"The reality is that I betray them for power."
This time, Ryou saw endless sorrow reflected in Ais's golden pupils, usually devoid of emotional fluctuation.
Instinctively, he patted Ais on the head.
"Alright, let's focus on breaking through this fortress first."
Ais obediently nodded.
He then looked towards Atalanta.
"Atalanta, go greet them."
"Yes, Master."
Following the command, Atalanta swiftly drew her bow skyward, releasing an arrow of light formed by magic towards the fortress's sky.
In the next second, countless light arrows fell like a torrential rain.
Two minutes later, under Atalanta's Noble Phantasm, it was hard to find anyone in the fortress who was completely unscathed.
Even those who were uninjured had their morale so shattered that they could barely stand, let alone hinder or exhaust any attacking forces.
With just one strike, it had a more terrifying sweeping power than large-scale magic and was much faster to deploy.
Witnessing the power of a Noble Phantasm for the first time, members of the two major familias turned pale, directing various reverent and wary glances towards the petite figure with adorable cat ears.
Especially the Loki Familia, who had since fallen out of their honeymoon phase with Ryou.
A month ago, they looked at Ryou with astonishment.
A month later, they looked at Ryou with terror.
In just a month, he had transformed from a promising adventurer into a leader with strength surpassing the entire Loki Familia.
As the head of a group and a highly ambitious individual, Finn couldn't help but show a bitter expression.
Ais's half-foster mother, Riveria, had a very complex look on her face. She was happy that Ais could grow faster within such a powerful faction, but she also felt a tinge of sorrow over the gradually cooling relationship between them.
Of course, the most agitated was Bete, whose silver-haired, wolfish exterior belied his inner turmoil, showing disbelief, unwillingness, and despair.
His values and views on love were almost animalistic—in short, the strongest had the mating rights.
In the original story, he had once mocked the protagonist Bell, saying that without strength or backing, Bell was unworthy of Ais Wallenstein.
Now, comparing himself to Ryou, it was like his mockery of Bell had come back to slap him in the face.
"Damn it!"
Bete punched a nearby boulder.
The hard rock cracked instantly under his full force, leaving a giant fist imprint in the center.
This strike fully displayed his formidable strength as a level 5 adventurer.
But it was futile.
Atalanta, a fellow demi-human, had nearly wiped out the entire fortress's ten thousand troops in one blow.
And such a powerful individual was merely one of Ryou's Servants.
Even without comparing himself to Ryou, Ais, who had once been on par with them, had unknowingly surpassed everyone in the Loki Familia.
He trained desperately and explored dungeons tirelessly, yet the golden figure he admired was drifting further and further away.
Despair, dejection, and hopelessness gnawed at his heart like demons from the abyss.
On the other side, Ryou certainly didn't care about the thoughts of a defeated rival.
Satisfied with the results of Atalanta's attack, he nodded approvingly and then patted Atalanta's head, paying special attention to her furry ears.
"You, you, you! What are you doing!"
The originally stoic Atalanta suddenly reacted like a startled kitten, leaping ten meters away from him.
Ryoug felt the lingering softness in his hand and maintained a nonchalant expression.
"It's nothing, I just thought you performed well and wanted to reward you."
Faced with his shamelessness, Atalanta gritted her teeth.
"Do you think I'm a pet cat or something?!"
Ryou gave her a curious look, the meaning in his eyes clearly saying, "Aren't you stating the obvious?"
Atalanta was so furious she almost exploded on the spot. She pointed at him and shouted.
"Master! Don't touch my ears! If you do it again, I will definitely..."
Before Atalanta could finish her sentence, Ryou clapped his hands loudly, interrupting her with an even louder voice.
"Alright, everyone! The walls have been cleared. It's our turn now; let's not keep our enemies waiting too long. Attack!"
With that, Ryou led the charge towards the fortress. Ais and Jeanne followed closely behind him.
Only Scáthach stood still with her arms crossed over her chest, her tight battle suit enhancing her alluring curves.
Scáthach had a disinterested expression, clearly showing no interest in slaughtering those weaklings. Even Athena's so-called strongest Zodiac Twelve couldn't excite her.
Due to Ryou's commanding presence, most members of the two major familias followed his lead and charged toward the fortress.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded.
A mere fifty-person team launched an assault on a fortress with sturdy walls.
Such a seemingly suicidal move could only happen in a world like Danmachi, where individual strength was paramount.
With many soldiers already cleared by Atalanta's earlier attack, the group easily leaped onto the walls.
When they looked inside the fortress, despite being mentally prepared, they were still stunned by the sight of the blood-soaked ground.
Corpses in various grotesque and horrific conditions lay scattered all over, intermixed with severed limbs and unidentifiable pieces of internal organs.
The few surviving soldiers were all wounded, writhing in agony in pools of blood.
The scene before them was nothing short of hellish.
"Do we even need to do anything?" one adventurer swallowed hard and muttered to himself.
The Shreme Old Castle Ruins, fortified like a fortress by the Rakia Kingdom, had almost turned into an undefended town, like a naked maiden facing fifty burly men.
At that moment, a faint sound was heard as a rain of arrows shot up from the shadows below the walls towards the group.
Almost simultaneously, a strong magical fluctuation filled the air.
The sky was instantly covered with countless wooden weapons—swords, spears, halberds—emanating magical energy.
Among these wooden weapons were some invisible ripples, seemingly indicating some sort of spatial magic.
Meanwhile, several level 4 adventurers suddenly had their eyes turn red, their faces contorting as if in a seizure, and then they crazily attacked their nearby comrades.
This series of attacks was highly coordinated, timed perfectly to strike when the group was emotionally shaken and less vigilant after seeing the gruesome scene within the ruins.
Caught between internal strife and external threats, the allied forces quickly fell into chaos.
At this critical moment, Jeanne, holding a white holy flag and appearing like an angel descended to the mortal world, stood at the forefront of the group. She raised the holy flag high and shouted.
O' Flag, protect my people! Luminosité Eternelle!!"
Centered around the holy flag, a translucent golden shield formed instantly, enveloping everyone within it. The overwhelming barrage of attacks struck the golden shield, creating a cacophony of crackling noises.
Despite being thin, this layer of light was like an insurmountable barrier, preventing any attack from crossing it.
Simultaneously, as if purified by the golden radiance, the frenzied adventurers gradually regained their sanity.
A meticulously orchestrated ambush was thus easily neutralized.
"Amazing!"
While Atalanta's power invoked awe and fear, Jeanne's strength inspired admiration and reverence.
A protector who could defend others was always more respected than a destroyer who took enemy lives.
At that moment, a figure swiftly emerged from the shadows of the stairs, brandishing two daggers that glinted coldly, rushing straight at Jeanne.
However, she underestimated the maiden of Orléans.
Though Jeanne had never drawn her sword to kill an enemy, she always stood at the forefront of the battlefield, waving her flag to boost the French army's morale.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was battle-hardened.
She had faced countless assassination attempts like this one.
Moreover, with her Revelation skill, attempting to ambush Jeanne without at least EX-level Presence Concealment and EX-level agility was wishful thinking. A level 7 was far from enough.
As expected, Jeanne didn't even turn her head. With a light flick of her flag, she wrapped it around the assailant's arm and flung her away.
With a loud crash, the assailant slammed into the wall of the watchtower, revealing her identity—Scorpio.
Enduring the intense pain coursing through her body, she pulled herself out of the wall.
She spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Tch~ Seems like my luck is pretty bad today. Not only did I encounter a detestable hypocrite, but she's also a tough nut to crack."
Scorpio glared venomously at Jeanne as if trying to kill her with her gaze.
At this moment, the other adventurers, having regained their composure, surrounded the heavily injured Scorpio.
"Surrender, beautiful lady. You have no chance of winning," Finn said with a gentle smile, attempting to persuade her.
"Hmmp! You weaklings think you can capture me!?"
Scorpio's face twisted with provocation.
Having been continuously overshadowed by the rapid growth of Ryou's group, and now being looked down upon, even Finn's good-natured face couldn't hide his irritation.
Before he could say anything, Scorpio suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Are you all just going to stand there watching while I'm about to be captured?!"
Hearing Scorpio's words, everyone became instantly alert.
Soon, several figures leaped onto the wall, standing beside Scorpio.
In addition to the familiar Gemini and Pisces, three new figures appeared.
One was a petite girl wearing a hooded cloak, hiding most of her face under it, timidly standing behind her companions.
Another was a tall, voluptuous woman with a hearty smile, wearing spiked metal gauntlets on her hands.
The last was a girl dressed in a swordswoman's outfit, with a katana at her waist, black hair, and black eyes, exuding a cold, blade-like aura reminiscent of someone from a distant eastern island.
She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword but did not draw it, assuming a standard drawing stance.
Despite being mentally prepared, the members of the two familias were still shocked.
This Athena Familia, which had been lurking in the shadows, had cultivated so many adventurers above level 7, and none of them seemed older than 25.
How terrifying this familia was!
"Level 4s, fall back! These enemies are beyond what you can handle! Level 5s, provide support!"
Feeling the powerful aura emanating from the figures before them, Finn and Ottar issued similar commands almost simultaneously.
"Don't think you can escape~ Let's all play together~"
The black-haired loli of the Gemini twins, wearing a teasing smile, directly charged into the Level 4 and Level 5 adventurers, her sharp claws instantly claiming the lives of two adventurers.
Seeing this, the kind-hearted Jeanne hurried to intervene, but the crowd slowed her down by half a step. She could only watch helplessly as the black loli caused a bloody massacre among the adventurers.
Due to the competitive nature among the members of the Freya Familia, they appeared indifferent to their comrades' slaughter.
In contrast, the Loki Familia, especially its captain Finn, was heartbroken by the losses. These were some of the finest members outside the core of the Loki Familia, who, with a bit more training, might have become Level 5 or Level 6, but now they lay dead on the battlefield like expendables.
The black loli's actions seemed to be a signal, prompting the remaining Zodiac members to simultaneously launch their attacks.
The battlefield quickly descended into chaos.
Seeing this, Ryou no longer cared about the fate of the two familias. He swiftly issued a series of mental commands.
He sent Jeanne, with her highest magic resistance, to face the only two Level 8 mages, Virgo and Pisces.
Atalanta was tasked with suppressing Sagittarius and overseeing the entire battlefield, providing support where needed.
Ais was directly ordered to hold off the swordswoman Capricorn.
As for Ryou himself, he charged at the seemingly soft and cute white-haired loli of the Gemini twins.
The hearty elder sister vibe Taurus confronted the equally savage Ottar, engaging in a primal clash of iron fists against a serrated greatsword.
The heavily injured Scorpio and the shield warrior Libra were held back by the enraged Finn and others.
The battlefield became a chaotic melee.
Various spells flew through the air, bringing invisible death, while swords and blades carved cruel arcs, claiming one life after another.
...
Amid the fiercest moments of this battle, deep within a heavily fortified secret chamber in the ruins.
This chamber, nestled within the thick stone walls, contained only a simple stone chair, dimly lit by a few flickering candles, creating an atmosphere of darkness and silence.
The noisy battlefield outside seemed like a different dimension compared to this space.
The mistress of the Zodiac, the familia's mastermind, the goddess Athena, sat confidently on the stone chair, holding a glass of crimson wine.
Beside her stood a beautiful woman with shoulder-length sea-blue hair, and delicate scales faintly visible on her forehead and wrists, exuding a gentle and serene aura.
She was an extremely rare mermaid.
At this moment, the mermaid woman stood beside Athena, cradling a large wine bottle in her arms.
Perhaps the oppressive darkness was too stifling, or perhaps it was simply boredom.
The goddess suddenly spoke.