Chapter 142: Cross Push
She even suggested a one-on-one duel, implying that someone in Morgana's Familia could rival his familia ace, Hyakinthos Clio.
Still oblivious to the significant disparity between his Familia and Morgana's, Apollo desperately tried to organize his thoughts and choose the strategy with the best odds of victory.
"Since you're struggling so much to decide, why not leave it to fate and draw lots?" Sol suggested indifferently, propping his chin on his hand.
"Yes, yes, let's do that!"
"Stop whining, Apollo! Can you act like a man for once?"
Several mischievous gods echoed Sol's sentiment, their laughter filling the room.
For them, as long as the war game promised excitement, the details were trivial.
These guys sure talk big when it's not their Familia at stake, Apollo thought bitterly.
"Leave it to fate?" he muttered under his breath, ignoring their jabs. Easy for them to say—none of their children will be fighting.
Apollo pretended not to hear Sol's taunts, though he couldn't shake his growing unease.
In the original story, he had agreed to hold back against Hestia because he was confident of victory.
But now, things seemed far less certain.
"Fine, we'll draw lots—I don't have time to waste here with you people!" Morgana cut in with a sharp tone.
"I've made up my mind! Let's do a siege battle!" Apollo finally declared.
"Suit yourself. Are you attacking or defending?" Morgana asked.
"I'll defend. Within one day, you must capture a stronghold in the city and defeat the general, Hyakinthos Clio!"
"Do you take me for a fool? That setup is entirely in your favor," Morgana retorted, her eyes narrowing.
While she wasn't concerned about the one-day limit, she wasn't about to let Apollo dictate terms so easily.
After some negotiation, the rules were slightly adjusted:
The war game would still be a siege battle. Victory conditions remained the same—Morgana's Familia would need to capture three strongholds and defeat Hyakinthos Clio. However, the time limit was extended to three days.
To occupy a stronghold, Morgana's Familia needed to destroy it or plant their flag within it. Capturing the first stronghold would also require defeating Hyakinthos Clio directly.
On Apollo's side, the three strongholds and Hyakinthos' position were clearly marked on the battlefield. Hyakinthos would be confined to a designated area during the war game; leaving it would result in an automatic loss for the Apollo Familia.
Despite some reservations about the rules, Apollo had no choice but to agree, as Morgana refused to compromise further.
Under the watchful eyes of the gods, the agreement was finalized.
Once the time and terms of the war game were set, Apollo left the venue in haste.
He needed to prepare—fortify his castle, set traps, and bolster defenses around the three strongholds.
If he could delay Morgana's Familia for three days, even if he couldn't match their strength outright, he might still stand a chance.
——
For Orario, the announcement of a war game was a rare and thrilling event.
Over the next few days, the city buzzed with excitement. Conversations in every street and alley revolved around the upcoming clash between the Apollo and Morgana Familias.
In many places, betting on the outcome of the war game had already begun.
The mood in the Apollo Familia, however, was far from festive.
The main reason lay with their god, Apollo, who didn't seem particularly confident about the upcoming battle. His lack of enthusiasm naturally dampened the spirits of the adventurers under his banner.
Each day, they returned to the Familia compound with carts of supplies, tirelessly digging traps and fortifying their defenses.
Finally, the day of the war game arrived. The sky was a clear expanse, free of clouds, and a gentle breeze brought a refreshing coolness to the city.
It was, in every sense, a perfect day for war.
On Orario's central street, Ganesha and his Familia had set up a stage, preparing for a live broadcast of the event.
With Oraunos' permission, Hermes lifted the divine restrictions on his power, projecting numerous oval screens into the sky. These displayed a live feed of the Apollo Familia's stronghold.
"It's about to begin. Everything is in place," someone remarked.
Outside the city, all members of the Morgana Familia stood in formation, showing no intention of hiding their movements.
This bold strategy surprised everyone—no one had anticipated that Morgana's Familia would attempt such a direct assault on the Apollo Familia's walls.
There were no elaborate tactics; their plan appeared to rely on sheer overwhelming force to crush the opposition.
The only contingency in this strategy was Hyakinthos, Apollo's main general, who was restricted from leaving his designated position. This limitation ensured Morgana's Familia didn't need to worry about locating him during the battle.
"Fiora, take your group to the left stronghold. Vayne, handle the right. Sona and I will target the central stronghold. Once we've secured them, we'll regroup to face Hyakinthos. Any questions?"
"None. But let's make it interesting—the slowest one covers tonight's celebration banquet!" Fiora laughed lightly, showing no signs of pressure.
Her excitement was palpable. She could feel her blood boiling as Morgana's words before the battle echoed in her mind:
Build the glory of the Laurent Family with your own hands in this new world.
The thought almost made Fiora unsheathe her sword on the spot. Her pace quickened, determination lighting up her face.
"Let's move! Let's put them out of their misery," she said with growing anticipation.
On the other hand, Vayne was more composed, focusing on executing her tasks methodically.
Each group split off in their designated directions, and it didn't take long for the Apollo Familia's sentinels to notice them.
Despite being spotted, Sylas and the others made no attempt to conceal their actions.
Mages and archers stationed within the castle scrambled to prepare for the oncoming attack.
"Let's get this started," Sylas commanded calmly.
At his signal, several members of Morgana's Familia produced small metallic orbs from their pockets.
The Apollo Familia's adventurers, still positioned a good distance away, couldn't clearly discern what Sylas' group was doing.
But as the orbs were flung over the walls, someone in the ranks finally recognized them.
"Watch out! Bombs incoming!" a voice shouted in alarm.
——
[Note: Morgana and Kyle's Familia also include ordinary people from their world. Take Fiora, for example. As shown in the picture, her teammates are soldiers from her family. Additionally, Fiora is the youngest daughter of the noble Laurent family. ]