Chapter 213
"Sage Art: Daytime Tiger!"
Kiriya drove his fist forward, releasing a devastating cannon of compressed air.
The pressure condensed to its absolute limit and took the shape of a colossal white tiger in midair.
For one terrible instant, it seemed as though the entire world had been drained of color.
"ROOOAR!"
The white tiger’s roar shook the battlefield.
Its primal pressure carried through the Divine Mirrors, sending shudders through spectators all across Orario.
Opening the Seventh Gate alone had already granted Kiriya horrifying strength.
With Sage Mode amplifying it further, the power of this attack surpassed anything most people could comprehend.
"The King can withstand that... right?"
For the first time, the audience found themselves worrying about Ottar.
Freya abruptly rose from her seat, her eyes locked upon the Divine Mirror as though afraid she might miss even the smallest detail.
Hestia did the same, though her reaction was entirely different.
Her face lit up with delight.
’My Kiriya is incredible!’
...
On the battlefield, directly opposite Kiriya—
"Hildis Vini."
At the exact moment Kiriya released his earth-shaking punch, Ottar completed his chant.
He raised the Supreme Black Sword and brought it down with everything he possessed.
"Afterglow!"
A majestic golden slash erupted from the blade, so overwhelming that it appeared capable of dividing heaven and earth in two.
On one side, a divine beast from legend descended to crush everything beneath its claws.
On the other, a golden blade tore through the darkness like the dawn itself.
Less than a tenth of a second later, the slash and the white tiger collided.
BOOOOOOM!
The resulting explosion sounded like a falling star striking the earth.
Everyone watching through the Divine Mirrors instinctively covered their ears and cried out.
Their hearing was not the only sense rendered useless.
The instant the attacks collided, golden and white light intertwined, tearing against one another with such brilliance that most spectators were temporarily blinded.
Only a small number of high-level adventurers could force themselves to continue watching.
The shock wave produced by the collision created a hurricane that raced outward in every direction.
Everything on the ground was swept away.
Even the top layer of earth was ripped loose and carried into the storm.
Fortunately, Kiriya and Ottar had consciously moved away from the ruined fortress during their battle.
Had they remained near it, the aftermath alone would have wiped out the surviving members of the Freya Familia.
If that happened, Orario would have lost a major portion of its military strength in a single day.
Royman would probably have collapsed from despair.
The earth continued shaking violently.
The tremors were so powerful that residents inside Orario, more than ten kilometers away, could feel the city swaying beneath their feet.
Only then did the public truly understand the destructive power of the two combatants.
Had this clash occurred within Orario itself, several districts might have vanished in an instant.
The collision continued for more than ten seconds before the vast energy finally began to fade.
...
"Th-This..."
Ryu forced herself up from the ground.
Ignoring the pain running through her body, she looked toward the center of the battlefield.
Then she froze.
A gigantic chasm had been carved into the earth.
It began only several meters wide, but farther ahead it expanded to several dozen meters. Its total length approached a full kilometer.
"Can humans... truly do something like this?"
Ryu’s mind went blank.
The scale of the destruction overwhelmed even her understanding.
She was not alone.
Gods and mortals alike stood before the Divine Mirrors with their mouths open, unable to speak.
"An attack of that level..."
Someone finally managed to whisper.
"Is he really Level 4?"
"Level 4? Are you joking?"
Another spectator immediately objected.
"With that much power, you could call him Level 8 and I wouldn’t argue. Maybe even Level 9!"
"Wait—where’s Ottar?"
Inside the tavern, a shirtless, one-eyed adventurer suddenly shouted.
"Don’t tell me he was killed!"
The crowd snapped out of its daze and began desperately searching the image.
"I found him!"
A young adventurer, barely in his teens, pointed toward the Divine Mirror.
"There!"
Everyone followed his finger.
At the bottom of the enormous chasm lay Ottar.
His body was in horrific condition.
Several parts had been crushed inward or flattened by the impact.
The Supreme Black Sword, the weapon that had remained at his side through countless battles, had snapped in half.
The sight revealed just how brutal the collision had been.
"..."
The audience fell silent.
Ottar—the strongest adventurer in Orario, the monster who stood at the summit of all others—had been reduced to such a terrible state.
A deep sense of awe began spreading toward the young man who still stood above him.
"The winner is the Hestia Familia!"
The announcer’s voice echoed through every communication device in Orario.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
The city erupted.
Countless people cheered for the extraordinary battle they had witnessed and celebrated the birth of a new strongest adventurer.
Of course, where some celebrated, others fell into despair.
The gamblers who had wagered on the Freya Familia winning—or on Kiriya lasting only a few minutes—looked as though they had lost everything.
Because of the greatest upset Orario had ever seen, many of them truly had.
Freya’s admirers were equally devastated.
The thought of their beloved goddess being forced to obey Kiriya’s every command brought tears to their eyes.
Some looked ready to charge onto the battlefield and drag him into mutual destruction.
Yet while her followers raged, Freya herself remained perfectly calm.
A captivating smile even appeared on her face.
"My, my."
She brushed a strand of silver-gray hair behind one ear.
"Hestia, it seems I’ll be your subordinate from now on."
Her voice was lazy and inviting.
"I look forward to working with you."
Her composed, almost eager expression wounded the hearts of countless male gods.
Much of their excitement at witnessing a legend being born disappeared immediately.
Hestia stared at her.
’Wait.’
’Did I just invite a wolf into my house?’
Freya was a beautiful goddess who would willingly open her arms, lower her voice, and use every method available to tempt Kiriya!
What young man could possibly endure that for long?
Hestia knew better than anyone how aggressive Kiriya could be when it came to women.
Add the irresistible appeal of "conquering the Goddess of Beauty," and he might lose all restraint.
Hestia did not necessarily object to sharing a little, especially when circumstances demanded it.
But she absolutely refused to share with Freya!
If that woman entered their relationship, she might devour the entire meal and leave Hestia without even a drop of soup.
For the sake of her future happiness, Hestia’s mind raced.
Then an excellent idea came to her.
"Ahem. Freya."
Hestia placed one hand on her hip.
"You said that you and every member of your Familia would become our subordinates and obey our commands, correct?"
"Yes."
Freya nodded lightly.
"Good."
Hestia pointed directly at her.
"Then I’ll give you your first order."
"From now on, you will remain inside your room in Babel Tower."
"You are forbidden from coming within one hundred meters of Kiriya."
Freya paused.
"Are you serious?"
"Completely."
Hestia nodded firmly.
"Although, if you dislike that command, I can replace it with another."
Her smile became dangerously sweet.
"You could leave Orario and never set foot inside the city again for the rest of your life."
Freya showed no surprise.
Hestia’s response was exactly what she had expected.
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