Denatus.
The meeting between deities was usually held once every three months.
At this meeting, everyone shared what they had learned and also gave a new nickname to the adventurers from various families. Naturally, most of them were named with the purpose of a joke.
However, at a certain time, this meeting could be held in an emergency, especially for the War Game, the duel between two Familias.
As Hestia agreed with the War Game against Apollo, the Denatus was held immediately, and all the deities were called to determine the rules, stakes, and all the important things for this war.
The heroine of this meeting was naturally Hestia, a poor goddess who had only a single member of Familia.
While many felt sorry for her, many couldn't wait to see this War Game.
However, they couldn't be so frank, especially when Hephaestus stood by Hestia's side, showing a cold expression to those who snickered. As one of the biggest Familia, one of the Familia with Level 5 adventurers, and one of the biggest blacksmith Familia in the world, no one wanted to be her enemy.
Or rather, they just wanted to see Hestia's joke, so after greeting them, all of them quickly went to the meeting room, anticipating this War Game much.
Hestia also ignored them, but there was someone who she couldn't ignore.
"Oi, Shorty!"
Hearing this familiar voice, Hestia's lips twitched, and as expected, she couldn't ignore this red-haired goddess. "What's wrong, Loki?" If it had been before, she might have been patient, but she wasn't in the mood to talk with this goddess, so she kept staring at Loki's flat chest.
"...."
Naturally, Loki could feel the malice gaze from Hestia, but she didn't care, especially when she knew that Hestia was in misfortune. "You sure are unlucky to have your children to attract that homo." There was no need to pick Hestia in a fight since this goddess was already miserable enough, and her only Familia member was targeted by Apollo.
"Just what do you want, Loki?" Hestia asked while pursuing her lips.
"Loki, stop teasing Hestia," Hephaestus frowned at Loki.
Loki was surprised by Hephaestus' support, then asked curiously, "Did your children seduce Hephaestus too?"
"...." 2x
Hestia was shocked and looked at Hephaestus.
Hephaestus was also startled and blushed before she looked away.
"..." Hestia.
"You... Hephaestus..." Hestia was hurt.
A friend that she had trusted unexpectedly stabbed her in the back!
Somehow, at this moment, Hestia understood why her bed often shook violently, as if an earthquake had happened when Hephaestus came to visit them.
"...I-I am sorry, Hestia... but you don't have to worry. I won't steal him from your Familia. He will always be in your Familia."
Hephaestus tried to comfort Hestia, but Hestia cried really hard!
"...."
Loki fell in silence, feeling her rival was so miserable.
Still, the silence between the three was quickly broken by the entrance of the most beautiful goddess in heaven and the world.
Gasp!
"How beautiful..."
"I want her to look at me..."
"Step me! Step on my face with those beautiful feet!"
Unlike the simple men who fawned over this goddess, Hestia, Loki, and Hephaestus ignored this goddess since there was something more important than this goddess, but unexpectedly, this goddess came in their direction.
"Hestia."
"Freya?"
Hestia looked at Freya with confusion, but somehow, she felt a sense of forbidding.
"I am sorry to learn what is happening to you," Freya said softly, seemingly worried and cornered about Hestia's well-being.
"No, it's fine." Still, as something had happened with Isao and Hephaestus, Hestia felt wary of this beautiful goddess as Freya was famous for trying to lure any men to heaven and the world, and more importantly, she wasn't good with Freya.
"Hestia, if you don't mind, how about I give you a proposal?"
"Proposal?" Hestia looked at Freya strangely.
Hephaestus and Loki were even more so.
"If you give me him, then I can give you a good boy for you," Freya said softly. "This boy is pure and kind. I am sure he is more suitable for your Familia, and you two can live without worry."
"No way!" Hestia directly refuted this. "Isao-kun can only be mine!" The matter of Hephaestus couldn't be helped, but she definitely wouldn't allow Isao to change his Familia!
"That's unfortunate..." Freya sighed helplessly. "But if you lose him to Apollo, then you don't mind if I take him, right?"
"No way! We won't lose! We will definitely win!" Hestia became stubborn since she really believed that Isao would win!
"Well, I hope so too." Freya also hoped that Isao could win instead of losing.
Still, Loki became curious, then asked, "You like him too, Freya?"
"Well, he is an exceptional young man. Unlike the usual light, he is pitch dark."
"Darkness? Then isn't he a bad guy?" Loki asked curiously.
Freya laughed and said coquettishly, "Well, he is so bad~!" Still, she didn't linger any longer and just left since she didn't want Loki to pay attention to Isao, and it would be troublesome if that happened.
Loki somehow became curious and then looked at Hestia. "Shorty, is that boy on your Familia bad guy?"
"I-Isao-kun isn't a bad guy! He-He is kind and gentle!" Yet, even though Hestia said so, when she thought about what Isao had done on many occasions, she felt helpless.
"Then, should I get him too?" Loki said with a smile, wondering what kind of a young man could attract so many goddesses to him.
"No way! He can only be mine!" Hestia tried to defend Isao no matter what, but then, another voice came.
"Hestia."
Hestia turned and saw the goddess of harvest and the goddess whose chest was similar or even bigger than her. "Demeter?"
"I have heard from my child what happened to your Familia. Are you okay?" Demeter asked softly with concern.
"....."
Hestia blinked her eyes and felt the motherhood and warm feelings that Demeter exuded. She wasn't sure why, but somehow, she knew that she definitely couldn't allow Isao to meet this goddess no matter what!
Nevertheless, the Denatus started, and as the protagonists of this show, Apollo and Hestia sat on the table, face-to-face, under the watch of many deities, ready to watch the fun.
"If we win the War Game, I am taking Iinuma Isao. I want to make it clear at the start."
While Hestia was hurt that Isao and Hephaestus had done something naughty on her bed, she was still strong and faced Apollo. Yes, Hephaestus was fine, but she definitely couldn't allow Isao to fall on Apollo.
"And if we win?"
"We'll agree to any conditions you have," Apollo said with ease. "Recorder, make sure you've got that done."
The recorder, who was in charge of writing everything that was talked about on the Denatus, nodded.
Hearing those words, Hestia felt relieved, but she had to make sure to give more of an advantage to Isao.
"So, how will you fight?" Loki asked curiously. "It's not gonna be fun if you screw this up!"
Along with Loki's voice, everyone also started to express their opinions one by one since they wanted to see a fun War Game instead of a boring one.
"We only have Isao-kun. Why don't we have each side choose one representative to fight?" Hestia said that since this was the War Game, she could imagine that even if Isao's opponent was a Level 3 adventurer, she believed that Isao could win!
Naturally, Apollo wouldn't agree. "You only have one member because you are lazy. You can't use that as a reason." To give up his advantage for a fair battle? It was impossible for him to agree to do that. Moreover, Hyakinthos also understood how cunning Isao was.
While Apollo didn't want to admit it, the captain of his Familia, Hyakinthos, didn't have much confidence to win against Isao, especially when Isao had various tricks and ignored fairness for a victory.
Yes, Apollo agreed with this approach, and that was why he wished Isao to enter his Familia regardless of the method.
Being a loser meant that one would lose everything, but even if the method was dirty, if one was the victor, one would be remembered!
So, Apollo never gave up his advantage in quantity.
"Kuh!"
Apollo ignored Hestia's frustration and looked at everyone. "Let's hear what everybody else thinks. We can pull from the list of proposals by lottery."
Was this fair?
Well, it was fair and fast, especially when Hestia definitely wouldn't agree to any proposals that would bring her to a disadvantage, and frankly, Apollo believed that no matter what, he would be the winner, considering whatever the games they would play, all of his members definitely would play.
"This drawing is so important. Do you want me to draw it?"
Hermes, who knew nothing, was pulled by Hestia and Apollo. He was so helpless and looked at the two awkwardly.
"You are neutral and trustworthy," Apollo said.
"I am counting on you, Hermes!" Hestia looked at Hermes hopefully.
"....."
Hermes was helpless, but then again, his focus had always been on the child that Zeus entrusted. Unfortunately, that boy had entered the Freya Familia, so he couldn't pay him attention, considering how freaky Freya was.
As for Isao?
Hermes knew nothing about him, and he knew Apollo well, but his relationship with Hestia was quite good in heaven, so he hoped he could bring some advantages to Hestia.
"Oh, dear..."
Hermes put his hand onto the box, rummaged it gently, then pulled a piece of paper before his expression twitched. He looked at Hestia with an apologetic expression and said, "Sorry, Hestia. It's an open-field war."
"Ha?!"
"Hahaha..." Apollo was so happy. "It's fair, right? No complaints, Hestia."
While many were excited, many deities looked at Hestia with sorry expressions since the game would force Hestia's only Familia member to face all of the members of Apollo Familia in an open field, an all-out battle where no one could hide from anyone.
It was a simple game, but because it was simple, those with a bigger number would have a bigger advantage!
Hestia slumped on the chair, showing a hopeless expression, and cried, but no one said anything and just watched her in silence.
In this battle, they could only rely on themselves, and Isao had to work hard by themselves since, unlike the original protagonist, who could draw his friends to work together, Isao was alone and instead of a hero who gathered all of his allies to work together, he was a monster that brought terror to everyone.
Yet, that sleeping monster was about to be awoken by everyone in this world.
Then, six days later, deep in the dungeon, Loki Familia, one of the strongest groups on the Orario, was about to return from their expedition, and they were about to meet this monster.