A loud explosion shattered the giant rock formations in a barren canyon located dozens of kilometers outside the walls of Orario. Thick dust billowed into the air, followed by a strong gust of wind that split the dust cloud in two.
In the middle of that canyon, Zald stood casually with his Grattor sword planted in the ground. The large man merely smiled faintly, looking at the two elf figures panting a dozen meters in front of him.
"You're focusing too much on magic synchronization, Dina, Vena," Zald's baritone voice echoed between the rocky cliffs. "In the mass battlefield later, dozens of Orario mages will bombard you simultaneously. If you only rely on the wind to dodge and fight, you will definitely run out of stamina first."
Dina wiped the sweat from her forehead, her breathing heavy. Beside her, Vena lowered her slightly trembling hand, letting the razor-sharp wind blades from her Anemo Calyx fade and dissolve back into the air. Two weeks before the Orariopiad festival began, the Barbatos Familia didn't just sit idly waiting. Dina and Vena were the ones most aware of their power gap.
Even though they had reached Level 4 and possessed the anomaly of the Anemo Calyx, their opponents later would be tens of thousands of Orario adventurers. Added to the official news that Ottar and Leon Vardenburg had now reached Level 8, Dina and Vena knew they would become a burden if they didn't hone their fighting instincts. Therefore, they begged Zald to train them in the wild.
"We understand, Lord Zald," Dina said softly yet full of resolve. The white elf's eyes radiated a sharp seriousness. "We have no intention of becoming weak points that will disgrace Lord Venti's name."
Vena nodded in agreement, recalling the wind vortex around her hands. "One more round. We won't stop until we can withstand at least one full-power swing of your sword without being blown away."
Seeing the determination in the eyes of the two elves before him, Zald let out a hoarse laugh. He pulled his greatsword from the ground. "Good. If that's your resolve, get ready. This time, I won't hold back my sword slash."
While Zald trained the elves outside the city, a terror of a much quieter scale was lurking inside the walls of Orario.
In a luxurious room at the Hermes Familia headquarters, God Hermes sat stiffly in his office chair. Cold sweat the size of corn kernels rolled down from his temples. Before him, Alfia stood with an expression as cold as an eternal glacier. The air inside the room felt incredibly dense, as if the oxygen had just been forcibly sucked out.
"I won't repeat my question, Hermes," Alfia said, her voice very soft yet carrying a killing intent that made Hermes's divine instincts scream. "Where is that perverted old geezer hiding?"
Hermes swallowed hard. Alfia was looking for Zeus. After hearing various stories from Bell about the teachings of "Romance is a man's privilege" and his grandfather's behavior in the village, Alfia had decided one thing: she had to beat up the former leader of her Familia alliance. And in Alfia's view, the god most likely to know Zeus's hiding place was Hermes, the messenger who always meddled.
"A-Alfia, calm down a bit," Hermes tried to smile, though his lips trembled. "Zeus... he's retired. He lives quietly in a remote village very far from here. You don't need to—"
A hairline crack appeared on the wall right behind Hermes's head, simply because Alfia narrowed her eyes.
"Map. Now," Alfia cut in coldly.
The next second, Hermes had already handed over a worn-out map scroll onto his desk with the speed of light. He had absolutely no intention of sacrificing his own life and returning to Tenkai to protect that perverted old geezer.
Taking the map, Alfia turned around without saying another word. Her black dress fluttered as she stepped out of the window, leaving Hermes, who could finally breathe a sigh of relief until he slumped from his chair.
Three days later, in a remote village surrounded by mountains and pine forests.
The village was very peaceful, far from the hustle and bustle of monsters and the ambitions of adventurers. In one corner of the village, behind thick bushes near a public bath, an old man with a long white beard was chuckling. His eyes peeked through the gaps in the leaves with intense concentration.
"Hehehe... A beautiful sight, truly beautiful. Romance truly never dies," Zeus muttered while rubbing his chin, enjoying his routine activity.
However, the air around him suddenly turned freezing cold. The rustling sound of leaves stopped, replaced by a highly unnatural silence.
"Those dirty eyes... are still the same as ever."
That incredibly cold and deadly woman's voice made the hairs on Zeus's neck stand on end. The old god froze. His immortal heart pounded hard because he knew that voice very, very well. Slowly, with a neck as stiff as a rusty machine, Zeus turned his head around.
Zeus's eyes widened until they nearly popped out of their sockets. His jaw dropped.
Standing tall there in an elegant black dress was Alfia. The woman's gray-green heterochromatic eyes stared at Zeus as if looking at the most disgusting insect in the world.
"A-A-Alfia?!" screamed Zeus, his voice shrieking, losing its dignity. "Wait! How can you be here?! Aren't you—"
BAM!
Without any pleasantries, without magic, and without any warning whatsoever, a fist coated in the pure power of a first-class adventurer landed squarely on the god's face. Zeus's body was sent flying through the bushes, rolling over and over on the rocky ground until he crashed into a giant oak tree.
"That's for all the perverted teachings you planted in my nephew's head," Alfia said in a sharp tone, stepping slowly toward the god who was groaning in pain.
What happened over the next ten minutes was a tragic sight too brutal for ordinary villagers to witness. Alfia beat her nephew's adoptive grandfather mercilessly. Of course, she held back her strength so as not to trigger a forced repatriation to Tenkai, but the physical pain she inflicted was absolutely real and total.
After she was satisfied releasing her anger, Alfia stood up and adjusted her gloves. Her breathing was steady, while below her, Zeus sat leaning against the tree trunk with a battered face, swollen eyes, and a white beard full of dirt.
"You... your punches are still as heavy as ever, Alfia," Zeus complained while wincing, holding his jaw.
Alfia threw a bottle of high-grade healing potion into Zeus's lap. The old god drank it greedily. His wounds slowly closed, although the lingering pain remained. Zeus looked at the woman before him with a complex gaze. He had already heard from Hermes through secret communication that the Alfia and Zald who appeared in Orario were versions from Another Timeline.
Silence enveloped them for a few moments, filled only by the sound of the wind sweeping the leaves.
Alfia turned her face slightly, looking toward the distant mountains. Her usually stiff face looked slightly softened.
"I know you are not the Zeus from my world," Alfia said softly, breaking the silence. Her tone was no longer as cold as before. "In my world, everything is just about to begin. But in this world... you took care of him. You raised Bell with your own two hands, gave him the affection I couldn't give in this Timeline, and protected him until he was ready."
Alfia turned back to look at Zeus, then bowed her head slightly, a very rare and nearly impossible gesture for the Silence.
"Thank you," Alfia said sincerely.
Zeus's eyes widened immensely. His beard trembled. The great god stared at the former Hera Familia executive with his mouth hanging open, as if he had just seen the sky fall or a black dragon lay a golden egg.
"You... you just said thank you?!" Zeus pointed at Alfia's face with a trembling hand. "The arrogant, cruel Alfia who hates everything... said thank you to me?! Is the world really coming to an end?!"
A fine vein popped on Alfia's forehead. Her murderous glare returned instantly. "Do I look like an ungrateful person, you old geezer?"
Seeing that glare, Zeus immediately laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Ahahaha... No, no. It's just... it feels so surreal. You have grown into an extraordinary woman, Alfia."
Alfia snorted softly. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a shiny round object—an Oculus—then threw it to Zeus. The god caught it deftly.
"An Oculus. What's the use of giving me this?" Zeus asked.
"It will connect with the Divine Mirror projection in Orario," Alfia explained. "Three days from now, the Orariopiad final will begin. I, Zald, and two other members of my family will fight the entirety of Orario on the Great Plains. I want you to watch it. See for yourself the stage where your grandson and his era will be tested."
Zeus looked at the Oculus, then back at Alfia. The god's expression slowly became serious. "After this battle is over... what will you guys do?"
"We will probably return to our timeline soon," Alfia answered calmly. "Our duty here was only to escort Bell. This world has its own history, and it's not our place to inhabit a future that isn't ours."
Alfia turned around, preparing to leave. But before stepping away, she looked over her shoulder.
"Go meet Bell someday," Alfia advised. "I've already told him you're still alive. After all, to that child, you are his grandfather and his family. Don't keep hiding like a coward."
Zeus smiled warmly, nodding his head slowly. "Of course. I will meet him when the time comes."
However, as Zeus's eyes traced Alfia's upright posture and light steps, the old god realized something very odd. There was no sound of a stifled cough. There was no aura of death that always shadowed the woman's body.
"Wait, Alfia," Zeus called out, his tone changing drastically to one full of astonishment. "Your illness... That curse in your body. You look very different from the Alfia I know. You're not suppressing it, are you?"
Alfia's steps halted. The corners of her lips curled upward into a very thin smile.
"You noticed, huh," Alfia said without turning around. She raised one hand, letting pure magic flow at her fingertips without the slightest pain tearing at her chest. "Yes. This illness... I am almost completely cured."
That statement hit Zeus like a divine thunderbolt in broad daylight.
The old god's eyes widened, staring at Alfia in absolute disbelief. During the era of the Zeus and Hera alliance, the only reason why Alfia was not considered the absolute strongest and still had limits was the illness eating away at her life. Alfia with her illness was already enough to destroy everything. A healthy Alfia? An Alfia with no limits of suffering in her body? That was the embodiment of an apocalypse with no weak points.
"You're... cured?" Zeus muttered, shuddering imagining the scale of power of his former ally. "You said the whole of Orario is challenging you on that stage? Hah... By the gods in Tenkai, I can't even fathom a scenario where the entirety of Orario could win against a healthy you."
Alfia didn't deny it. She just let the wind play with her silver hair.
"Which god managed to perform that impossible miracle, Alfia?" Zeus asked, his curiosity now peaking uncontrollably. "You mentioned a Familia name foreign to my ears. Which god do you follow now?"
"Barbatos," Alfia answered simply. "The Barbatos Familia."
Zeus repeated the name in his head. Barbatos, huh. In his entire life, he had never heard that name among the ranks of gods in Tenkai. Who was the entity that possessed the authority to pierce space and time, reweave destiny, and cure an illness that even all the best healers from his golden era had failed to cure?
The old god smiled faintly, tightly gripping the Oculus in his hand. He suddenly was looking forward to this crazy festival very much.
Three days later.
The Great Plains, the boundless open territory stretching east of Orario's walls, now no longer looked like an ordinary grassy field.
The territory had been transformed into a sea of humans. The roaring voices of tens of thousands of adventurers, the clanking of armor, and the clatter of weapons created an incredibly tense atmosphere, as if the earth itself was trembling in fear. Giant banners from various factions fluttered challenging the strong wind; the jester banner of the Loki Familia, the beauty goddess profile banner of the Freya Familia, the elephant mask of the Ganesha Familia, the two crossed hammers over a volcano of the Hephaestus Familia, down to the fire hearth of the Hestia Familia.
The entire combat force of Orario, without exception, had lined up their formations on the western side of the plains.
At the very front line (Vanguard), stood two absolute pillars that were the symbol of this era's defense. Ottar with his black greatsword, and Leon Vardenburg with his greatsword. The two of them radiated the pure pressure of Level 8 existences, an achievement earned through blood and sweat in the depths of the labyrinth. Behind them, Finn Deimne held his spear, arranging the formation of the Level 6 commanders and the mage ranks led by Riveria. Bell Cranel stood on the front flank alongside Ais Wallenstein, his eyes glaring sharply across the battlefield.
However, what made this sight so magnificent yet terrifying was what stood on the eastern side of the plains.
On that vast expanse of grass, directly facing tens of thousands of elite adventurers and an army that covered the horizon... there were only four people.
Zald stood in the middle with his Grattor sword casually resting on his shoulder. To his right, Alfia crossed her arms with a bored expression, her black dress fluttering softly. To his left, Dina and Vena smiled calmly without showing the slightest bit of fear toward the sea of enemies before them.
Four people against an entire era.
While the tension on the Great Plains had reached its boiling point, that epic scene was being watched by the entire remaining population of the city.
High above the city, on the 30th Floor of the Tower of Babel.
All the gods and goddesses of Orario gathered in a circle in the Denatus hall. In the middle of the room, a giant mirror floated—the Divine Mirror—projecting the situation on the Great Plains in real-time with crystal clear picture and sound quality.
God Hermes stood near the mirror, adjusting his magic projection with a wide smile.
"I am very grateful that Ouranos was kind enough," Hermes said cheerfully, looking at the gods who were sitting tensely watching the screen. "He gave me special permission to use a little Arcanum so this magic mirror can broadcast this view to every magic monitor in Orario's city centers. Today, the whole world will be a witness."
In the main leader's chair, Venti sat leaning back calmly. The black-haired youth with green-tipped braids rested his chin on his hand, holding a wine goblet in the other. His teal eyes stared at the mirror's reflection showing the four members of his familia facing a wall of humans.
The God of Wind raised his wine goblet into the air.
"Preparation time is over, gods of Orario," Venti said, his gentle voice echoing throughout the Babel hall, piercing the suffocating tension. He smiled, a mysterious smile that carried the promise of a massive storm.
"Let the battle begin."
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P - Gem_Blanks
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