Chapter 130 Wargames 1

The gods of Orario were in a festive mood; the meeting room where Denatus is usually held was full of chatter and excited murmuring as the deities enjoyed the rare occurrence that is a war game.

For them, this is one of the highest forms of entertainment. Bets had been placed, laughter and booze passed around.

Even Hades, as serious as he is, couldn't help but enjoy himself, especially since August is involved.

The god had his eyes on August since the tournament. In his mind, he would be a fine addition to the army he wants to create to hunt down the gods of Evilus, especially since he is a theïkó óplo user.

Hades's eyes roamed the room, where he spotted Heracles, sitting alongside Buddha and Hestia. The two of them saw each other and nodded curtly, with Hades raising his glass to Heracles.

At the other side of the room sat Apollo; he had a smug smile on his face and couldn't wait for the event to start. Ishtar sat beside him, and the two of them stared at the giant mirror placed in the middle of the room.

It was a way for them to watch the war games without leaving Orario, as it would be held in the mountains south of the city. A large mass of land where monsters live, such as trolls and goblins.

It was a perfect battlefield, with plenty of terrain that could be seen—a woodland, a small river, and an open grass field. So strategy on how to use it is a must for the two familias.

Apollo swirled his glass as he kept his eyes on the mirror. "How's the preparation? I expect everything to run smoothly, Ishtar."

Ishtar smiled a seductive smirk towards Apollo. "Of course. Everything is in place. I assume Hyakinthos has acclimated to his newfound power?"

"That he did." He answered with a sinister grin. "But it won't mean nothing if you didn't do your side of things well."

"As I said, we of Evilus had already done our job; everything is in place. It is up to your familia now." Ishtar shrugged nonchalantly as she took a sip from her glass. "If everything goes as planned, not only would you get your revenge, Evilus would also gain the primal spear."

"Good." Apollo's smile became even deeper; he couldn't wait to see the look on Heracles' face once his children become a stain on the ground.

The two cheered their glasses, both having a smile on their faces as they awaited the start of the war game.

At Heracles' side, there was a tense atmosphere that surrounded their table. Both Hestia and Heracles had a serious look on their faces, knowing how important it is and how much is at stake.

Hestia had her mind on Bell; she had heard the plan and knew that the rescue team would move once the war games commence. It is to catch Soma Familia off guard. But it would still be dangerous as they would be attacking them on their turf.

Heracles, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, especially at how Apollo is acting. His eyes were drawn to the god, and he noticed that he is unusually relaxed.

'Something isn't right.' He thought to himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that Apollo has something up his sleeves.

"Herc?" Buddha's voice snapped Heracles out of his thoughts. He turned to look at his friend, who was looking at him seriously. "You okay, big guy?"

"Yeah... Just nervous." Heracles answered, grabbing the glass on the table and chugging the liquor inside it. "Don't you think he's too relaxed?" Heracles asked as he gestured towards Apollo.

Buddha took a glance at his table and nodded. "Hmmm... Yeah... That's unlike him."

"Exactly. It feels like there's something... Call it a gut feeling, but I don't like how relaxed he is." Heracles kept his eyes on Apollo, seeing the grin on his face made him sure that he is up to something. But without proof, he could only speculate. One thing is for sure. He doesn't like it.

Before Buddha could answer, Hermes made his move towards the mirror, a smile on his face as he waved at the gods who began cheering.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Settle down; today's event would finally start!" Hermes' playful voice sounded all throughout the room, the gods cheering wildly. "Well then, without further ado... Ouranus! Grant me permission to use my power!"

A white glow enveloped Hermes; he could feel his arcanum rising in his body. The voice of Ouranus then echoed inside the room. "Granted."

With a snap of his fingers, the large mirror lit up, showing the forest area south of Orario. At the east lies the familia of Apollo, their numbers reaching triple digits. And at the front stood Hyakinthos, a confident smile on his face, a look of sure victory.

And on the west side, stood Heracles Familia, their number, a meager 12. They all had a serious look, their weapons already drawn, and at the front stood the trio of August, Denki, and Helga.

With another snap of his fingers, a large golden crown, filled with gems manifested in front of Hermes. It then flew, a trail of golden light following it as it flew to the south of Orario in the middle of the woodlands. It was the goal for them, the win condition in this war game; whichever familia wore the crown at the end would be declared the winner. A King of the hill.

But this is not the standard king of the hill rules; this time, instead of defending a singular area, the familia would have to defend the wearer of the crown until the given time is over. Another win condition is if there are no more able fighters for a familia.

This format was specifically made for a war game, with two gods having bad blood. Because even if you don't have the crown, you can win by killing everyone in the other familia.

"The stage is set; the brave heroes are now ready on the field," Hermes' voice made the gods cheer even louder. With a huge grin, he opened his arms wide, his voice cheerful and excited. "Without further ado... LET THE WAR GAMES!!! BEGIN!!!"

""YEAH!!!"" The gods stood up from their seats and raised their glasses in the air as they cheered with wild enthusiasm.

On the side, Apollo raised his glass along with the gods. He then turned towards Heracles and smirked in his direction.

Heracles clenched his fist; if at first he was only suspicious that Apollo is planning something, right now he was sure of it. "Buddha." He growled without taking his eyes off Apollo. "Be prepared; something will happen."

Buddha nodded, a small smirk rose from his lips. "Well, can't say I didn't expect this." He then grabbed a dark silver orb from his pocket, placed it near his mouth, and whispered. "Prepare for the worst-case scenario. You know what to do."

"Yeah yeah, I'm on it." An annoyed voice answered from the orb; Buddha shook his head and pocketed the orb back.

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**At the mountain south of Orario.**

-At Heracles familia's side

The adventurers of Heracles Familia saw a golden trail of light falling from the sky, heading towards the woodland.

Denki took a deep breath, turned towards August, who gave him a nod. He then turned back towards the other members. "Let's move; stick to the plan."

The others nodded seriously, pumping themselves for the upcoming battle. But before they left, August turned towards them.

"Guys, prioritize your safety above all else. As captain, I will give you one order and one order alone..." August spoke seriously, making the others focus on him. "Don't die."

""Aye!"" The others answered as they moved to their respective spots in Denki's strategy.

Their strategy was simple, using the terrain to their advantage, and smaller numbers, focusing on ambush and guerrilla tactics.

A pairing system is added to their strategy, everyone with the exception of August would move in pairs.

In the linchpin of their plan, their win condition relies on someone the other familia least suspects.

Denki knew that Apollo familia would likely think that either he or Helga would be running for the crown. After all, with August unable to wear it, the two of them are the best choice. So Denki opted for another course of action.

Someone they wouldn't suspect at all, and someone no one can detect; after all, even August couldn't detect her.

The key to their victory would be Katty.

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**Flashback**

Denki stood in front of everyone inside the conference hall of Heracles Manor, laid on the large round table is a map of the battlefield which was provided a day before the war games.

"As you can see, we could use the terrains I our advantage. But there are some risks, and the obvious one would be their superior numbers." Denki then leaned on the table, pointing out the woodland area of the mountain.

"This spot would be our priority; we can use the trees to our advantage. Focusing on guerrilla tactics, our main goal would be to create as much chaos in their ranks." He then turned towards Nadia. "Out of everyone in this room, you have the most experience at moving in a tight forest environment, so I'd like you to move as fast as you can to secure this area. But in doing so, you'll have to get out of your comfort zone."

Nadia bit her lips; Denki is right. With her being an elf, she is adept at moving in a forest environment, but the only problem is, doing so would make her have to get close to the enemy. Something she isn't comfortable doing.

Nadia, as an archer, leans in favor of sniping her enemies from afar, and in a forest environment, she has no choice but to adjust her fighting style in the tight space of the woodlands.

Another thing she could utilize well in this scenario is her vision. Nadia possesses a rare skill, "Hawk eyes"; this allows her to see things from extreme distances, and with practice, she could potentially see things from a unique angle, like a bird watching from above.

It is the same skill Froke possesses, but unlike the half-breed, she needs to have a clear vision of her surrounding, something she couldn't do in a forest environment.

"I know fighting in a tight space isn't your specialty, but the woodlands are an important area that we must control." Denki placed a small flag on the woodland area of the map. "that's why I need you to be there and gain control; your elven heritage would give you an advantage in that terrain."

Nadia nodded; she agrees. Being the sole elf in the familia means that she's the only one capable of using the woods to their utmost potential.

Denki, seeing this, smiles. "Good, don't worry; it'll only be temporary. As soon as the other team arrives, you'll be moving to a different location. So we'll be prioritizing speed. And like I said, our main goal is to create as much chaos in their lines, so the captain would be coming along with you. He'll provide the speed necessary to reach the woodlands first. There he'll use his mana as you'll ambush them with your arrows."

"Temporary?" Thorne asked, voicing out what the others are thinking as well. Like Denki said, the elves are adept at using the woods to their advantage, so why is Nadia moving to a different spot after going all through the trouble of taking control of that area?

"Nadia's biggest strength isn't her ability to use the woods to her advantage; it is her accuracy and vision. So after securing the woodlands, she would move here..." Denki pointed to the cliff at the east; it was one of the highest points in the area. "here she can utilize her strength best. Having a clear view of the area."

"That doesn't answer my question. Why go all that trouble in securing the woodlands then? Wouldn't moving straight to that location be more efficient?" Thorne couldn't comprehend why Denki would opt for such a complicated plan.

Denki smiled and drew an X on the woodlands. "Because in doing so, they would view the woodland as a dangerous location for them to enter." he then turned to Katty. "This would be beneficial for the next stage of our plan. And Katty here would be perfect for the next course of action we take."

Katty gulped; she felt like she would be diving headfirst into danger... And she isn't wrong because the next words that came out of Denki's mouth made her want to punch the young samurai in the face.

"You'll be the one wearing the crown, and you will use your skill stealth to hide with the crown." Denki smiled towards Katty, a smile that was filled with trust and confidence. But for Katty, it looks like a smile of a demon.

"That's fine and dandy and all, but you forgot one thing..." Katty also smiles towards Denki, mirroring his smile, but at the next moment, her face turned ugly as her nose flared up in anger. "I CAN'T USE STEALTH WHILE MOVING!!!"

The others covered their ears at Katty's loud scream, caught off guard by the hume-bunny's sudden volatile reaction.

Denki waved his hand in a surrender-like gesture as he tried to calm Katty down. "That's why we need to secure the woodlands. As soon as you take the crown-"

"And become a target for everyone," Katty cut him off, which made Denki cough.

"As soon as you grab the crown, you'll be running as fast as you can into the woodlands. Like I said earlier, every one of us would be moving in pairs with the exception of the captain. The reason is after we secure the woodlands, me and Helga would be paired up with you," Denki continued quickly, not wanting to be cut off by Katty again.

Helga nods at hearing the plan, continuing what Denki left out. "So the three of us would search for the crown. We can assume the enemies would be searching for it as well. So there are two scenarios here. If Apollo familia grabbed the crown first, me and Denki would team up to grab the crown and give it to Katty. The other scenario is that we spot the crown first; Katty would wear it and run towards the woodlands, and if any Apollo familia spots us, me and Denki would hold them back."

Denki nodded. "Exactly." he then looked seriously. "But you forgot two other possible scenarios. One is if Hyakinthos is wearing the crown, or if another pair saw the crown first."

Bors nodded in agreement. "And we all agree if Apollo familia manages to grab the crown first, they would do everything in their power to give it to Hyakinthos. In that scenario, we would be playing into their hands, as the captain is the only one capable of fighting him on equal ground." he had a dark look at the end of his words.

"Yes, that's why it is important that we establish a safe zone and area for us to control." Denki also had a dark look, agreeing with what Bors said.

"So taking the woodlands is do or die for us huh?" Lysander inquired; he had an uneasy look on his face. After all, their plan revolved around how fast they could control one area.

"Yes... If Hyakinthos is the one wearing the crown, everyone with the exception of the captain would have to retreat to the woodlands." Denki looked at August, who gave him a nod. He continued. "At least here, we can use the terrain to pick them off while they come to hunt us. This is our worst-case scenario. If Hyakinthos grabs the crown, I'll be running towards Nadia, using my mana dome and her Hawk eye; we can provide support all over the woodlands for those who need it."

"So our best case is me, getting the crown, running to our safe zone, and using stealth until the time runs out?" Katty asked; she really didn't want to be a target, but she has to admit, this plan is the best possible plan they can come up with.

"Yes... That's the gist of it." Denki shrugs as he answers.

"Yeah, about that. If the best-case scenario does happen, then everyone in Apollo familia would march to the woodland to find Katty. Wouldn't their numbers overwhelm us in the long run?" Jogu raised his hand to ask; the others looked at him funny.

Oswald had a shocked look on his face as he poked Jogu on the head. "Yo-you do have a brain." he mutters in disbelief.

The others nodded in agreement. Even Helga, who is by far the most mature, has her mouth agape at Jogu.

"OH FUCK OFF!!!" Jogu cursed as he muttered something about being bullied by everyone.

"As much as I hate to admit it, but the idiot is right." Eira was the first to react, earning a loud "Hey, I'm right here!" from Jogu, which everyone ignored. "They will put all their forces on us in the woodlands. How are we able to counter that? Look, as much as I want to be optimistic, their numbers are just too much for us, even with the terrain advantage."

"That's where I come in." August was the one who answered. "With their primary focus on finding Katty, which would be impossible, they would have no choice but to group up. And here is where I would strike. Them being grouped up means that a fight between me and Hyakinthos would involve a lot of collateral damage on their side."

"Giving them no choice but to scatter, and here lies our advantage in establishing our hold at the location first." Denki continued. "Here we would pluck them, aiming for the weaker ones first, those who were isolated from the fight between the two level 6, chipping at their numbers, using the chaos and confusion provided by the captain to our advantage."

Helga smirked confidently as she continues. "Here we would target them one by one. Where their numbers wouldn't mean a damn thing."

August then stabbed his spear on the map; he looked at everyone, a dangerous smile rising on his lips, his mana slowly exuding out of his body, making everyone feel a chill run up their spines. "Here, we shall slaughter them. One by one."

The others couldn't help but smile dangerously as well. Their bloodlust and anger rising to the surface, as they remember everything Apollo familia did. With a collective voice, they answer. ""AYE!!!"

*end of flashback*

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-At Apollo familia's side.

Hyakinthos faced everyone on his side, he stood with confidence, feeling the power that Apollo gave to him coursing through his veins. He feels unstoppable, he feels like no one can stand on his way.

It is an exhilarating feeling, and he couldn't wait to unleash all of this power on August Kaizer.

"We have the advantage here! Leave no one alive! If you encounter the Gaé bulg, run on sight, He is mine. If you encounter Valkyrie, didn't engage unless you have five or more members, the same goes if you encounter the Autumn blade." Hyakinthos stood in front of his familia, a small smile escaping his lips as he raised his sword up in the air. "No mercy! Let's kill them all! FOR LORD APOLLO!!!"

""FOR LORD APOLLO!!!"

Cassandra couldn't help feeling restless; she watched the sky, the clouds, and felt a dreadful feeling rising up her body.

She listened to what Hyakinthos said and felt fear, she looked around, seeing the hyped up member of her familia, but she felt absolute dread.

The position of the two families, the location of where the crown headed, the patterns of the clouds... Even Hyakinthos' speech.

It was an eerie sensation, the feeling of deja-vu crept slowly along with the dread.

She had seen it all. Everything is happening as she had seen...

In her nightmares.

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Chapter 130 is now complete. How are you all enjoying the story so far?

Question of the day.

What do you think of Denki's plan?

And

What do you think of Helga's (Valkyrie) and Denki's (Autumn blade) aliases?

Anyway...

Please leave a comment, review, and feedback to help me improve this fanfic. Every little thing helps me understand your preferences and will contribute to writing a better fanfic for you all to enjoy.

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Have a good day, everyone. Love y'all.