As the bell signaling the start of the war game echoed through the ancient ruins, the atmosphere inside the fortress shifted. Unlike the festive mood in Orario, the Apollo Familia soldiers stationed in the stronghold felt their hearts tighten.
This war game, set as a siege battle, had a three-day time limit.
Though their opponent was just one man—a situation that could hardly be described as "outnumbered"—this man had single-handedly wiped out hundreds of beastmen and intimidated even Level 5 adventurers. He had once paralyzed Hyakinthos with just a glance.
Despite their numerical and positional advantages, the soldiers of the Apollo Familia couldn't ignore their enemy's overwhelming strength. The tension spread throughout the fortress, creating a heavy atmosphere.
However, the mood on the walls was starkly different—relaxed and even cheerful.
"There's no way he'd try to attack the fortress head-on, right?"
The archers stationed on the walls kept their eyes on the vast plains surrounding the fortress, chatting casually as they observed the empty landscape.
The plains in front of the fortress were almost devoid of cover. With decent eyesight, there was no way to miss any movement across the open field.
Moreover, none of them believed that Blake would foolishly approach the fortress head-on and begin a frontal assault. This certainty made their guard relatively light.
"He's definitely going to sneak into the fortress to attack the captain and steal the flag," one archer remarked.
"Exactly," another agreed.
"No one would try to take a fortress alone."
"Only an idiot would try something like that."
The archers of the Apollo Familia firmly believed this.
"Maybe he'll try to test the strength of the walls with magic first?"
"If he could use magic to breach the walls, he'd go for a direct assault."
Typically, the power and range of magic corresponded to the length of the incantation. Magic with devastating power required long and complex chants. Such spells could level a forest and might breach the fortress walls.
However, these powerful spells consumed vast amounts of mental energy, making the caster an easy target due to the noticeable magic fluctuations and prolonged chanting.
For that reason, archers believed that Blake wouldn't use magic to breach the walls—especially since his public level was only 1, far from what was needed for such feats.
This confidence left the archers feeling at ease.
The enemy wouldn't attack head-on. Instead, he would sneak into the fortress and aim for the flag.
What happened next would become a nightmare that haunted the Apollo Familia soldiers for the rest of their lives.
One of the archers, chatting casually with a colleague, glanced at the plains out of habit. He froze, his eyes widening in disbelief, and shouted, "Look over there!"
At his exclamation, every archer on the wall turned to look.
There, across the open plains in front of the fortress, a lone figure walked steadily toward them, his long coat flapping in the wind.
The archers, with their sharp eyesight, quickly recognized the figure: a silver-haired human.
There was no mistaking it—this was the lone warrior representing the Hestia Familia.
In full view of the archers, Blake strode forward, undeterred by the wind. He neither chanted any magic nor made any effort to hide. Calmly, he advanced.
As he raised his head slightly, his piercing blue eyes met the stunned gazes of the archers on the wall.
The sheer composure in his gaze sent shivers through the hearts of every Apollo Familia archer.
"Release—release the arrows!"
On the wall, the hysterical scream of an archer rang out.
Following that, all the archers, driven by an inexplicable fear, frantically raised their bows and aimed downward.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"
Two to three seconds later, a torrential rain of arrows poured down from the city walls, tracing nearly perfect parabolas in the air, enveloping the area where Blake was located.
Before him, the entire field of vision was shrouded by the overwhelming arrow rain.
However, Blake's expression didn't change in the slightest. It was as if he was planning to walk directly into the deluge of arrows, causing an uproar among the viewers in Orario.
In the next moment, facing the arrows, Blake continued his leisurely steps. Above him, however, appeared nearly a hundred sword auras, which, like a counterattack, intercepted the rain of arrows. Before everyone's stunned eyes, every single arrow was pierced through, leaving only a heap of shattered fragments on the ground.
At this moment, the spectators and gods watching through the screens were left speechless.
Some didn't understand this technique of Blake's, while others who did were equally shocked. Even so, witnessing his nonchalant stroll and the effortless neutralization of the enemy's attack without even lifting a finger left everyone in awe.
Was this supposed to be a crisis-laden war game or just a casual walk...?
That thought crossed the minds of most viewers and gods alike.
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