Adam and his companions remained unaware of the events at the Denatus, isolated as they were in the midst of battle.
What they did know was simple: the War Game had ended in their complete victory.
The sight was beyond belief — unimaginable, incomprehensible — leaving everyone in a state of profound shock!
The world-shattering magic struck terror into their enemies and left an indelible mark on their allies' hearts. None who witnessed it would ever forget.
One man, one strike, and an entire city reduced to nothing.
"Well, it was nothing special, just so-so." Beatrice looked at Adam standing before her and said disapprovingly, "Hmph, if Betty had done it, it would have been even better than Adam."
Though her words were dismissive, the sweet smile playing at her lips betrayed her true feelings. She was clearly bursting with pride inside.
Beatrice was quite the tsundere — getting genuine praise from her was impossible.
"Hehehe... you call that just so-so?" Welf gestured at the ruined city and shouted, "That massive fireball! One hit! Just one hit and everything was destroyed! And you call that so-so?!"
Still reeling from shock, Beatrice's pretentious response had transformed him into an indignant critic.
"Hey kid, why are you so worked up?"
"How could anyone not be worked up at a sight ?!"
"Hmph, you're getting scared by something of this level? How provincial." Beatrice cast a dismissive glance at his excitement and added proudly, "Well, if I must say, if the rules didn't forbid it, you'd see Adam's true form."
To her, this display was merely trivial.
Rules — what Beatrice meant was the collective term for Divine Protection and Authority.
Indeed, Adam couldn't use these powers. Had he been able to, he could have produced an even grander, more spectacular display of force. But that was something beyond others' comprehension.
Not just Welf, but Bell and the others who had been watching from the sidelines turned curiously toward the Great Spirit who knew Adam best.
But Beatrice had no intention of explaining. As someone who despised idle chatter, she refused to ramble on about Adam's capabilities.
Such behavior would be beneath her dignity — an absolute non-starter.
Suddenly, the contract mark on Beatrice's hand began to glow, pulsing as if receiving a message. The onlookers watched with interest.
"Oh, we can teleport now." Beatrice glanced at the mark and addressed the group, "Adam's finished his business. Let's join him."
Before anyone could ask questions, she activated〘Teleportation Magic〙. In an instant, they materialized among ruins.
They found themselves in what was clearly the remains of the commander's hall.
Adam sat in the commander's chair while Hyakinthos — who should have occupied that seat — lay face-down on the ground.
What had transpired here?
Adam walked through the devastated city, using his 〔Perception〕skill to search for survivors in the rubble.
His〘Explosion Magic〙had been overwhelming — or perhaps the Apollo Family's adventurers were simply too weak. Either way, he detected no signs of life until he reached the commander's hall, where he found Hyakinthos barely clinging to life beneath the collapsed structure.
The discovery reminded Adam of Ouranos's earlier request to investigate the Apollo Family. He'd nearly overlooked this opportunity.
A series of fortunate circumstances had kept Hyakinthos alive: his Level 3 physical prowess, his position in a relatively protected corner, and Apollo's divine protection.
Of course, even death wouldn't have been an obstacle — Adam could have used〘Resurrection〙if needed.
Adam mended Hyakinthos's injuries, bringing him from death's door to mere unconsciousness.
After establishing an anchor point in the hall, he signaled Beatrice to bring the others.
A complex magic circle illuminated the hall's center. In a flash of light, Beatrice appeared with the group.
Bell looked at Hyakinthos lying on the ground and asked, "Adam, what's... going on?"
"I have some questions for him, so I had Beatrice bring you all here." Adam replied, "I hadn't planned on having an audience, but it doesn't matter."
He cast the magic again, awakening Hyakinthos.
"Where am I... it's you—?!"
The man lying on the ground slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing the group before him, his expression twisted as he attempted to rise in defiance.
His body wouldn't cooperate. Despite his struggles, he remained pinned to the ground.
"You bastards! Trash! How dare you do this to me! I'll kill you all!" Hyakinthos raged, hurling abuse with no awareness of his defeat. He showed no interest in reasonable dialogue.
Adam sighed in exasperation. He'd hoped to handle this civilly, but Hyakinthos had chosen otherwise. There was no point wasting more time.
"Beatrice, seal his divine consciousness. I have questions that need answers."
"Mm, alright." The Yin Spirit nodded and released her magic.
"What are you going to do?! What are you..."
As the magic enveloped him, Hyakinthos's struggles ceased. His eyes grew unfocused, his mouth slackened, and his expression turned vacant.
Adam asked directly, "Is there any connection between your family and the recently emerging Creatures?"
"No." Hyakinthos answered immediately.
This response wasn't what Adam had expected — it contradicted everything he'd assumed.
"No?! How can that be?" Adam couldn't believe it.
Ouranos had explicitly confirmed a connection between the Apollo Family and the Creatures.
Yet Hyakinthos, the family head himself, knew nothing. Something wasn't adding up.
Perhaps he needed a different approach.
"Have you heard the term 'Creature'?"
Adam's eyebrows shot up at this response.
"Zanis mentioned it once."
"He's the leader of the Soma Family." Welf interjected. His voice carried a bitter edge — this was the man who had forcibly taken Lily away.
"I see... so it was him, interesting." Adam licked his lips.
This would be perfect — he could settle both old grudges and new ones at once.
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