Chapter 841: The Curtain Falls on the God of Drama

The War Game between Broly and Dionysus was held on a solitary island fifty nautical miles from Port Melen.

The entire island had been reinforced by the Gods using Divine Power, and the War Game's footage was projected onto Divine Power Screens throughout the streets of Orario.

"Third time's the charm, they've lost three times in a row already — I don't believe that even with a God who can use Divine Power in this match, that one from the Hestia Familia can still win. All in, I'm betting on the Demon King's defeat!"

Accompanying the War Game was the unstoppable gambling industry; some gambling addict Adventurers who had once lost everything and spent months killing monsters in the Dungeon to barely pay off some debts, this time once again staked their all.

After the War Game announcement of the Mortal-God War was issued, Orario fell into an inexplicable revelry, even more lively than the previous God Festival.

Even the massive city-cruiser 【Academy City】, upon arriving at the harbor, failed to interrupt this frenzied atmosphere.

"What's going on with the people of this city?"

The Academy City students who disembarked from Academy City and arrived in Orario only found it inexplicable.

【8】 The Academy City students who disembarked from Academy City and arrived in Orario only found it inexplicable.

"Captain Nina, look————"

A student from Academy City's 【Bader Class】 Third Squad pointed at the announcement on the wall and shouted to the puzzled half-elf girl behind him.

"The first War Game in Lower World history where a mortal challenges a God————"

Nina leaned in, reading the announcement's contents, but her expression turned rather strange after finishing.

"Are Orario's Adventurers this brave, daring to challenge even a God?"

The girl couldn't help but retort.

"Little miss, you're newly arrived from the Outside World, aren't you?"

Beside them, someone overheard and couldn't help but ask.

"So what if we are?"

"That's right then. Our Adventurers here are indeed far braver than those outside, but there's only this one who dares challenge a God.

And Lord Demon King is a prominent figure in our Orario; in just eight months since his debut, he has forged a renowned reputation————"

Orario's native residents thus chattered away, introducing the various deeds of Broly since coming to Orario as summarized by people, to the group of newly arrived Academy City students.

From False Newbie to Extreme Desire Tyrant, to the man behind the Team Light, the Regenerative Parents of all Orario Adventurers who popularized Resurrection Magic, all the way to the Heretic Protector, the One-Man Army Demon King who defeated a multitude of Adventurers single-handedly————

Nina and the other Academy City students listened with dizzy heads; some students even looked at the still wildly boasting Orario native with doubtful gazes.

"Hey, what's with those looks? Don't you believe what I'm saying?"

"How can you expect us to believe it? In less than eight months, he went from a nobody to a terrifying existence capable of challenging a God — that's more absurd and exaggerated than the heroes in most fairy tales!"

"Tch, that only proves our Orario's Lord Demon King is far more formidable than ancient heroes. Besides, what I've told you are just well-known facts.

The Hermes Familia side still has some top-secret intelligence on Lord Demon King for sale; I've heard from people who bought intel that that Lord also saved this world twice in a row some time ago.

"Wait, this world faced a crisis, and twice at that — how come we didn't know?"

"Of course because the crises were strangled in the cradle by Lord Demon King before they could even appear.

17

"You're talking nonsense, right?"

"Heh, the supreme victor has no glorious battle merits; a true great hero should be just like our Orario's Lord Demon King."

"Hey, you outsiders, don't listen to him blow hot air; that guy's just a brainless Demon King fanboy. Before, he even claimed he was the one revived by Lord Demon King after falling to his death."

"I'm telling the truth."

"Then why didn't you say so before?"

"Before, the Guild made me sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, forbidding me from revealing the matter of resurrection after death to outsiders."

As they talked, the once-resurrected bricklayer started arguing with an acquaintance.

The reason was actually simple: the guy he was arguing with had staked his entire capital on Broly's defeat in this War Game, so naturally he couldn't stand hearing others speak well of him.

Nina's group of Academy City students stared at each other in bewilderment; seeing the uncles arguing and no longer paying them any mind, they chose to leave.

"Captain, shall we go find an inn to stay at next?"

They were Academy City students; taking advantage of Academy City's stop at Port Melen, they had requested leave to come down and observe the World Capital Orario's situation.

They were about to graduate, and graduation meant facing employment; most Academy City students chose to work in the World Capital Orario, either joining the Guild as Guild Staff or selecting a Familia to join, becoming Orario Adventurers.

"I plan to go find my older sister first."

"Huh? Captain Nina, do you plan to join the Guild?"

"No, I chose the Combat Course, so I never intended to become Guild Staff; I want to become an Orario Adventurer, I just don't know which Familia to join.

My older sister is Guild Staff; she interacts with Adventurer Familias more, so I want to go inquire about Orario Familia situations from her."

"I see. But Captain Nina, how about we join the Hestia Familia?"

A Bader Class Third Squad student asked; they were considered famous problem students of this year's Academy City classes.

Each had high Combat Course credits, yet were proud and arrogant, itching to make a name for themselves in Orario's future.

And having just entered the city and heard the Demon King's story, they were naturally quite interested in the Familia the Demon King belonged to.

"Joining a Familia requires caution; you'd better come with me to find my sister, and after we investigate the situation clearly, make your choice then."

"I think Captain Nina's right; even if we want to join the Hestia Familia, we don't know if they'd even want us."

The group of thirteen-to-fourteen-year-old students decided, and marched in a mighty throng toward the Guild Headquarters; since today was the War Game day, many Orario Adventurers hadn't gone to the Dungeon — no one wanted to miss this Mortal-God Great War.

Eina sat behind the front desk, gazing at the Divine Power Screen also floating inside the Guild, but was spacing out just as the War Game was about to begin.

In the previous War Games, Broly had won every time, but this time was different after all — the opponent was a God capable of using Divine Power.

Even though Broly had been very confident before, telling her he had absolute certainty of victory, Eina still felt some worry.

"Eina, Eina————"

"Huh? Misha, what is it?"

"I know you're worried about that kid Broly, but you don't have to be this absent-minded."

Misha sighed, pointing at the group of students in Academy City uniforms following behind her.

"Your younger sister came looking for you."

"Uh, my younger sister?"

Eina looked in the direction her friend's finger pointed and soon spotted, among the students, a half-elf girl who bore some resemblance to her own mother in appearance, with a head of emerald-green long hair, and whose mixed heritage was not discernible from her looks.

A six-year age difference and going to a different school district for studies meant that Eina had never met her younger sister since the latter's birth, but the correspondence between the sisters by letter was not insignificant.

"Ah, you're Nina, right? You've come to Orario, this side, how come you didn't contact me in advance?"

Nina looked at her biological older sister walking over enthusiastically, unfamiliar yet carrying some familiarity, and only felt the other party's behavior seemed not quite the same as what she had imagined.

The imagined other party should have been a perfect, outstanding person, an object she should have learned to emulate since childhood.

"A week ago, I wrote you a letter."

"Uh————"

Hearing this, Eina's expression turned somewhat awkward; after the Six-Ring Formula incident, the Guild had many matters to handle, she had worked a lot of overtime, plus learning that Broly wanted to wage a War Game against the mastermind god Dionysus, causing her attention to be entirely focused here; her younger sister's letter was probably pressed inside the mailbox at home.

"Sorry, Nina, recently things have been busy on big sister's side, I might not have noticed your letter."

【Busy worrying about other people, that guy called Broly should be the very capable rookie adventurer big sister mentioned in her letters before, the one she was responsible for looking after.】

"It's fine, big sister, I wanted to ask you about something————"

"Ah, Nina, your matter wait a moment, the War Game is about to start, we should watch the War Game first."

The elf girl's words were interrupted; Nina looked somewhat speechlessly at her own biological older sister, whose gaze was fixed dead on the Divine Power Screen.

However, the others in the Guild had much the same reaction; even her classmates in the same squad beside her had the exact same reaction.

It was very obvious that the hype for this human-god great war in Orario had been maxed out; the moment the god Ganesha announced the start of the War Game, it made countless people stop what they were doing, eyes glued to the Divine Power Screen, wanting to know if the Demon King could oppose a god, or might instead be killed by a god in a single instant.

"The plan to destroy Orario wasn't made public; rather, it was framed as you wanting to measure the gap between yourself and the gods, which is why you came to challenge me and opened this War Game————"

To protect Fels, the truth of why this War Game was opened was not made public; only the gods knew what was going on, but everyone below the gods was completely unaware.

The external reason was that this Demon King Broly felt he was too strong, had already run out of opponents, and therefore wanted to find a god to challenge.

"Heh, Fels didn't pick the wrong person, it's just a pity, this War Game is destined to end with you arrogantly challenging a god, offending divine majesty, and dying as the final outcome————"

The War Game conditions privately discussed between Broly and Dionysus were not approved; the gods of Orario held a pessimistic view on whether he could beat a god capable of using divine power, and would not allow such terrifying combat strength, if it failed, to flip sides to Dionysus's camp, with the possibility of carrying out an Orario destruction plan that no one could stop————

Therefore, after discussion and compromise by the gods at the Divine Council, the win/loss of this War Game would not involve his transfer of allegiance.

Even if Dionysus won, he could only obtain the outcome of being exiled and driven out of Orario; the reason this God of Wine still agreed to such a War Game was because he wanted to completely solve Broly within the War Game.

An Orario with Broly in it can never be destroyed; only if the other party dies does the possibility of destruction exist.

Even if he, exiled, would be watched by the Guild afterwards, there is still a chance for him to hide back underground, develop his Familia forces, and secretly plot a new scheme to overthrow Orario.

"Divine Thunder, come forth!"

So, after the War Game was announced to have started by Ganesha, Dionysus also had no intention of holding back, directly using divine power to make the sky over the entire island thick with dark clouds.

Dark blue thunder dragons roamed among the dark clouds, rumbling sounds resounding between heaven and earth; the next instant, heavenly thunder bombarded down toward the entire island as if it cost nothing.

"Ah, so this is a god's mighty power?!"

Orario's audience gaped; just when countless people thought this Demon King Broly would be directly killed, the sky at the other end of the island also lit up with countless white lights — those were magic circle patterns constructed one by one from holy script.

The next instant, countless arrows of light also shot out toward the incoming thunder as if they cost nothing.

", that is, Arcana?!"

At the Divine Council venue, the gods watching the battle all looked toward Artemis beside Hestia; they all recognized those as the Moon Goddess's arrows.

On the Divine Power Screen, one side was terrifying thunder and lightning, the other endless white arrows; the two collided, and the entire island's terrain was submerged and annihilated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

By the time the arrows and lightning both settled down, the dozen-kilometer island had turned into a flat plain.

"Artemis's arrows, Hephaestus's forged Divine Bow — these two divine-crafted weapons are your trump card for devouring me?"

Gazing at each other across the vast distance, Dionysus suddenly waved a hand, and a lightning shield stood erect before him.

The next second, a thick Moon Goddess arrow slammed onto the substantial thunder shield; had it been raised even slightly later, Dionysus might have been pierced through.

One arrow ineffective, Broly began sprinting toward Dionysus's direction; his super-weighted training state had not been released.

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't want to give Dionysus the deepest despair; he just discovered the War Game could not stop a god from committing suicide and returning to heaven.

Broly worried that if he revealed overly strong power, Dionysus would see no hope of victory and might directly kill himself to escape.

【A god capable of using divine power has combat strength around nine thousand, while me in super-weighted training state should have combat strength just over six thousand; a difference of one-third the value should let that guy mistakenly think he can beat me————】

In the overhead view, Broly rapidly closed on Dionysus, occasionally dodging lightning striking from the sky, only firing Moon Goddess arrows to attack and offset when dodging was impossible.

When he was about to close in on Dionysus, Broly directly threw down the longbow in his hand, cast Riveria's protection magic on himself, gripped a Moon Goddess arrow that could serve as a spear weapon, and slashed at Dionysus.

And this God of Wine, just as he had said before, was not good at combat; clearly his attacks gave Broly the feeling they should have nine thousand-plus combat strength, yet in close combat the other party's combat technique — not to say nonexistent — could only be described as not even as good as some low-level adventurers, completely relying on divine power to have such combat strength.

Broly held the Moon Goddess arrow and wildly hacked at this guy; although he himself would be counterattacked by the lightning armor around the other party, he didn't much care.

If not for fear that this guy Dionysus might see no hope of victory and commit suicide to flee, Broly could even use micro-managed magic power to intercept every last bit of the lightning armor's counterattacks.

That's right, Broly was performing an evenly matched appearance, trying to inflict pain on Dionysus while also consuming his divine power.

A god's divine power is not infinite; it also has a time when it runs dry; once exhausted, the other party would find it hard even to commit suicide.

Of course, in super-weighted training state, speaking purely of numerical values, Broly is inferior to Dionysus who can use divine power to amplify his body, but add the Dragon Talisman and ten Dionysuses' vitality combined couldn't match him.

What he needs to do now is slow-boil this frog Dionysus in warm water, gradually letting him step into a dead end without letting him notice.

And the result of this thinking was that, before the countless Orario spectators watching the War Game, an extremely spectacular battle between a mortal and a god was staged.

Of course, no one knows that the seemingly advantaged Dionysus actually has truly weakling combat technique.

And the seemingly disadvantaged Broly, who appears to barely achieve an even exchange with the god only through a reckless injury-for-injury playstyle, is exercising his acting.

"God of Wine's Drunkenness!"

However, Dionysus is a god after all, and still used some unexpected moves, means similar to the Beauty Goddess's charm, a divine authority power belonging to the God of Wine, able to make people fall into a drunken, intoxicated state.

Broly only felt his head suddenly sink, a sensation of wanting to drowsily fall asleep; the next moment he reacted, decisively giving himself a set of Extreme Pain Fingers, blocking the drunken state through pain.

Under the pain, Broly rushed up and gave the seemingly surprised Dionysus, who hadn't expected him not to fall, a set of Extreme Pain Fingers as well.

One man, one god, deadlocked from daytime into night, from a grand scene of island destruction down to a petty street-brawl brawl.

And after Dionysus fell covered in wounds, as if he had already exhausted all his Divine Power, Broly also did not dare to be careless, yet he pretended to be unable to sustain his Physical Strength and fell down as well.

After a while, Broly only then pretended to struggle to climb up, looking as if he was dragging his tired steps, slowly shuffling to Dionysus's front.

"Finally, does this guy have any last words to say?"

Broly asked the deity on the ground.

"This kind of struggle, exhausting all efforts for survival, truly is so moving to me!"

No fear, no dread, bruised and swollen, looking not dignified in the slightest, Dionysus actually revealed an expression of enjoyment.

This guy's twisted nature is real, and there was no difference in treatment just because he himself was the one feeling pain, struggling at death's edge; he truly enjoys tragedy, even if the protagonist of the tragedy is himself————

And this situation made Broly feel displeased; he did not hesitate to get injured, to endure pain, cooperating with the performance until now, what he wanted to see was not the other party enjoying himself, but remorse and fear, immediately followed by bringing despair-like death to the other party amidst begging for mercy.

"Is this your final last words?"

Broly squatted down, hand placed on Dionysus's chest, and began to absorb the other party's life as a deity.

"No, this isn't my last words; my last words are, I want you to help me give that child Filvis an apology."

"Huh?

"

"Although I used her for my own selfish desires, I still very much like that child; her pain, her tension, her struggle, are all things I like incomparably.

Of course, I also know my love for Lower World children is extremely twisted, so, at the last moment of life, I want to apologize to her.

Broly, that child Filvis will be entrusted to you from now on; I hope your love will not let her feel pain."

Dionysus's figure became illusory; Broly looked at this deity twisted to the extreme with some complex feelings, and did not hold back, absorbing him completely.

And the Demon King Crystal Core inside his body, after absorbing this deity Dionysus, in the situation of having already evolved to the limit, advanced another step further.

【You absorbed a Local Deity, obtained the M12 World Dungeon's gift to a Godslayer, your Demon King Crystal Core evolved into a Demon God Crystal Core, you can create a Labyrinth Environment Module inside the Crystal Palace and mark it as your own Divine Realm; when you die, you will be reborn in your own Divine Realm.】