"Chapter 22: Demon King and Assault on the God"

Battlefield...

Let's go back a bit, to the moment before Alex launched Lili towards the fortress to prevent the two members of Apollo's family from interfering in the battle. Lili didn't know that these two girls never intended to interfere and had stayed aside with the plan that a strong fighter should protect the healer, so that if necessary, the healer could tend to the wounded allies.

After Lili landed gently inside the fortress, she looked around and threw on her cloak. "When this battle is over, I'll definitely strangle him. Even if I can't strangle him, I'll find a way to make his life miserable. But for now, I need to find these girls," Lili thought as she put on the cloak to avoid being seen.

Lili quietly made her way to her target, who was hiding in one of the houses away from the center. As she approached the house, she heard their conversation and decided to eavesdrop. "Cassandra, are you sure we can avoid the battle here?" Daphne asked, looking at her friend. "Yes, this is the farthest place from the center of the fortress. He won't reach us here if everything goes wrong like in my vision," Cassandra replied, unaware that a small hobbit was watching them.

"What kind of vision did this girl have that made her so worried?" Lili thought as she quietly crept closer to the two girls. "What did you see in your visions that has you so concerned? You haven't explained anything properly, only talked about total destruction. Cassandra, why are you silent and saying nothing?" Daphne asked, turning to see her friend unconscious with a small girl from Hestia's family standing over her. Before Daphne could react, Lili had already knocked her out with a taser.

"Now I've taken them out. This blue-haired girl said this was the safest place in the fortress," Lili thought as she fired the signal flare out the window to indicate that the plan was completed.

Lili laid the girls down carefully so they wouldn't be sprawled on the floor like trash. She felt proud of herself for accomplishing the task but was still annoyed with Alex for throwing her towards the fortress. While Lili was lost in her thoughts, she felt the first impact, realizing Alex had arrived at the fortress. Then she felt a second, much stronger impact that nearly knocked her off her feet.

"What was that?" Lily exclaimed aloud, clutching onto the table to steady herself.

"It's the awakening of the Demon King," a female voice behind Lily said.

"What does that mean? And why did you recover so quickly?" Lily asked, turning to Cassandra.

"That's what it means. Members of my family said something to Voldigoad, and he became enraged. If you don't stop him, things will get much worse," Cassandra replied, healing Daphne.

"What did they say to him that made him so angry?" Lily asked, still trying to grasp the situation.

"I don't know what they said to him. In my visions, I only saw his cold eyes and how he attacked Apollo," Cassandra answered, helping Daphne to her feet.

"Can we do something?" Daphne asked, now more composed.

"We can't do anything. It all depends on this girl or their family goddess. If we interfere, we'll only get hurt," Cassandra replied, preventing Daphne from making a reckless move.

"Listen, girl—" Cassandra began, but was interrupted.

"My name is Liliruka, not girl," Lily interjected.

"There's no time for names right now. Listen carefully, Liliruka, you need to go there and try to make Voldigoad come to his senses and stop," Cassandra said, outlining her plan.

"So, I have to go there and stop Alex from causing something worse?" Lily clarified, to which Cassandra nodded. Lily understood the seriousness of the situation just by looking at Cassandra's face, and she ran towards where Alex was. However, when she arrived at the battlefield, what she saw deeply shook her. Bodies of Apollo's family members were scattered around, all covered in blood. It was unclear if they were alive. In the center stood Alex, with eyes she had never seen before. She remembered his warm gaze, always filled with kindness, and his smile that expressed care. But now, this was a completely different Alex. His eyes were cold, his face devoid of smile, instead scowling. He stood there, staring at a person kneeling before him, pleading for mercy.

Lily didn't know what to do. She didn't like this version of Alex. She wanted to bring back the old Alex, the one who always smiled and joked with his silly jokes. She wanted to bring back the Alex she met in the dungeon, the one who helped her vent her anger on a group of adventurers who abandoned her, and on members of Soma's family who bullied her. She wanted to bring back the Alex who wanted to make her into the "One Strike Girl". Lily no longer hesitated and ran towards Alex. She wanted to save him just like he had saved her. She wanted to rescue him from the darkness he was descending into.

The broadcast room...

The entire room held its breath as Alex appeared at the center of the fortress, ready to commence battle. Everyone eagerly awaited his next move.

"Hephaestus, look, it's Alex! He's about to fight and show these gods and everyone else what a strong family I have," Hestia exclaimed, bouncing on the spot.

"He looked so cool on the throne, and when he landed and destroyed everything around, he looked even cooler," Hestia continued boasting, to which Hephaestus shook her head.

"Hephaestus, something's wrong with Alex. Why are his eyes like that? What's happening, Hephaestus?" Hestia asked, noticing changes in Alex, puzzled by why the usually smiling Alex had become like this.

"Don't look, Hestia!" Hephaestus shouted, covering Hestia's eyes to shield her from seeing what was happening on screen.

"Hephaestus, why did you cover my eyes? I need to see what's happening to Alex," Hestia cried out, trying to remove Hephaestus's hand from her eyes.

"It's better for you not to see what's happening, Hestia. It's for the best," Hephaestus said, refusing to let Hestia look at the screen.

"What angered you so much, Alex, to make you like this?" Hephaestus wondered, watching Alex as he dealt with members of Apollo's family.

"I hope you can return to how you were after all this. I don't want to see you like this. I'll try to prevent Hestia from seeing what you've done, so I pray you return to your former self," Hephaestus silently prayed to herself.

The Loki family...

"There he goes, finally making his move! I'm tired of waiting!" Loki exclaimed, banging her glass on the table.

"I can't wait to see him fight. Maybe he'll use another secret technique?" Tiona said excitedly.

"Or maybe a new magic spell no one has seen before," added Lefiya, who had befriended Alex ever since he started teaching her magic.

"I think he's just going to beat them up," Bete chimed in. After a few defeats, he had calmed down and now regarded Alex as an equal.

"I'm curious to see what he'll show," Ais said monotonously, nodding her head. But noticing the changes in Alex, her eyes widened.

"Something happened, but I don't like how he looks right now," Ais remarked, noticing Alex's state.

"They must have said something to him that really got him riled up," Loki said seriously, opening her eyes wide as she observed Alex. His cold eyes were unsettling to her.

"I hope he returns to his old self. I don't like this Alex; he's frightening," Tiona said, losing her cheerful demeanor.

"If he had been like this from the start, he wouldn't have just hit Bete—he would have done something worse," Finn remarked, watching Alex closely.

"I have to help him!" Ais exclaimed, attempting to leave to get onto the arena.

"Don't let her interfere!" Loki shouted to the other family members, urging them to stop Ais.

"I have to help him!" Ais continued to insist, struggling to break free from the grip of other family members.

"Ais, you shouldn't interfere. You'll only make things worse," Loki said firmly, keeping her eyes on Ais, who was still trying to break free.

"You're causing a lot of trouble, Alex. You'd better return to your old self. I liked you better when you could joke around with me, not this person with eyes as cold as ice," Loki thought to herself, continuing to watch the screen.

The Freyja family...

"And so it begins. Show me something new, something amazing that I haven't seen before," Freyja thought, watching Alex leap into the fortress.

"My lady, there's something wrong with him," Ottar said, standing behind Freyja.

"I see. He's completely different now. Either he's real or he's terribly angry," Freyja replied, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"I can feel his power even from here," Ottar said, watching the screen intently.

"And what do you feel, looking at his power?" Freyja asked.

"He's strong, very strong. I've never encountered such power before," Ottar answered.

"And how do you know this?" Freyja asked, still not looking at Ottar.

"I can't explain it, my lady. I just feel that if I were to try to fight him in this state, I would surely die," Ottar honestly replied.

"Hmm, I see. But I don't like how he looks right now. He doesn't shine like before; he looks more like darkness," Freyja said, watching Alex through the screen.

"His new appearance is intriguing. He resembles the Demon King, but I don't like this version," Freyja continued.

"I hope Hestia can bring him back to his old self, or else I'll have to live a dull life again. And I won't be able to discover or see anything new," Freyja thought, staring at the screen.

Battlefield...

Returning to Alex, who at this moment looked at the pitiful semblance of a former adventurer groveling at his feet, pleading for mercy or death. This wretched man continued to beg to end his torment—he could no longer endure all these deaths. In a short time, he had experienced many ways to die, and although he wished to end it himself, he knew that the monster looking down on him would not allow him to die. Every time his eyes met Alex's cold, rainbow-colored eyes, he flinched and tried to escape, but no matter how hard he tried, he always returned to the same place and died again. Realizing that running was futile, all he could do was pray for forgiveness.

"Have you finished your whining?" Alex asked in a cold voice that caused such a dreadful sensation that those who heard it flinched.

"Please, forgive me, I won't say anything more. I'll leave Orario and never appear before your eyes again. Just let me go, please," Hyacinth begged, kneeling before Alex.

"This should have been done before you sent your men to provoke me on Apollo's orders. You should have just crawled into a hole and stayed there like a rat, not sticking your head out," Alex said.

"You shouldn't have listened to your stupid god, you shouldn't have joined his family, you shouldn't have been so arrogant knowing you had such little power," Alex continued.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm guilty, forgive me. It's all my fault, I'm guilty," Hyacinth began to say.

"But your biggest fault is that you allowed yourself to say such things about Hestia. Hestia is the kindest goddess I've met, but you creatures decided you could say such things about her," Alex said, grabbing Hyacinth by the head.

"It's all Apollo, it's him. He told me what he would do to Hestia when we win. He also told everything he did while in the mortal world," Hyacinth began to say, grabbing Alex's hand, trying to loosen his grip on his head.

"And why would a god tell some scum like you about his deeds?" Alex asked, and his grip on Hyacinth's head only tightened, so that there was a crunch.

"He himself boasted about it before the battle when he was drunk. I was just nearby," Hyacinth quickly said, not letting Alex crush his head.

"Depending on your answer, you will either continue to suffer or find freedom. It's up to you how you finish," Alex said, giving Hyacinth a chance to speak.

But what Alex heard from Hyacinth only fueled his anger even more. He was already ready to return and kill Apollo in the cruelest way possible and everyone who stood in his way to his goal.

After hearing everything, Alex could no longer restrain his anger. He delivered another blow to Hyacinth, smashing all his bones to somehow quench his rage. Alex was already ready to break loose and go kill Apollo when someone interrupted him.

"ALEX, STOP! THIS ISN'T LIKE YOU!" Lily cried out, running towards Alex to prevent him from doing something he might regret.

"Please, stop, you can't do this," Lily said, rushing up and embracing Alex, not letting him move away.

"Lily, let me go. I have to kill that worthless god," Alex said in a cold tone, trying to gently push Lily aside.

"Alex, you're truly kind, so please, return to your old self," Lily said, already in tears, trying to stop Alex.

"Lily, if I don't solve this problem now, that bastard will continue causing trouble. Eventually, some innocent person or even a child will suffer," Alex said, looking at Lily's tear-filled eyes.

"Alex, after victory, Hestia might change her stance so Apollo returns to the realm of gods and doesn't descend again," Lily shouted, pleading with Alex to stop.

"What makes you think he'll follow that stance? What makes you think he'll agree at all? These gods are tired of the heavens and have come down to the mortal world for fun. They consider others their playthings. Remember the Soma family who bullied you. It's better to solve future problems now than let a potential enemy live," Alex said in a cold tone.

"Alex, let Hestia decide this. Please, stop," Lily cried, holding onto Alex.

"(Sigh) Fine, Lily, I'll let Hestia decide," Alex replied, looking into Lily's tearful eyes and remembering the last time he was so angry.

"But if that worthless god doesn't want to return to the heavens, I'll kill him as soon as he leaves Orario," Alex thought, his eyes turning cold again.

"Do you promise me?" Lily asked, raising her eyes to Alex and looking straight into his gaze.

"I promise you," Alex replied, looking into Lily's eyes.

"Hey, you two, stop hiding, come out," Alex called towards one of the destroyed houses.

"You two will come with us, and it's better if you keep quiet. I'm not in the mood right now," Alex said, looking at the two girls who emerged. Hearing his threat, they quickly nodded, indicating they understood.

"Let's go then, Lily. Let Hestia decide," Alex said, knowing Apollo would still cause trouble regardless.

Broadcast room...

As soon as Alex returned to the broadcast room, everyone who was watching the transmission fell silent and turned to look at him. No one here had ever seen such brutality. Gods who had been joking before stood silently; goddesses who had admired Alex now hesitated to meet his gaze. Hephaestus, who had been shielding Hestia's eyes, sighed upon seeing Alex revert to his former self and opened Hestia's eyes, who was already starting to grow angry at Hephaestus for not letting her watch the transmission. But there was one idiot in the room who believed that his status as a god could protect him.

"How dare you act like this with my children, mortal!" Apollo shouted, pointing a finger at Alex. "Do you realize what you've done? Your actions demand punishment!" Apollo continued yelling, and Alex's eyes turned cold once more.

"You will be punished for your cruelty," Apollo didn't finish his sentence before Alex grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.

"You pitiful bastard, still yelling. Do you not think I dare to kill you?" Alex asked in a cold tone, holding Apollo by the neck.

"How dare you threaten me, mortal! I am a god!" Apollo shouted, trying to break free from Alex's grip.

"Just because you're a god doesn't mean I won't dare to kill you!" Alex said, squeezing Apollo's neck tighter.

"Alex-kun, please stop!" Hestia cried out, running over and embracing Alex, preventing him from committing a crime.

"Hestia, step aside. He thinks because he's a god, he's all-powerful and no one dares to touch him. I'll show him just how wrong he is," Alex said, squeezing Apollo's neck even harder.

"Alex-kun, please listen to me and let him go," Hestia pleaded, calming Alex down.

"Hestia, I'll let him go only if instead of leaving Orario, he must return to the heavens and never come down again," Alex replied, continuing to hold onto Apollo.

As Alex held Apollo by the neck, everyone witnessing the situation was in shock. None of the gods could believe that a mortal would dare to attack a god. Hephaestus was deeply concerned about the unfolding events before her eyes. Loki, who always smiled, was very serious because the situation was spiraling out of control. Freya was astonished—she hadn't expected Alex to dare to attack a god. Everyone watched to see how this situation would unfold, and only one god, standing in the corner, watched with a mischievous smile in his black eyes, like the night. This entire situation continued until the chief god Uranus intervened.

"Hestia, ask your child to release Apollo, and then we can talk. There's no need to escalate the situation," Uran spoke up.

"I won't release him until he agrees to return to the realm of the gods and stay there forever, or I will send him there myself," Alex refused, still holding Apollo by the neck. Apollo still couldn't understand why he couldn't use his power. The answer was simple: Alex was destroying the power Apollo was trying to apply.

"Do you want to change the terms of the deal made by the gods? You're quite bold for a mortal," Uran said, looking at Alex.

"Bold or not, you can check. I'll say it again: Apollo must go to the realm of the gods and stay there forever," Alex replied.

"Alex-kun, stop it! This is Uran, the chief god," Hestia said, trying to prevent another mistake by Alex.

"And why should we change the terms of the deal just because you asked?" Uran asked calmly.

"Then we can talk alone, and I'll tell you why I want to change the terms of the deal," Alex suggested.

"Hmm. Alright, follow me," Uran said, leading Alex and Hestia. Apollo didn't need to be called: Alex was dragging him by force, whether he wanted to or not.

"And what do you want to tell me that could change my mind to change the stake agreed upon by both gods?" Uran asked, standing in an empty room.

"Look at this, and you'll understand why I decided to change the terms of the deal," Alex said, showing the projection of what Hyacinth had told him.

"So that's it," Uran said, silently looking at Apollo. "How dare you treat mortals like this? We were supposed to protect them, not treat them like this. I support Alex in changing the terms of the deal," Hestia said angrily.

Uran thought for a while and then replied, "I accept the request to change the terms of the deal," when he had the paper on which Hestia and Apollo had signed. Changing the terms of the deal, the contract came into force, and now after Apollo's defeat, he had to return to heaven and never descend again.

"If that's all, you can release Apollo now. We'll deal with him ourselves," Uran said, asking Alex to loosen his grip.

"If I find out that you've gone anywhere other than the realm of the gods, I'll find you and kill you. And don't think you'll return to heaven after your death. I'll destroy your essence itself so you can't even regenerate," Alex whispered in Apollo's ear, letting him go. At that moment, Apollo was scared because in Alex's eyes he saw his inevitable death—not just death, but complete erasure from existence. Apollo realized that if he didn't escape to heaven, he would be destroyed with no chance of regeneration.

Returning to the hall, everyone focused on Alex, whose eyes were already calm, and on Hestia, who was very angry. Everyone wanted to ask what they had talked about, but they were afraid to approach.

"I think it's time for us to go home, Hestia," Alex said, putting his hand on the head of the angry goddess.

"I think it's time to go home, Alex-kun," Hestia replied, feeling his touch, which brought her relief. His hands were still warm.

"Lily, we're going home. Come here," Alex said, calling Lily.

"Well, time to go home," Alex said, completely ignoring everyone around him.

"Mmm," Hestia murmured and hugged Alex tightly.

"Alright," Lily replied, holding onto the edge of Alex's haori.

"Then let's go home," Alex said, using teleportation magic.

To be continued...