Hello hello everybody! How's everybody doing? Sorry I've been silent for almost two weeks now, had a lot of things on my plate and so this story got sidelined for a little bit until I picked it up again properly the past few days. To make up for the past two weeks of inactivity, I wrote the chapter much longer than the usual word count of around 4k or 5k each chapter. This one is almost 10k words discounting the top and bottom announcements, enough to fit two chapters. Also, that's another reason why I made this chapter super long, it's because I wanted to wrap up the Rakian Invasion arc in this chapter and begin the next arc in the next one, which will now focus on our main pairing's relationship building. Finally, we'll be getting what we all came here for, after quite a bit of filler chapters jesus christ. Anyways, that's all I have to say for now. Please favourite and follow the story if you haven't already and pretty please drop a comment in the comment section on how I can improve my skills as a writer. Constructive criticism of my work is highly appreciated and helps me grow as a writer in order to deliver higher quality content to you dear viewers, so thank you. Now on with the show!
I do not own Danmachi
Chapter XVIII: Foolish King
Third Person POV:
The battlefield had gone silent, what was earlier a cesspool of clashing bodies now was now no longer as an eerie and tense calm had replaced the earlier chaotic tumult of Rakian soldiers and Orario's defense force alike as the remaining horde of foot soldiers vacated the battlefield in a panic, running in retreat.
It was not the same for the brave adventurers of the city of heroes though. In fact, they remained vigilant, guarded, and defiant against the lone person in front of them. They vastly outnumber him, around more than fifty adventurers to a literal single foe, but something told them that despite this advantage in numbers, it would still be in their best interest not to underestimate their enemy lest their good fortune reverse.
It wasn't because the man gave off a powerful presence, he in fact was a low level two and currently did not pose any threat to the brave defense force of Orario, but their intuition told them that despite this, the man was about to pull something unbelievable..
And pull something unbelievable he did indeed
"Lord Ares, Lord Apophis, Lady Sekhmet! Lend me your strength so that I may vanquish all those foolish enough to stand against the glorious kingdom of Rakia!"
Raising his arms up into the air, his body began to glow a soft violet, which slowly but surely became more concentrated and powerful, erratically dancing and a rich violet-colored aura danced around Martinus Rakia as his body began to grow stronger at an alarming rate
"So this is Rakia's last stand, Martinus"
Finn's thumb grew sore, which made him bite it as a habit when he faced a troubling situation
Those from Orario were on their guard, they could feelthe overwhelming amount of divine energy that continued to rush into the lone enemy
"W-What is this?!"
Tiona squeaked as perspiration began to form and subsequently drip from her body as she has never felt such strength from an opponent before in all of her years as a warrior. This guy was in a league of his own
"I've never felt anything like this!"
The other Hiryute sister voiced her own thoughts aloud, sharing her sister's sentiment
"Damned Rakia, so they've decided to put all of their eggs in one basket!"
Bete snarled as he tried to stop himself from shaking, his keen sense of danger was going into overdrive
"Master Bell!"
Lili and the others finally met up with Bell. Due to the soldiers retreating, they decided that the best course of action would be for them to go to the white-haired boy instead of vice versa
"Guys, I'm so glad you're all alright!"
The white-haired captain of the Hestia Familia smiled at them as they approached him
"We are all glad you're unhurt as well, Master Bell"
Haruhime smiled warmly along with Mikoto, who nodded
"Hate to spoil the mood guys, but what do we do about that guy?"
Welf pointed an uneasy finger at the king of Rakia, who was continuously a frightening amount of strength while everybody simply just stood and watched
"Finn, your call?"
Riveria apprehensively asked as she readied her staff, waiting with bated breath
Finn remained unresponsive, trying to remain calm as he tried analyzing the situation. It was apparent to those who looked close enough that while though the Prum looked calm and composed on the exterior, he was spooked by the development of the situation.
'Even Ottar isn't this powerful...'
The dwarf beside him noticed his hesitation though, and snapped
"What's going on with you Finn?! Are you starting to piss yourself?!"
Gareth roared as he charged at the enemy right in front of them
"You lot just stand there and do nothing, giving this guy the time to power-up!"
The dwarf unleashed a powerful swing with his mighty battle-axe right at the stationary king of Rakia, still in the midst of his power-up
A loud explosion was produced as the Loki Familia's dwarf's mighty swing crashed onto the earth, sending dust and debris everywhere as the ground shook from the force of the violent blow
The adventurers of Orario looked on in awe at the display of strength from the mighty dwarf, as some got confused as to which one of them was more of a monster
"Can't tell which one's the monster... that guy or Mister Gareth"
A bead of sweat dripped from Raul's face, Anakitty agreeing with his comment
"I'd say the former..."
Anakitty apprehensively said as their senior shot out of the billow of dust, shooting off onto the wall of Orario with which he collided with as it rung the city like a bell
"Gareth!"
Riveria expressed concern for her old comrade as she immediately looked back at Finn with urgency
"Finn!"
She called out, trying to get any sort of response from the Prum as she started her magic
"Riveria, can you concentrate your magic attacks in one area?"
Finn suddenly asked, breaking her focus on chanting her magic
"Consider it done, just give the signal to fire"
She immediately understood his plan, but her attacks of such versatility were more on the intermediate side, and thus deals less damage than what her strongest attacks can do. It would have been enough for any of the two generals from earlier but she could tell that this opponent was way stronger, and so she definitely required more firepower
In frustration, Riveria let her eyes scan through the battlefield as if looking for a better, more guaranteed way of victory...
Until her eyes fall upon a certain someone, a certain elf in the same familia as her
"That could work... Lefiya!"
...
"Lord Ares, are you sure about this?"
A man similar in appearance and stature to the king of Rakia asked. It was apparent though that this man was much younger than the one on the battlefield
They were inside the command tent, where the stratagem of the Rakian invasion is being coordinated and choreographed. But itis apparent that it has been repurposed after most of the Rakian invading soldiers were either defeated or had deserted, along with the two generals of the army vanquished.
Only the two were inside the tent as two loyal guards remained outside, vigilantly protecting the tent from any would-be intruders
"Gh, yes Marius! All for the glory of the kingdom of Rakia and our Familia!"
A person possessing red, spiky, and fiery hair clad in armor responded, his complexion a tone lighter than what should be a healthy shade of pale
It was evident this man was a god with the divine energy he is releasing out of himself and is being funneled into a glowing spherical instrument, displaying the lone recipient of the divine strength
"Ngh, come on Ares! Is this all you have to spare?!"
A feminine voice harshly bellowed out from another magical sphere resting on a small pillow on top of a table beside the two
"I-I'm trying!"
The god of war shot back, annoyed at the voice for insulting his perceived lack of effort and dedication to the cause
"Any more and I'll disappear from the Lower World! Sekhmet"
Ares was clenching his jaw, the constant outflux of his divine energy debilitated him, making him grow weaker and weaker with each passing moment
The mortal man beside the fiery-haired god simply stood in silence, with an indecipherable expression on his face
"Ares! Don't tell me you're holding back! Here we are giving it everything we've got while you're too scared to go back to heaven!"
An angry voice roared from the magical object beside them, Ares weakly turned his head toward the object to respond
"Apophis... I-I can't... Rakia needs me!"
Almost too tired to argue back, he pleaded to the origin of the angry voice on the other side
But his plight was largely ignored
"Rakia will cease to be if you give it anything less than everything you have! We're prepared to give such and to be sent back to heaven for Rakia, you are not?!"
The angry voice responded to Ares' shaky response, even louder this time
"Lord Ares, I don't think that's a good idea..."
The man started but was quickly shut down by the angry voice booming from the magical communication device
"Silence mortal! You think your diminutive mind can comprehend what's a good idea and what is not?! This is a matter between us gods! Keep your nose out of it!"
Apophis, the god speaking on the other side of the communication device, spoke in a harsh, condescending, and derisively berating tone, his anger spewing forth like venom as Marius was forced to clamp his mouth shut lest he enraged the god further
"Y-yes, please forgive this human's presumptuousness, Lord Apophis..."
Marius lowered his head as his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched, bowing in the direction of the magic item in submission
"I-It's okay Marius... he's right, I can't chicken out now, not when the very glory of Rakia is at stake!"
Ares sighed as he smiled at the human, who looked at him with the same unreadable expression as before
"Guess there's no helping it..."
The god smiled as he closed his eyes and unleashed the entirety of his remaining divine energy which lit up the entire tent in a bright violet light as all that godly energy rushed toward the magic item
"I suppose this is it for my stay in the lower world..."
The god turned toward the young man beside him who shielded his eyes from the inundating bright light which emanated from the god beside him
"Young Marius, I shall entrust the future of Rakia to you. I see it now, Rakia shall reach its zenith during your reign"
The god walked up towards the young man and patted his shoulder as the violet aura from his body dissipated and a bright light began to take its place
"Lord Ares..."
Marius stared at his god, a complex amalgamation of emotions welling up within himself
"Farewell, my friend"
Then everything became blindingly white as the tent was perforated and a pillar of light shot up toward the heavens themselves
"Ngh!"
Marius shielded his eyes from the painfully bright light that enveloped the tent, then its glow started to dim until he could open his eyes once more
After moving his hands away from his face and looking around, he found that he now was the only person in the room, the god he was with mere moments ago now nowhere to be seen
"Lord Ares... it didn't have to be like this"
Marius sighed as he called out to the magic communication device that sat on the table nearby
"Lord Apophis? Lady Sekhmet?"
The blonde man called out, only to receive silence as his only reply
It was apparent to him that they too had forfeited their stay in the lower world to funnel all of their divine energy into the king of Rakia
"Father... I hope you're happy with this"
Marius sighed as he stumbled when trying to take a step forward, with the departure of his Familia's patron god, his blessing also went and he was now just a regular mortal once more
...
"Come famed heroes of Orario, has my dazzling transformation rendered you all utterly petrified?"
Emerging menacingly from the crater with a pillar of dust billowing from it was the lone, unfazed figure of the king of Rakia and the captain of the Ares Familia, Martinus Rakia, the foolish king
"Though it is to be expected, for all shall tremble under the strength of the Gods and Rakia, the mightiest kingdom in the world!"
Every step he took sent powerful shockwaves toward the forces of Orario, giving a glimpse of the true strength of its origin. The man opened then clenched his fist, as if comprehending the sheer amount of divine power his body held back, screaming to be unleashed to deliver divine arbitration upon the heretics that dare challenge the very gods themselves
All of Orario's warriors couldn't help but shake as they felt the man's overwhelming presence, their very instincts screamed at them that the man was dangerous, plain and simple. It was best to flee and live another day
And that was exactly what happened with the majority of the defense force of Orario
"G-G-Goddamn monster!"
A male adventurer cursed as he ran away, followed closely by members of his Familia
"S-screw this! I'm outta here!"
Another went, not even looking back as he rushed back into the walled city
"L-Loki Familia can take care of this!"
More and more adventurers began to turn tail and flee the battlefield, not that they could be faulted. Their very instincts screamed that it would be counterproductive to their current state of existence should they stay and fight
"Where do you all think you're going?!"
Raul shouted as he tried to stop himself from shaking so much, he was positively spooked from the power the man gave out
"It's okay R-Raul... they'd just be killed if they stay here... "
Anakitty was in no better state than he was, all she wanted to do was run and hide from the monster in front of them, but her pride as a member of one of the strongest Familias in Orario prevented her from taking a single step back
'Damn it! This guy's nothing compared to the Loki Familia!'
She kept telling herself that as she tried calming herself down
...
"W-we're out of here Braver!"
A man shouted as he and his comrades turned back and ran for the city, leaving the responsibility of its defense to the Trickster Goddess' children
Finn did not even bother to acknowledge them as he was too busy trying to analyze the situation
In total, only twenty-five brave adventurers of Orario remained to face the insurmountable threat that lay a few hundred feet away from them
They were all afraid yet they were also brave for they still stood defiant despite the great adversary challenging them
The full evening moon appeared, now uncovered by any clouds, spreading forth illumination upon and all those on the field and cool winds blew and danced along the grassy meadow
A place most peaceful and tranquil, had it not been for the coalition of several formidable forces in this single location
Then that tranquil was suddenly broken by a pillar of light originating from a tent by the not-too-distant Rakian outpost which pierced through and illuminated the night sky and pierced the night sky, briefly outshining the full moon's brilliance
All those present witnessed the event, some were confused while some widened their eyes in realization
"That light!"
Riveria expressed her shock as she looked toward the origin of the pillar of light, she had just finished briefing Lefiya about the battle plan
"Was that...?"
The younger elf beside the high-elf executive was about to ask when Finn cut her off as an answer
"Lord Ares... he was sent back to heaven..."
The Prum captain of the Loki Familia spoke, mostly talking to himself but in a voice still audible for the others
That would entail that Martinus Rakia, the captain of the Ares Familia should lose his blessing and therefore no longer pose a threat to them, so why was his thumb still hurting?
"That means..."
Riveria turned to look at their enemy who was still calmly walking towards them, almost biding his sweet time as his face dropped its regal and refined expression and turned into a bloodthirsty, manic one
"Something's wrong..."
She interjected herself, noticing something was definitely not adding up
The man still gave off the utterly dominating presence he had earlier before the god Ares departed the lower world. In fact, it was even more overwhelming now. This was counterintuitive to the common knowledge of what usually happens to one's blessing should their patron god return to the heavens
It was eating away at her, what could possibly allow him to still possess Ares' blessing?
But Finn Diemne wasn't about to allow himself to be ignorant of what just occured, so he asked...
"Martinus Rakia"
He walked forward alone as the others called out to him in concern and worry
"Captain! Where are you going?"
Tione attempted to run after him but was stopped by Bete beside her
"Let the captain do what he does, I thought you had more faith in him than that..."
The werewolf said as Tione glared at him, but dropped it as she continued to look on in concern for her beloved captain
Stopping some dozen meters away, the foolish king smiled and bowed to the Prum who had addressed him
"Finn Deimne, Braver of the Loki Familia"
His tone suggested a respectful recognition of title, but hinted condescension
The Prum ignored this and continued
"How do you still possess a blessing? I assume that pillar of light from earlier was Lord Ares returning to heaven?"
He asked as the king nodded to him
"Indeed, you are correct. That was my beloved kingdom's patron deity leaving the lower world and returning to his kingdom in the heavens!"
He confirmed what Finn had already surmised, but he continued on
"As for your other inquiry, I suppose I shall humor you for I am in a most terrific mood and feeling"
The man chirped as he began to explain while Finn and the rest behind him stood quiet, patiently waiting for the man to begin his explanation
"Though, it is merely a guess as to why, I honestly am unaware of exactly how this works as well..."
He added and then began to answer
"It is true that removing the patron god of one's Familia from the equation should also remove their blessing imbued on their followers... but what if the god had imbued his very divine energy onto them?"
This made their eyes widen, but Finn simply remained calm and listened to the rest of his story
"That's right! It would be as if the god had never left this lower world! At least for those who had received the god's divine energy. Not only will they receive an exorbitant boost in stats from the godly power, but they would essentially be their own deity and thus the source of their own power!"
The man laughed toward the heaven as he finished his explanation
"Lord Ares! Can you hear me?!"
He shouted, seemingly talking to his recently departed god
"For your ultimate sacrifice, Rakia will forever venerate you as a martyr who ensured that our kingdom shall always remain the mightiest there is! For I shall personally see to it that your sacrifice is not in vain!"
He then turned to the adventurers of Orario, who had remained highly vigilant of his every moment. A battle most ferocious was about to unfold
"And thus... "
Moving faster than the eye of a level seven adventurer can see, he rushed forward as chaos began to ensue
"I shall wipe out all those who stand against the name of Rakia!"
Unleashing a powerful strike toward the Prum now in front of him, Finn's seasoned instincts as an adventurer had warned him earlier that danger was incoming and was able to evade ahead of time
Jumping back, he wasn't completely unscathed as the force of the attack launched dust and earth everywhere, pelting him
'Tch! I need to activate my magic now!'
Finn thought this as the only option to at least lessen the large gap in strength between him and the king of Rakia
This would not be a smart option though, as his boosting magic, Hell Finegas, greatly drains mind and exerts immense strain upon the body only after a single use. Should he attempt to utilize it consecutively, the damage his body would incur would likely be unbearably great and thus debilitate, or even kill him outright
But he saw as there was no other way. As they were now, there was no hope to defeating this opponent, so they had to give it their everything... even if it means taking risks as huge as this
'Let's think of it as testing the limits of my endurance'
"Lucky dodge!"
The foolish king once again appeared and rushed the Prum, who had activated his magic and was about to start chanting
Unleashing another swing, Finn took advantage of his small frame and deftly slid under the attack, he could feel the force behind the attack but he didn't falter as he made an observation
'His attacks are sloppy, unrefined as expected of a king unused to the hardships of battle and training'
Finn then went for a powerful punch right towards the man's face as he threw it with all of his strength
His fist connected with the man's jaw, making his stagger back a bit
"Geh... not bad, I felt you tap me!"
The king mocked as he countered before Finn could evade, making use of his superior speed
Backhanding the Prum right in the face, he was sent flying back toward the defense force of Orario, shooting like a missile and posing a danger to anyone and everyone his way
All except for one
"How lame that was, Finn!"
Gareth came back just in the nick of time and took on the responsibility of stopping his comrade's trajectory
Intercepting the shooting Prum as they both crashed onto the ground, Gareth taking the brunt of the impact
...
"Tch! Come on! Stop standing like idiots!"
Bete roared as he rushed forward, followed closely by Tiona, Tione, and Ais while Bell nodded to Haruhime and gestured to himself and to the Loki Familia members currently rushing towards the enemy, Haruhime nodded back and began chanting her spell
"Don't worry Master Bell, we'll stay by Lady Haruhime's side. Go help the others!"
Lili told him as he nodded, smiling at them before turning his back and rushing toward the battlefield after the others
Activating her magic, the renard of the Hestia Familia began to glow a brilliant golden aura as five magical tails appeared beside her true tail, the current limits of her ability only allows her to boost five people at once for five minutes, but they will make do with that limitation
"Grow, that power and that vessel..."
Back to the brave adventurers who had fearlessly rushed into the battlefield to preoccupy the enemy in place of Finn. Martinus smirked at the eager cannon fodder for him to bring down and rushed ahead, surprising them with his sudden, overwhelming presence
"Youngsters! So full of life!"
Unsheathing his sword, he brought it down ferociously as he struck the ground beneath their feet, disorienting and separating them
All four of them had to jump back lest they be pelted by the amount of earth launched from the impact
"Ais! To your left!"
Tione shouted as she saw a looming figure heading straight for their comrade
The sword princess immediately turned toward her left just in time to evade a fist headed straight her way
Failing to hit his target, Martinus then swung her sword at her, which was too fast for her to evade, so she tried blocking with her rapier, which sent her crashing onto the ground
"You won't get away with that, old man!"
Tiona shouted as Tione and her rushed toward the fight to aid the downed Ais
Unleashing her Urga at her opponent with all the strength she had, she was surprised to find out that with a simply outstretched hand, Martinus had caught and stopped the weapon with no trouble at all
She was too surprised to react when Martinus yanked her weapon and along with her towards his and then sent a nasty blow to her abdomen, knocking her onto the ground as she spat out blood and sputum
"You bastard!"
The enraged half of the Hiryute sisters exclaimed as she threw a retaliatory punch with all of her strength behind it, right onto the man's chestplate as it dented and he staggered a few steps back, chuckling
"Phew, you took my breath away, fair maiden!"
He mocked as Tione grew further enraged, throwing a volley of punches his way as he tanked them and grabbed her by the neck and slammed her right into the floor and dragging her through the ground and dirt, splitting her scalp and drawing blood
"Tempest!"
Looking at the direction of the voice, Martinus barely blocked a blow Ais Wallenstein unleashed as her magic surrounded her body, boosting her strength to greater heights
"Tch! Such presumptuousness towards the king of Rakia!"
Martinus let go of the injured Tione and went for a swing of his sword toward the sword princess, whose greatly enhanced senses allowed her to deftly dodge his attack, unleashing a series of stabs and slices
Her attacks saw less-than-desirable effects as the king tanked most of her attacks, blocking the ones aimed at his face with his arms, who received the brunt of the damage. Any exposed skin was cut and perforated, but only at a superficial level
Annoyed at the stinging wounds he was receiving, the king had enough of his opponent's antics
Rushing forward and ramming into her with his forearms, he broke her string of attacks
The collision only served to disorient her, to stop her troublesome series of attacks
That left her at the mercy of the foolish king, which knew only naught but ruthlessness
His sword drew and unleashed, Ais barely deflected his attack with her own weapon but failed to block the roundhouse kick he sent her way, hitting her right on the side
She cringed as she felt a sickening crunch, three of her ribs were broken
"AUGH!"
Allowing herself a groan, or more like a whimper the moment before she was sent crashing onto the ground, down for the count for now
"RAGHHH!"
Quickly approaching was Bete from the Martinus' left, while Bell rushed in from the right
His boots enchanted with the power of fire magic, boosting his speed and strength to greater levels
Bell wielded the Hestia Knife, anxious to fight against such a strong opponent, but he didn't let himself falter and just kept running forward
"More impudent subjects it appears!"
The king boomed out as he monitored both quickly approaching enemies closely, he would not make a move until they were both within striking range
Once they were close enough, the king was about to go for a swing with his sword when Bell unleashed a volley of Firebolts right at his face
Expecting not the sudden bursts of magic shot right at him, the king of Rakia chose to forgo his attack and block the incoming magic
Exploding upon contact, his vision was suddenly obstructed by a thick smokescreen that was generated as the heat of the attack warmed his skin and singed his hair
Jumping back to avoid the smoke, he ran right into the werewolf of the Loki Familia's formidable roundhouse kick
Connecting with his arm, the general winced at the pain from the impact. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for the adventurers of Orario, nothing was broken
'Tch! It's like kicking a wall!'
Bete clicked his tongue, his enemy's durability was unlike anything he'd ever fought against
The king of Rakia wasn't about to let him off easily after his assault though. With his other arm, he grabbed Bete's outstretched leg before he could retreat and swung him onto the ground, knocking the wind out of the werewolf as he suffered a nasty blow to the face from the king, breaking his jaw
"Mr. Bete!"
Bell rushed in to aid the werewolf as now the formidable king of Rakia's full focus now shift toward his approaching figure
Martinus lifted up the injured werewolf by the leg once more then violently swung him straight at the approaching boy, who tried catching him to prevent further injury as they were both sent crashing away afar
...
"Finn ya' lousy lout, what the heck was that?!"
Gareth scoffed as they both got up from the crater their impact caused, dusting themselves as Lefiya was beside her captain, healing his injuries
The prum had suffered a cracked cheekbone, bruising and swelling around the area and a cut lip which bled
"Sorry about that... I wanted to gauge how strong he really was"
He replied as Gareth scoffed and Lefiya finished healing him, bowed and returned to Riveria's side, it was almost time they enacted the plan
"Hmph, and me gettin' sent flyin' didn't give ya' enough insight!"
The dwarf executive of the Loki Familia shook his head in disbelief
"So? What's yer take?"
Giving into curiosity, Gareth asked the Prum as he bit his thumb
"I'm guessing around a high level nine or new level ten? His strength exceeds that of even the Empress of the Hera Familia"
The dwarf's face went pale at the thought, to think that they were facing an opponent mightier than the strongest adventurer to have ever existed so far, it was a disturbing thought
"Although his power is formidable, I can tell he lacks actual combat experience and so we can exploit that..."
He continued, piquing Gareth's attention as he raised an eyebrow at the Prum
"Finn, tell me ya' have some sort of plan up yer sleeve?"
Gareth said as he gazed toward the young adventurers currently fighting against the king of Rakia, Finn gestured toward Riveria with all the remaining mages, who all stood behind an uneasy Lefiya
"There is a plan, Lefiya will be the one to deal the final shot"
Gareth looked at the mages and the gist of the plan entered his mind as he understood what he and the other's part will play
"Alright! Those lot need time yeah?! So we'll go ang buy them time!"
The dwarf rushed back into the field as Finn followed closely behind him, they had their part to play and the mages will do theirs
...
"Uchide no Kozuchi!"
At long last Haruhime's level boosting magic has been activated after a lengthy chant
Five magical golden tails appeared behind her as her level boosting magic descended upon its intended recipients
"Take this!"
Bete launched himself back into the battlefield after ingesting a health potion to heal his injuries, he decided to repay the king of Rakia in kind
Unleashing a ferocious haymaker, a golden aura suddenly began to envelop his body as his attack was significantly strengthened, surprising both the king as well as himself
'This is that Renard's magic!'
Bete thought to himself as he smirked, about time the Hestia Familia made themselves useful
"Hmph, I can actually feel your attacks now, foul beast!"
The king mocked as Bete grew angrier and followed up his attack with a knee aimed at Martinus' chin, but the attack was still too slow for the king of Rakia and was evaded with ease and retaliated with his own crushing punch right onto the abdomen, sending Bete crashing down on the ground, blood and sputum expelled from his mouth as he groaned in pain
"Don't count us out just yet!"
Tiona, Tione, and Ais re-emerged to fill in for the groaning werewolf, who was struggling to get up and get back into the fight
"The women of Orario sure are feisty!"
The king grinned, he would be delighted to take these women as his concubines after he's done with subjugating the city of heroes
Though they'd rather die than be humiliated like that
"EAT THIS!"
A level boosted Tiona swung her Urga as the king parried it with his sword, which left him open to the also boosted Tione and Ais as they rushed him
Their coordinated teamwork was enough to keep the king on the ropes as he struggled to adequately defend himself against their attacks, keep in mind that he still did not hold any prior veritable battle experience up to this point
Tione and Ais' rapid series of attacks began to overwhelm the king as cuts were present on anywhere that was not covered by his partially melted armor
"Tch! presumptuous lowlives!"
With a mighty swing of his sword, he fended off both Tione and Ais, who were both unable to properly block his sudden parry and were cut by his blade
A nasty slash on both of their shoulders, they winced in pain as they jumped back
Martinus wasn't willing to allow them any momentary respite though, so he rushed the golden haired girl, intent on putting her out of commission for good
Ais clasped her shoulder as she bled profusely from the wound, she could feel herself getting light-headed from the blood loss
To make matters worse, their opponent decided to pick on her first
Gritting her teeth, she reactivated her magic and met him head on in a clash of weapons, which collided with a loud clang
With all the speed she could muster, she let loose a series of swings and stabs, which the king found not too difficult to evade or parry given her weakened state
Frustrated, Ais jumped back and with all of her speed, rushed toward the wall of Orario
"Hoh? She flees the battlefield in fear?"
The king raised an eyebrow but stood still to see what exactly the sword princess had on her mind
The others though, knew what she had in mind and were quick to preoccupy the king
"Eyes over here, buster!"
His attention was torn from the golden haired adventurer and was redirected towards Tiona, who immediately jumped back in the action after she figured out what Ais was attempting
Dishing out a powerful swing, the king had to muster as much strength as he could at such short notice to parry it
Open to attack, Tiona once again made use of her powerful weapon and landed a blow right onto the king's chest plate, denting it as he staggered back
Frowning in anger, the king rushed back to meet the first-class adventurer of the Loki Familia
"Ack!"
Some distance away, Bete was now able to get up after the pain in his abdomen subsided. The king landed a blow powerful enough to incapacitate even a high level adventurer, but thankfully the werewolf's boosted stats allowed him enough durability to stay conscious.
"Damn bastard got me good..."
The werewolf growled as he turned to look at the approaching white-haired boy beside him
"Mr. Bete, why's Ms. Ais heading towards the wall?"
Bell inquired after seeing the familiar golden-haired sword princess' strange course of action
Bete clicked his tongue in annoyance
"Hell if I know, she must have some so-"
"She's using her finishing move!"
A sharp voice interjected, stopping the werewolf's words
Tione clutched her bleeding abdomen as she walked towards them
"Ms. Tione! You're bleeding!"
Bell exclaimed as he quickly pulled out a health potion from his pouch and offered it to her
Nodding gratefully, she accepted the potion and poured it on her open wound, which began to work its magic and close the wound by the sinews
"Thanks for that Bell Cranel, as I was saying, Ais is planning on using her finishing move and so we need to distract the king long enough for her"
Bell nodded as Bete raised an eyebrow
"The one she used against the Demi Spirit down on the fifty-ninth floor?"
He asked as the Amazoness nodded
"Well, I guess that's a solid plan... come on you shitty rabbit!"
Bell snapped back to attention after being addressed by the wolf
"You heard the Amazoness, we need to buy Ais time to do her thing!"
Both Bete and Tiona rushed back into the battle with their opponent, who was currently putting the other half of the Hiryute sisters on the defensive with his ferocious attacks, Bell followed closely behind as a soft glow of light began to concentrate around his right fist
...
"HAAAHHHHHHH!"
With a fierce shout, Tiona swung her large weapon with all of her strength right against the enemy, who also unleashed a mighty swing of his sword
As their weapons clashed, a fierce shockwave was generated as their battle grew even more ferocious
It quickly became a battle of strength as they both exerted more force against the other, one which Tiona started losing
Eventually, the king overpowered her attack as he forcefully parried her Urga away, slicing her abdomen in the process as the resulting cut drew blood
Wincing in pain, she tried to upright herself to retaliate, but was unable to do anything against a roundhouse kick, which sent her crashing onto the ground some distance away, rendered a groaning and injured mess
"Take this you bastard!"
A fiery leg courtesy of Bete Loga sent his way, he evaded just before the extended limb struck him in the face, the force behind the attack tickled the skin on his face and the heat warmed it, almost burning it
Clicking his attack failed to connect with its target, the werewolf of the Loki Familia jumped in to fully engage, throwing both kicks and punches, holding nothing back as the foolish king had little trouble outmaneuvering his attacks with his superior agility
Growing ever more frustrated of his inability to strike his opponent, the werewolf jumped up into the air and unleashed a powerful meteor kick, aimed not at his opponent but the ground. The resulting impact unearthed large amounts of earth and dust, which spanned even larger stretches as the cold, evening air worked in his favor and spread the dust further apart, enlarging the affected area
Martinus, unable to see any of his opponents coming due to the large dust screen, instead relied on his sense of hearing
'Faint yet rapidly approaching footsteps to the right'
He picked up as indeed, the hastily approaching figure of Tione Hiryute appeared from the dust and charged at him, her knives brought down at him and prepared to be imbedded in his skull
Without any warning, he unleashed a counter strike with sufficient power to knock the knives away from her hands. Without any weapons, she resorted to using her fists, sending blow after blow, with each one heavier than the one that came before it, showing the king why she was often dubbed a "berserker"
Attacks becoming more powerful to the point which her knuckles began bleeding, the king actually started to stagger back at the ferocity of her attacks, which kept him strictly on the defensive
Capitalizing on this opportunity Tione had made possible, Bete swooped in to take aim at their opponent, hoping to catch the king of Rakia off guard
But he didn't know that the king had noticed him and was intentionally leaving himself open to invite him to attack
Unleashing a powerful kick aimed straight at the foolish king's unprotected back, the werewolf was sure it would connect this time
But unfortunately for him, the king had hoped he'd take the bait, and that he did
With his superior speed, he evaded to the side and watched as both Loki Familia adventurers threw their attacks right at one another instead of him, both on a collision course
Too slow to react as they were both too far in their attacks, the inevitable collision came
Struck by the werewolf's leg in her abdomen, Tione spat out blood and sputum as she was knocked away, flailing around like a thrown ragdoll
A powerful haymaker launched by Tione initially towards her intended target mistakenly struck her comrade in the face as it broke his nose and forcefully sent him back the way he came
Martinus smirked, he dealt with two opponents at once without having to even lift so much as a finger
He was still in the midst of a wide dust screen though and thus, his sense of sight was still heavily handicapped, so he resorted to get away from the area to better assess his location
Before he could move though, the king's ears picked up the sound of chiming bells which began to grow louder with each passing second
Turning toward the source of the sound, he was caught off guard when the white-haired boy was right beside him, ready to unleash his attack
"FIREBOLT!"
With a powerful cry, Bell unleashed an Argonaut-powered fist imbued with his magic. His attack directly impacted the king right in the chest plate as it exploded violently and sent the king back
Though, the king was able to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground, preventing him from flying off due to the attack's ferocity
He skidded to a halt a few dozen meters away as he right himself, the blast had partially melted his armor and even burnt his face as he cringed in agony
"You'll pay for that, you insolent child! You dare injure the king of Rakia?!"
Deeply enraged, the king took advantage of the white haired boy's momentary defenselessness after unleashing such a powerful attack, rushed back and raised his sword, ready to cut the boy down for his insolence against the mighty king of Rakia himself
"LIL RAFAGA!"
Before Bell could be struck down however, he lucked out as a shout pierced through their battle, gaining both of their attention at the source, that was rapidly approaching them, travelling at a very high velocity
Enveloped by chaotically flaring, emerald-green wind magic, Ais ran all the way toward the wall protecting the city of Orario, pushed herself off and activated her most powerful attack, her magic boosting her as it propelled her to terrifying velocity
Not wanting to get caught in the ferocious attack of the rapidly incoming sword princess, Bell pulled back some distance away, just in time to avoid the violent and powerful collision that occurred not a second later
The sword princess blitzed right back into the battlefield, unleashing her most powerful attack which caused a large explosion as the ground shook even from the force behind the collision
...
"Flytja Galdrar!"
The chant of the spell complete, Riveria invoked the spell
All the mages behind her, including herself, began to glow a brilliant green as their magical power began to pool in one large sphere suspended in the air, basking their surroundings in a bright, greenish glow
Directly underneath the concentrated sphere of pure magical power was its intended recipient, a certain Lefiya Viridis
Flytja Galdrar, a support-type magic spell developed by the magical genius, Riveria Ljos Alf of the Loki Familia herself. So long as it is active, the spell transfers the user's magical power onto a selected recipient. Heightened devastation of offensive magical spells, increased effectivity and mind-efficiency of healing and non-offensive spells as a consequence of the recipient's augmented abilities. After a close call with a powerful foe during one of their previous expeditions, Riveria decided to do some research and began developing her own spell which when used wisely, can help turn the tides of the battle in their favor
Such were the times to use it wisely
Riveria understood that her and Lefiya's combined magical power alone could do great damage, but not enough to pose a real threat to their opponent in question, it would only be strong enough for a minor injury
And so she had devised a workaround to the spell's limitations. As per the spell's description, she can only transfer her own magical power and mind into the recipient and she cannot cast it on herself. Thus she had thought of a simple yet brilliant strategy. She gathered all of the mages who bravely remained in the battlefield around her, only around four mages had remained not including Riveria and Lefiya. Three mages were from the Loki Familia as well, two level threes and a level four, while the other one was a level four pallum mage from the Ratri Familia
The high elf had gathered them around herself and commanded them to link themselves and then to herself, effectively functioning as one, single large reservoir of magic power
Thus, Riveria needn't rely on her and Lefiya's magical power to suffice, the amount of magic they siphoned into the young elf was more than wat should be needed
"It's an honor to be of use to you... Lady Riveria!"
One female elf from the Loki Familia expressed her pleasure for serving the princess of the elves as her consciousness slipped away and she fell down, unconscious and the link was momentarily severed, as the two mages next to her quickly filled the vacant position, continuing the process
"Just a little bit more..."
Another mage exerted all the magical power he had in his reservoir, his consciousness also quickly slipping away until it did and he quickly collapsed
The mages dropped like flies as all of their magical power and mind had been exhausted from the transfer, with Riveria holding on to her consciousness the longest for she reserved her own magical power and mind for until only she remained standing as she was the caster of the spell
"Lady Riveria... the power you've all entrusted to me is coursing through my being, I feel powerful!"
Lefiya muttered as the additional magical power and mind she now possessed screamed to be unleashed into the world
"Lady Riveria! Please allow me to be of use as well!"
With steady and firm steps filled with resolve, Alicia walked up to her princess and requested she also contribute to the effort
"Alicia... about time you got over here"
Chuckling, Riveria nodded as Alicia, with Riveria's consent, placed her hand on the high elf's back as she immediately felt her magic and mind start to deplete
"Ngh!"
She groaned at the sudden feeling of lightheadedness, with each passing second her knees grew weaker and weaker as her mind reserve began to approach closer and closer to null
"I'm so happy I was able to finally be of help... after all that inaction..."
Alicia felt her eyes grew heavy as she started to lose her consciousness
"Don't say that Alicia! Anybody would be shaken after being almost killed by a fearsome foe, so the fact that you stood up again and got back to the fight warrants quite a bit of respect"
Riveria smiled as she looked back at the elf behind her, who was surprised at her words
Her lips curling into a weary smile, she closed her eyes as she felt unconsciousness embrace her
"Thank you, Lady Riveria..."
She dropped to the ground, motionless
Now it was time to make use of her own mind
The feeling of her mind rapidly and systemically draining from her hit her like a sack of bricks as her knees began to wobble, despite all the practice she did to further hone and perfect the spell, she never did get used to the feeling of suddenly growing weary and lethargic due to the depletion of her mind
Nearly at her limit, her eyes locked onto the beneficiary of her spell
The high elf wobbly walked up to the younger elf and then put her dainty hand on her shoulder, which caused her to turn toward the breathless Riveria, on the verge of collapsing from exhausting her mind and magic
"Lefiya... I entrust things to you... remember the plan... "
Her words dragged on as she finally lost consciousness and was promptly caught by Lefiya to support her unconscious body
"Somebody! Help Miss Riveria and the others, please!"
The elf pleaded as the other remaining fellow adventurers rushed toward them and assisted and tended to the unconscious
"Miss Thousand Elf! Don't worry about it, Lily and the others will take care of things from here! Lily believes Miss Riveria entrusted a job to you did she not?"
The prum vice-captain of the Hestia Familia approached her and took Riveria from her arms and held her to a leaning position, keeping her in a comfortable position to rest
"Thank you Miss Prum! Please take care of Lady Riveria for me!"
Lefiya nodded in thanks as she looked back at the battlefield, currently Bell and the others held back the beast known as the king of Rakia, sustaining heavy injuries and were at a heavy disadvantage despite their superior numbers, it was clear they needed help immediately
"Lefiya, you'll need time to chant your attack right?"
Finn walked up to the elf, accompanied by Gareth who kept his studious gaze at the action, as if looking for any opening to strike
"Mister Finn... yes! I need more time if that's not too much to ask"
Lefiya replied as she made her request, earning a smirk from her Captain
"Well, I suppose we'll be able to buy you a bit more time so you'll need to make it snappy"
The Prum said back to her as she nodded in response, she was determined not to fail now, especially since Riveria and the others entrusted everything to her, she was dead-set on proving that she would not let them down
"Aye, it'll be a helluva fight, but yous can trust us, lass!"
The dwarf finally broke his silence and spoke, reassuring the elf that they'll play their part while she does what she needed to do
"LIL RAFAGA!"
A piercing shout heard right before a violent crash and tremor which shook the area ripped everybody's attention away from each other and right back onto the battlefield
"I suppose that's our cue!"
Finn reactivated his magic and rushed back into the battlefield, Gareth following close behind the prum, ready to bust some heads
"Miss Thousand Elf! We'll create an opening for you to unleash your attack!"
Mikoto walked up to Lefiya, expressing her desire to assist in ensuring the success of the plan
"Yeah! We'll make sure the bastard stays still!"
Welf said, she was beside Mikoto as he wielded a Crozzo ice magic blade, which Lefiya noticed but didn't comment on, she knew of the prejudice her race held against magic swords, especially a Crozzo's but she personally experienced no injustice herself so she simply kept quiet and placed her trust in the two Hestia Familia adventurers
"Thank you, all of you!"
With a smile, she spoke her gratitude. Then her face became dead serious
"Unleashed streak of light..."
...
The dust had began to settle as the aftermath of Ais' sudden and violent re-entry into the battlefield became apparent
"Hah... hah..."
A panting Ais Wallenstein barely standing, as she nervously and apprehensively looked ahead of her. She was sure she had hit her intended target, the efficacy of the attack however was still in question
That was, until it was made apparent as the king of Rakia emerged from the crater, dust and wounds caked his body and his armor dented and broken. Languidly stepping forward as he took off his breastplate as it was counterproductive to keep it on
Ais' eyes widened as she saw that her strongest attack didn't deal much damage as she had hoped it would
"Gh... That was quite the entrance I must say..."
The king mocked as he spat out some blood which pooled in his mouth. While the attack wasn't anything he couldn't handle, it still dealt damage alongside all of the attacks he had received earlier, accumulating to his current agony and weariness
"Crashing the party once more after suddenly disappearing was an interesting move, little lady..."
His grin grew as rage overcame his features
"But lest we forget, I am the host of the party! And you all shall therefore submit to and respect me! Martinus, the mighty king of Rakia!"
Taking advantage of the shock the girl still stood in, the king was through playing games and was ready to strike them all down once and for all
Ais could only look on as the king of Rakia rapidly approached her, about to cut her down, as she was reminded of the feeling of being helpless against a foe
His sword swung quickly approaching, it collided not with its intended target, but a large battle-axe wielded by a certain Gareth Landrock, the powerful amount of force behind Gareth's attack was enough to parry the sword as the king was unprepared for the sudden entrance of more foes
"HAAHHHHH!"
A red-eyed berserker Finn bleeding from his nose and mouth screamed out as he let loose a powerful haymaker, striking the king right in his exposed chest, who recoiled from the pain and coughed out blood. Despite his vastly superior attacks, he was not impervious to the attacks of the adventurers, especially in his debilitated state
The punch sent the king stumbling back a few steps
"Ack! I expected more respect receiving me, which should be befitting of the king of Rakia, Finn Deimne..."
The king roared as he rushed back into the fight, anger fueling him to continue the fight, silencing the cries of his body to cease the battle to recover
"RAGHHH!"
Bete rushed back into the fight, taking advantage of the full moon as he beastified, drastically improving his stats. He knew they were in the final stretch now and thus resorted to his trump card
Striking the king's unprotected left side, Martinus winced as he felt a few ribs break from the blow
Staggering back further as he clutched the aching area, he grew further enraged at the presumptuous adventurers of Orario, daring to go against his will, inspired by the divine will of Lord Ares
"N-NO! I WILL NOT FAIL LORD ARES!"
An frustrated and insane scream erupted from his throat as he charged at the adventurers, sword in hand and ready to strike
Bete, Gareth, and Finn were about to intercept the king, when Tiona, Tione, and Bell appeared. Tione sent a strike at the weapon the king was wielding, splitting the sword in half and rendering it useless
"It's ironic that the king of a warmongering nation can't even properly handle a weapon!"
Tione teased, the king went into a panic and shielded himself with his forearms, his fear pushed him to take to the defensive
"Don't be shy!"
Tiona shouted as she unleashed her Urga, striking the king's arms with the blunt side. The king howled in pain as he felt his arms fracture at the blow, leaving him exposed to the white-haired boy in front of him
"FIREBOLT!"
Striking him in the chest, the boy detonated his magic and sent the king crashing onto the ground, his shirt burned away and the skin on his chest and abdomen steaming
Barely holding onto his strength, he was caught unprepared as Orario's might came crashing down onto him
Bete, Bell, Tiona, and Tione all charged ahead as they took the opportunity in front of them
Bete unleashed a powerful fist which connected with the man's face, sending him reeling back while Bell struck him in the abdomen, causing him to grimace in pain. Tiona and Tione opted to also use melee attacks as their weapons would be overkill at this point
With a powerful double hammer strike from the Hiryute sisters, the enemy was sent crashing down as the ground crumbled beneath him
"Guh..."
The king moaned in pain from all the beating he received from Orario's adventurers, his mind becoming hazy
What had earlier been an initially advantageous position they had been in with their newfound way to harvest and take advantage of divine energy had still been bested by the presumptuous and unyielding adventurers of Orario
The king so battered and beaten could no longer form a coherent thought, languid and spent from the exhausting battle he started and now he lay pathetically beaten
But there was now one word that firmly repeated in his mind
"Escape..."
"ESCAPE..."
"ESCAPE!"
His primal instincts took over and overrode his rational thought, so with all the speed he could muster, he jumped back to his feet and bolted away from the scene, leaving the others in shock and at a loss of what to do
But some weren't just about to let the foolish king get away so easily
"Hiyo!"
Unleashing the blizzard contained within his signature magic sword, Welf successfully froze the retreating Martinus' body solid, all except for his head who struggled to free himself in rage at the predicament he currently found himself in
Groaning in struggle, the king finally broke free of his icy restraint a second later as the adventurers rushed to apprehend him but were still some distance away
"Futsunomitama!"
The raven-haired far eastern member of the Hestia Familia unleashed her gravity-multiplying magic on the enemy, keeping him from moving not a single step any further as he was forced to his knees by more than a hundred times his own body weight, the adventurers of Orario stopped in their tracks as they saw the wide magic circle Mikoto's magic created, preventing themselves from also being caught in her magic
Screaming in pain, the king could do nothing as he rabidly flailed in a vain attempt to free himself from the miserable confinement he was in
"That enough time for you? Miss Elf?"
Welf smirked as he asked the glowing elf of the Loki Familia, all of her and the others' magic had been entrusted in this single attack and she was finally ready to unleash it
Instead of answering him, Lefiya unleashed her attack
The augmented Arcs Ray roared as it shot towards its target at the speed of sound, singing the ground underneath the beam's path, the power behind it enough to take down even an advanced Monster Rex such as Balor
Then, the bright full moon ceased to be the brightest object in the night as a powerful explosion shook the entire location
...
"Unhand me you ignominious simpletons!"
An indignant and fuming king of Rakia insulted as he tried struggling against the restraints a few members of the Ganesha Familia had placed him. Struggling against the strength of a level three adventurer who simply mocked the livid king, indignant at his treatment
"That we can't do your highness, you've caused quite the stir tonight"
A human adventurer responded in a mocking respectful tone, which only drew the king's ire more
"You wretched scoundrel! I'll have my subjects raze your damn city to the ground, as worthless as they are!"
The king spat as the rest of the defense force looked on, speechless as the king had been reduced to a negligible inconvenience once again after being vanquished
After Lefiya had unleashed her decisive attack against their opponent, the entire area lit up in a blinding flash of light as it exploded upon impact, generating a powerful tremor that rung the city like a bell as people began to panic that the adventurers of Orario were defeated, prompting the Ganesha Familia to come to the scene and assess the situation
All they found after the dust, smoke, and soot eventually cleared was the lone, heavily injured foolish king in a state of near-death. His clothes burnt away leaving him with nothing, not even his decency intact, burn marks ranging from not too bad to pretty bad stretched across his body, the severity of the wounds increasing the closer to the area the elf's ferocious attack had hit. His multiple cut wounds sustained from earlier had been cauterized by the heat of the blast as his entire body steamed. In short, he was, right now, quite the unfortunate son-of-a-gun
No longer did he pose a threat to Orario and its inhabitants due to his state and to the fact that the moment he had been vanquished, the divine energy instilled into him by the deities sent back to heaven earlier had dissipated from his body, rendering him a normal human once more
Then, everything happened so fast after, the adventurers rushed to provide life-saving aid to the roughed-up old man almost at death's doorstep, although some had initially contested this idea, and then the Ganesha Familia had come to properly detain him and put him in their custody once he was decently healed
Going back to the present, the foolish king was being escorted into the city by the Ganesha Familia as he continued hurling curses and insults at them, bound by his arms and guards on his flanks as they trudged forward. Before they could enter the city again though, a voice called out, getting everybody's attention
"Adventurers of Orario!"
A few meters away from them, stood Marius Rakia, the son of the foolish king and the rightful heir to the throne according to the traditions of Rakia being a monarchy
"Marius Rakia... have you come here to avenge your kingdom, as well as free your father?"
Finn walked up to the man, despite the comical height difference as well as the fact that Finn's body had been debilitated by his consecutive use of his magic, he could still effortlessly take down the man should a fight break out again, assuming Marius doesn't pull any tricks
"Finn Deimne"
He addressed the prum with a monotone voice, his mood difficult to read
"Marius! My beloved son! Retreat with the others and gather your strength, then come back to rescue me!"
Martinus shouted authoritatively as Marius looked at him, not reacting in any way as the atmosphere began to become unbearably tense because of his lack of response
All of them stood ready to jump into action should things get hairy, about to jump in once something happens
Something did happen, but it wasn't what they expected, not with everything that's happened
Instead of swearing revenge for the humiliation of their kingdom or cursing Orario and its inhabitants, the heir to the throne of Rakia, who had also beent he vice-captain of the now defunct Ares Familia bowed in shame
"I know after all that has happened, it is difficult for you all to trust me, a Rakian..."
Marius began, shocking all present
"But I sincerely ask Orario and its inhabitants to forgive Rakia and its leadership for its reckless warmongering behavior, we will accept any sanctions and reparations that you demand. I truly and humbly ask this of you, as the now head of the Rakian nation"
Speechless as they were before, they became even more, as a person who was supposed to be their enemy bowed and begged them for forgiveness for their actions, ceded hostilities and accepted any and all punishments Orario decides it should shoulder
"MARIUS! WHAT IN LORD ARES' AND RAKIA'S NAME ARE YOU THINKING, BOY?!"
As if he weren't already livid enough after his defeat at the hands of the supposed 'inferior vermin', Martinus snapped, screaming profanities at even his son, one who was supposed to be loyal to him and his kingdom
"Cleaning up after you and Lord Ares' mess, father!"
Marius firmly spoke, holding his ground as his father grew angrier
"YOU DARE SPEAK BACK TO ME, CHILD?! ONCE I BREAK FREE OF THESE BONDS, YOU'LL BE THE FIRST I HANG AS A TRAITOR!"
Marius winced, he never really did get along with his father as they had opposing views in life. The older Rakia was devoted to servitude of Lord Ares' warmongering ambitions, regardless of their feasibility or lack of morality. But the other was a sensible, kind-hearted, and level-headed. They were still father and son though, and to think that his father would so easily threaten to take his son's life away for a perceived trespass, it didn't sit right with the younger Rakia, so with his father's true colors brought to the surface, he firmly announced
"From this day henceforth, you, Martinus Rakia shall cease to be the rightful ruler of the kingdom of Rakia, unfit and undeserving to lead the kingdom in realizing its best interests and full potential. It therefore follows that the right to lead shall fall upon your named successor, I, Marius Rakia. For this nation had suffered under your as well as Lord Ares' mismanagement and tyrannical rule for long enough! Change must occur now and I'll ensure it happens quickly and effectively."
With unprecedented confidence and grace befitting that of a ruler, Marius Rakia had crowned himself the new and now rightful ruler of the kingdom of Rakia as his predecessor stared with wide eyes at his son
"HAHAHA! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO JUST GRAB THE THRONE FROM ME BOY?! LIKE I CARE IF NAMED YOU THE RIGHTFUL HEIR TO THE THRONE! I CAN JUST AS EASILY INVALIDATE YOUR CLAIM!"
Marius laughed maniacally unbecoming that of a gracious ruler as he screamed out his defiance to the newly appointed ruler, calling foul play
"WHO'S GOING TO ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE KING OF RAKIA?! SO LONG AS I'M STILL ALIVE, YOU'RE NO KING!"
The foolish man laughed at his supposedly sound logic, but a voice cut him off
"Marius Rakia, as you have stated your claim to the throne as its rightful heir, seeing as the previous king is now unfit and undeserving to rule over the kingdom of Rakia, your claim is accepted and recognized. I speak on behalf of Orario, who will recognize you as the new and rightful ruler of your kingdom"
Finn said, matching his grace and professionality, befitting that of the leader of one of the city's strongest Familias
Nobody would contest this as Finn's sharp gaze across the adventurers of Orario silenced any opposition, they wouldn't discuss this in greater detail until a later time. For now, they'd just go with the prum's decision to recognize the ruler
"And what of your father? Shall we send him back to Rakia for detention there?"
Finn asked, he didn't really plan on allowing Martinus to be sent back to Rakia lest a scheme for reprisal take root so it was more of a formality than a genuine question
"No, that will not be necessary"
And so his curiosity was answered by Marius' cold response to his question, the older Rakia went white in horror
"MARIUS! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! YOUR FATHER!"
Repulsed by his response as he had just easily threatened to hang his own son not too long ago, the current ruler of Rakia continued
"My decision is final, Orario shall see to the previous foolish king's fate, which I couldn't care less about"
His sharp gaze pierced everybody as they knew that he wasn't joking around, the previous ruler of Rakia would genuinely be left to the mercy of Orario
With the conversation finished, the Ganesha Familia hurried the broken and ashen Martinus Rakia into the prison dungeons of Orario, too shocked at the recent series of events that unfolded too even say anything anymore and simply just walked ahead without putting up a fight
With the previous king gone from their sight, the adventurers faced the younger Rakia once more
"Tell us, king of Rakia. Will you follow in your god and predecessors' steps and continue to lead your kingdom as a war nation? Or will you be a proponent of change? Leading Rakia down a better, more productive, and less bloody path?"
Riveria, now conscious once again, walked up to the blonde haired man as she asked him. Her eyes studying the young man in front of her, in all her years of life, she was able to deduce people's intentions and personality fairly accurately based on the look on their eyes, but this particular person didn't seem to give away his intentions at all, which unnerved her
The king took a moment to collect his thoughts and then answered
"I will be following my own philosophy of how a rightful, wise, and just ruler should lead their kingdom. No more will Rakia wage war unless truly necessary, no more will we be known as the warmongering nation that has brought nothing but pain, death, suffering, and ruin to others. I will undo what the previous millennium of rulers that came before me had built, I will take the kingdom down a radically different path, a better one."
And with that, the now recently coronated king of Rakia turned around and began to walk back to the Rakian camp to order a full retreat
Contested by nobody, they all stood silent as they watched his every step, growing smaller and smaller until he was out of their sight
Against an underestimated threat that had turned out to be a crisis, Orario had emerged victorious
-Fin-
Well, that was quite the workout to write, I'm sorry if most of the fighting was terribly written. I know I said that I'll opt for more decisive and meaningful attacks instead of flashy ones that just prolong the fight unnecessarily and take away the tension, but in this case, I wanted to give the idea that their opponent didn't really want to kill them outright and first started toying with them until he was at a disadvantage and where he couldn't kill them even if he wanted to. And because I wanted to kind of drag out chapter a bit as all that tension building only for the enemy to be defeated in a short while wouldn't be too engaging now would it? So I'm sorry because it could have been done better, so I'll try to choreograph battle scenes better next time. Anyway, please don't forget to leave a comment down in the comment section on how I can improve my writing as it will help me bring content of higher quality to you guys, and you guys deserve nothing but the best I can do. I'll see you lovelies in the next one, which hopefully shouldn't take very long!