemy was right in front of him, yet besides breaking out in a cold sweat, Hyacinthus couldn't even draw his sword, completely paralyzed and unable to make a single move.

As if reading the answer from his expression, Roland shook his head, looking utterly bored.

How uninteresting...

With that, amidst the dumbfounded expressions of Hestia, Loki, and the others, he casually tossed the fireball into his mouth and swallowed it down with a gulp of his throat!

Hyacinthus was struck by absolute terror. This was magic power capable of matching a Level 5 adventurer, and even surpassing them in lethality. If it had fully erupted, it would have blasted straight through this level of Babel.

Yet Roland had swallowed such terrifying power directly, showing no adverse effects whatsoever, save for his complexion growing slightly rosier as he exhaled a breath of scorching air accompanied by a satisfied murmur.

Wryyyyyyyyyy...

As if still unsatisfied, he licked his lips, glancing at Hyacinthus and the dense crowd huddled behind him like shoppers crowding a convenience store during a sale, and frowned slightly.

Killing them one by one is a bit troublesome. Oh well, let's just finish this quickly.

Roland mused for a moment, his fingers gently brushing across his eyes.

The next instant, brilliant golden lightning slowly swirled within them.

That was not a mere figure of speech, but a literal fact.

At this moment, what flowed within Roland's eyes was a concentrated, unyielding golden lightning tinged with a faint crimson hue, visible to any ordinary person.

The light slowly expanded from Roland's eyes, swirling endlessly!

Faced with this terrifying sight, Hyacinthus's legs completely gave out. How could he possibly dare to meet the gaze of pupils that resembled those of a heavenly deity?

The adventurers behind him, as if realizing something, bolted frantically toward the stairs in the rear.

Yet all of this was in vain.

Showing no intention of stopping them, Roland wore a ferocious grin.

Die!

Blinding lightning erupted at the speed of light from his dual eyes.

Ah—!

Please spare me...

Amidst a flurry of intense screams, the beam of light was briefly impeded by human flesh before piercing cleanly through the entire crowd like a sharp blade, punching straight through the wall of Babel and leaving a streak of light in the night sky resembling a shooting star.

Hahahaha—!

As if he had long wanted to try doing this, Roland laughed maniacally. Though his eyes were completely obscured by lightning, he accurately locked onto every fleeing individual and ruthlessly slaughtered them.

Neither sharp swords, heavy armor, nor sturdy shields could block the light emanating from his eyes.

Brick walls and forged metal were equally fragile, their very wounds instantly charred into ash by the scorching heat.

Before long, save for two girls who obediently knelt on the ground with their hands raised high, having tossed the emblems belonging to the Apollo Familia at their feet, nothing remained before Roland except a scattering of charred, severed corpses.

And on the corpse right in front of Roland, the ferocious expression remained frozen, capturing the lingering panic and terror of facing that gaze head-on.

With lightning still flickering within his eyes, Roland slowly scanned the entire hall, asking in an icy tone.

Now, regarding the plan for the Grand Expedition—who supports it, and who opposes it?

Following a brief silence, a wave of excitement and hush swept through the room.

The adventurers were silent; the gods were ecstatic. It was unclear who started it, but applause began to ripple outward, spreading like wildfire.

The Hero of the Sword!

Our hero has been born!

Amidst the roaring cheers, the corners of his mouth curled upward into a pleased arc.

Although there might have been an act put on at the beginning, by now, the title of hero seemed to have truly become fused with his very existence.

Amidst the thunderous applause, the lightning in Roland's eyes gradually faded. Raising his fist high into the air as if celebrating a victory, he declared:

Indeed, only I—

—am the true hero!