Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

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Inside the Hostess of Fertility, scenes from the Holy Grail War played on. The latest battle had just finished, but it was already being shown with the earlier fights.

"Is that Queen Hippolyta?"

"She's incredible!!"

A group of Amazons sat together, drinks in hand, watching Hippolyta charge across the battlefield on her warhorse. Horse and rider moved as one, and the women watched with awe, as if they had found a new goal to pursue.

What Amazon wouldn't want to challenge the legendary Hippolyta?

Even if the woman on the screen was just a Heroic Spirit from another world, they still dreamed of fighting her.

"I want to challenge her so badly!" Tiona Hiryute grabbed her head, unable to hold back her excitement. A powerful Amazon warrior from the past was right there. How could she sit still after seeing that?

"Give it a rest." Tione Hiryute reached over and knocked her on the head. "The whole Artemis Familia attacked her at once and still couldn't land a hit. She must be at least Level 6. And did you see how she rides? None of us could even catch up to her."

That was no exaggeration. Even on the recording, they could see Hippolyta using divine power and showing strength like a Level 6 Adventurer. The Artemis Familia had special boosts, but they still couldn't even scratch her.

August was the only one who could face her head-on.

"I never knew other worlds had so many strong people." Next to the Amazons, Ais Wallenstein watched with bright eyes.

Alcides, the famous hero from Greek myths. Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. The mysterious Assassin, strange types of Magecraft, and even vampires called Dead Apostles.

It was a lot to take in, but one thing mattered most to Ais.

They were all strong!!

The tavern was crowded inside and out. Everyone wanted to see the legendary heroes in action, and the scene of Gilgamesh and Enkidu using their Noble Phantasms against each other left the crowd speechless.

Warriors knew greatness when they saw it.

Ishtar started grinding her teeth as soon as Space Ishtar showed up on the screen. That woman had her name but looked nothing like her, and fought even more fiercely. If Ishtar remembered right, she was another world's version of the Goddess Ishtar.

Even so, fights between people that strong kept her glued to the screen.

"I'll take back what belongs to me," Ishtar muttered, already coming up with a new plan.

Hestia had shown everything her children did in another world, from their battles to their growth, right in front of Orario's Gods. The other deities could barely hide their envy. Who wouldn't want to show off their own children like that?

The Adventurers wanted to fight the legendary Heroic Spirits themselves, and the Gods wanted to find children who could do the same.

When everyone heard that the Artemis Familia got to visit Snowfield in person, the other Familias wanted to go even more. Requests to enter that world started pouring in.

Hestia had only just arrived at the tavern when a crowd of Gods surrounded her, pushing applications into her hands. She had nowhere to escape.

She had to fight the urge to curse at them as she turned down one request after another. Luckily, Takemikazuchi and Artemis stood by her as bodyguards. With two combat-focused deities there, the others behaved and lined up to hand in their applications.

"By the way, where's August?" Demeter asked with a grin. "Why isn't your precious child here? Usually, you two are always together, and you never stop talking about him."

"Oh, that?" Hestia glanced over. "He went home to rest. He spent the whole day fighting."

"..." She studied Demeter with narrowed eyes.

Was this troublesome goddess trying to steal her man? Demeter had been hanging around them a lot more than usual lately.

Ever since one of the Servants said she wanted to have August's children, Hestia had started looking at every woman nearby as a possible rival. She understood the women from other worlds, but she wouldn't rest easy until she found every threat here in Orario too.

"I see."

More than one of them had already imagined catching him alone. Given the chance, a few would have dragged him straight to bed without wasting time.

And the male Gods were even more relentless about trying to get their hands on him.

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Far away in his own world, August sneezed a few times while sitting over a steaming bowl of noodles.

"Damn, that Type-Moon world is no place for a human being..."

"Achoo! Achoo!"

Snowfield barely had any good places to eat. When August got hungry, he usually had to settle for snacks.

Commander James and the soldiers were even stricter. They only cooked at set times. If August missed a meal, the kitchen stayed closed, and he just had to wait until the next one.

He used up a lot of energy fighting in that world, so eating helped him regain his strength. The emergency military rations could replace what he lost, but they hardly counted as real food.

When he got back to his own world, August ended up near his home and spotted a small food truck.

He sat down, ordered a bowl—and started eating like he hadn't had a meal in days.

"Nothing beats the food back here." Eating good food in his own neighborhood was way better than putting up with whatever he could find in another world.

"Oh, August. You're back."

By now, everyone in the neighborhood knew about the unusual little household of August, Hestia, and Lili. Hestia had become especially well-known in the area. People noticed her beauty, but they liked her even more for the warmth and comfort she brought whenever she was around.

Because of her, August had gotten much closer to the local shopkeepers and neighbors.

"Sorry to trouble you—one more bowl," August called to the owner.

"Coming right up."

The middle-aged owner didn't mind serving him another bowl. He always had plenty of ingredients ready, and whenever this bottomless pit showed up, his sales for the day went way up.

"You haven't been eating well while you were away, have you?" The owner brought over another bowl, set it in front of August, and picked up the empty ones.

"Don't get me started..." August said with a sigh.

"Hahaha." The owner just figured August had been overseas and had only come back recently. It never crossed his mind that August might not be telling the truth.

August's name meant a lot in the neighborhood now. Everyone knew him as the doctor who worked in a special department at one of the country's top hospitals. Even more impressive, people said he could regrow severed fingers and even restore lost limbs.

No one could be sure they'd never lose an arm or a leg in an accident. If it ever happened, knowing August could help meant everything.

Even a small restaurant owner knew it was smart to keep a good relationship with someone like that.

The neighbors understood too, so they never talked openly about his abilities. As long as August lived here, anyone nearby who got badly hurt had a chance to recover.

"Still, August, you've changed a lot lately." The owner pulled up a chair and sat across from him. "There's something different about you now. You seem… grander, somehow."

The change in August was hard to miss. Something about him was different enough that people couldn't help but stare.

"Have I?" August touched his face. "Is it really that obvious?"

That didn't make sense to him. He thought he'd done a good job hiding the changes in himself.

"It is," the owner said with a laugh. "If I didn't already know you and your family, I'd wonder why someone your age makes me feel like I'm looking at my own parents."

"..." August froze.

"Is it really that noticeable? That can't be right."

A cold sweat started to run down his back.

What had happened to him? How could even the regular people around his home notice the change so easily?

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