Chapter 21

As the dust clouds began to settle down slowly the crowd could begin to make out a humanoid figure.

"Analysis" A voice from within the center broke the silence followed by audible beeps.

While the normal people were straining their eyes to see what was happening, the gods could see perfectly.

Many of the gods were stunned, what they saw was a young boy, no older than 16 in a dark metallic looking suit with a large lightning bolt on his chest.

In one of his hands floated the magic crystal of the War Shadow that could no longer be seen. A bluish light was running back and forth over the crystal.

Once the dust settled the crowd gasped at the sight, unsure of what they were seeing. They recognized the unknown person as most likely an adventurer due to the armor but none had seen any armor of its kind and he wasn't carrying any weapons like most adventurers.

Many of the blacksmiths present had sparkles in their eyes, even Hephaestus couldn't help but study the armor. Her eyes were able to tell that the material used to make the armor was like nothing she had ever seen before.

After a few more beeps were heard they saw the boy shake his head and the crystal slowly turned to dust.

"I guess the only viable ones to recharge both of you are going to be on the lower floors." Billy said as he scanned each god, stopping briefly on Hestia who had a wide smile on her face.

After seeing even Ouranos being present he knew it was time to put on a show.

"Citizens of Orario, do not fret. I am not here to harm, you that is. However there are two among you that I am here for. Since the other gods refuse to put an end to these two gods charades, I will do so. Ishtar and Apollo, it's time you both return to heaven. Especially you, Ishtar." Billy looked at the two gods who just studied him.

"Young man, you..." Ouranos began to speak but was quickly shut down by Billy.

"Old man, don't even think of involving yourself in this now. You know what both of them have been doing and have done nothing to rebuke or stop them, all in the name of being neutral. You have lost your way. You were the first to come down and when you did you helped the people, but over time your actions have caused its people to suffer. Be glad I am not including you with the pair, after all by you allowing them to do as they please makes you just as guilty." Billy answered back, his face stone cold as he thought of the many crimes the gods had done against humanity.

Stepping forward with a smile on her face Ishtar spoke up. "Oh, and do tell what are the supposed crimes we have done that you are judging us for?"

"For you Ishtar the list would take too long so I shall only mention the worst and most recent. You have attempted and still are to use a Killing Stone on a Renard, who by the way.." with a snap of his fingers a boom tube opened and Haruhime appeared, falling at his side. "will no longer be in your familia's care, well after today there won't be one anyway. You planned to level up your whole family just to wage war on another gods familia due to your pride and arrogance. You have charmed your own familia into servitude removing their free will and planned to shatter the soul of this beautiful renard."

Haruhime sat on the ground frozen in shock at suddenly being in a new place. She had been kept in the same room for 2 years, only being brought out to go into the dungeon for strengthening her soul so that when she was finally killed it would've provided a larger boost.

Hearing Billy's final sentence caused her face to go red in embarrassment while her tail swayed side to side happily.

Only one thought had crossed her mind upon looking at Billy, Hero.

But very quickly she lost her happiness due to her believing she was a slave prostitute so therefore unworthy of being saved, she believed she was soiled even though she still had her purity unbeknownst to her.

Anytime she saw a man showing even more skin than would normally be seen, such as without a shirt on, she would faint.

Thus Ishtar had perpetrated her thoughts to make her think she had been soiled nightly, having a male familia member enter her room and begin to undress causing her to faint then they would leave right after.

This was a tactic to keep Haruhime in line and not look for escape options. Ishtar had even informed Haruhime of what her plan were for her to keep her in dispair.

Upon hearing Billy, Ishtar's face contorted in anger and frustration especially after seeing her prized renard appearing next to the man and her plans brought out into the open well before she was ready..

"Phryne!! Kill this mortal now." Ishtar screamed in anger, she just witnessed months of planning and scheming go up in smoke.

Now any advantages she had were no longer valid, every god would now keep a close eye on her activities and she knew the guild would now take steps against her for removing the free will from some of her children.

Immediately a large toad of a woman jumped from the stands into the arena, she was dressed as any Amazoness in Orario. However that was about as far as the similarities went, even though she was an Amazoness she wasn't fit and lean like the rest. She was wide and short and rather than a sun tanned brownish skin she was more of a sickly yellow.

"Hehe, boy you're all mine. Today I will enjoy breaking and devouring such a young boy." She said as she licked her lips then charged straight towards him.

Not wanting to kill her target quickly, she opted to leave her great axe attached to her back and decided to use her development ability Fist Strike instead so that she could bring him back to her place to break him at her leisure.

She was one of the very few level 5 in the city and she was one of the stronger level 5s around due to being stuck at that level for a long time.. She could fight even level 6 adventurers to a draw unless they too were in the upper tier.

Many whispers began in the crowd at this revelation and many of the gods too looked to Ishtar with disgust, especially Artemis and Astraea, many of them truly hadn't known the extent of what Ishtar had been doing.

Ouranos just watched on, his mind raced at who this was in front of him. He felt the threat to his life which was something no god had been able to do before considering he was one of the few primordial gods.

Within moments Phryne was on Billy and punched with all her might connecting with Billy's face. Hearing a sickening crunch a smile started to form but quickly left as she felt the pain in her hand causing her to scream.

Before she could back away to assess the situation and to use her weapon, she felt a hand grab her by the throat. Although she could still breathe, it was labored and no matter how she struggled she was unable to break free which startled her greatly. She pushed past the pain that was caused by he broken hand trying to break free, but the grip never wavered or relaxed even for a moment.

After witnessing her strongest child unable to harm him even without him defending himself, Ishtar began to grow more furious, just as she was about to call forth the rest of her familia to attack Apollo stepped forward with a smirk.

"Oh those seem to be some strong accusations you are making. But do I need to remind you that mortals have no right to judge a god whether they are doing right or wrong? Now, no matter who you are by putting yourself against the gods you have just broken the laws of this world." Releasing his arcanum knowing that Ouranos wouldn't stop him due to him being threatened as well, he wanted to inject his divinity into Billy to have it eat at the power within him so that he could absorb it later while the other gods were distracted.

The stadium began to shake and rumble once

Apollo released a bit of his Arcanum and any adventurers below level 3 as well as all non-adventurers were rendered unconscious from the divine aura.

With confidence befitting a god, Apollo formed a number of light constructs in the form of spears, halberds and swords all around Billy giving him no avenue to escape.

"Know that after you return to heaven your punishment won't be over, you will be made into an example for the other mortals to know your place amongst the gods." Yelled Ishtar as Apollo dashed toward Billy along with his constructs.

As Apollo neared Billy he felt something was off, not only did the playful smirk not leave Billy's face after he had surrounded him with the constructs but he wasn't even looking at him.

Suddenly a snap was heard and the now dead Phryne was tossed in a direction that stunned Apollo and the other gods, it was headed for their balcony.

Within moments Phrynes corpse crashed into something and then into the back wall.

Immediately all but one construct dispersed as well as Apollo vanishing.

A lone spear stabbed into Billy's back and entered his body to the surprise of the other gods.

When they turned to see what happened they were stunned by Apollo's figure whose clothes were damaged and his hair was unkept.

"Your petty tricks won't work on me Apollo, your Photokinesis won't be able to save you from me." Billy stated as he cracked his neck and rotated his right arm.

Billy was pissed, not because he was hit but because he had just realized what Apollo was attempting to do. He felt the divinity and its intent as soon as it entered his body, but thanks to his divinity thru the powers of SHAZAM it had captured and contained the divinity within him.

"Hahaha, that's what you think. You know for a mortal you're pretty good. I am not sure how you were able to see thru the illusions I always have but it doesn't matter. You will bow before us gods and beg for forgiveness very soon." Apollo said as he dusted himself off and made his way to the balconies opening to the arena.

Many of the other gods were stunned at this revelation. Apollo's light manipulation abilities had allowed him to create an illusion of himself while hiding his true self from others even other gods.

He did so in case anything happened and was attacked they would be attacking an illusion of him giving him the ability to counterattack swiftly and effectively even without his Arcanum.

Just like Freya and Ishtar's charm not being sealed with their Arcanum, so too was Apollo's Photokinesis not fully removed when his Arcanum is sealed.

"Just like Ishtar you have a lot of arrogance, I'm not sure what gives you the confidence to think you won't be returning to heaven today but I think I have an idea." Billy responded as a smile crept up his face.

Holding out an upturned enclosed fist, as if he was holding something he wanted to show, Billy continued "Here, allow me to show you just how pitifully weak your plans are."

Opening his fist, the gods all gasped and Apollo's smile quickly disappeared. Within Billy's hand was the sliver of Apollo's divinity he had injected with his light construct.

"You wanted to try to feed off my power to strengthen your own, just how many of your familia members have you fed off already Apollo? You obviously have mastered the technique so you have been using it many times, must be why many of your familia members are much slower at improving because you have been stealing their accumulated Falna from their dungeon runs to improve your own strength. Like a parasite or leach. Just another reason why you will be joining Ishtar in returning to heaven, never to step foot in the mortal realm again." Billy said as he crushed the strand of divinity, destroying its intent and then absorbing it into himself.

Hearing what Apollo had not only attempted but what he had possibly been doing to his familia members all the other gods faces changed.

This was something forbidden amongst gods, to use mortals or other gods as basically food or supplements to empower yourself.

The reason for this is because most of them had experience with this from their own father. Cronos had eaten all his children except for Zeus out of fear of them turning on him, Zeus had eventually rescued all his brothers and sisters after forcing their father to regurgitate them out after defeating him.

They had been weakened for a long time due to them being slowly digested while inside their father, so they had all come to an agreement that feeding off gods and their creations in that manner a taboo.

Even Ouranos looked at Apollo with disgust as he remembered the dark history of the gods, things started to fall out of place for him slowly as things came to light.

Ouranos knew some of the things going on that Ishtar had been doing but not all. He was a primordial god but he wasn't omnipresent, he knew she was forcing many mortals into brothels and using her charm to get her way.

However he would've never thought she would be doing such taboo activities such as removing free will and using the forbidden Killing Stone.

"Now, any final words before I send you both back?" Billy asked with a cold expression.