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The loud horn stopped echoing.
The war was officially on.
But the Apollo Familia did not run right away.
They just stood there.
A few of them started to laugh.
"Look at them," a man in bright armor said.
He pointed his spear at Hestia's small group.
"They are just standing there.
They look lost."
"Let's get this over with quickly," another man said, stretching his arms.
"I want to go to the pub. I am already thirsty."
Hyakinthos stood at the front.
He raised his sword to quiet his men.
"Listen to me! Do not kill the white-haired boy.
Apollo-sama wants him alive.
The rest of them?
Do whatever you want.
Crush them."
The army cheered.
They finally started to move forward.
They did not run hard.
They jogged, thinking this was just a game.
On the other side, Elias watched them come.
He did not look worried at all.
He reached behind his back and pulled out his weapon.
It was a naginata.
It had a long wooden pole with a sharp, curved blade at the top.
He closed his eyes for a second.
He could use his special power.
He could use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
If he opened those eyes, he could see the lines of death on everyone.
He could end this war in one single breath.
But he kept his eyes normal.
"Too easy," Elias said to himself.
"It would be cheating."
He decided he would only use the pure skills he learned from his teacher, Scathach.
She taught him how to move, how to strike, and how to breathe.
He did not need magic eyes for these people.
Elias looked over at Dee.
She was sitting down on a broken piece of a stone wall.
She reached into a bag and pulled out a handful of popcorn.
"Are you going to help?" Elias asked her.
Dee popped a piece of popcorn into her mouth and chewed slowly.
"No.I am watching. You look like you have this covered. Do your best, Elias."
Elias just sighed.
He turned his head to look at Bell, Welf, and Lili.
They looked nervous, but they stood their ground.
"Watch your own backs," Elias told them.
His voice was calm.
"Stay together. Do not die."
Bell nodded hard.
"We will not let you down!
We will hold the side!"
"We are not going to be a burden," Welf added.
He pulled out his large, heavy sword and held it ready.
Lili loaded her small crossbow with a quick snap.
"Lili will cover you from the back. Just focus on the front, Master Elias."
Elias stepped forward alone.
He held the naginata loosely in his hands.
The first Apollo members reached him.
They were still smiling.
"Die, you fool!" a big man yelled.
He swung a heavy iron axe right at Elias's head.
Elias did not block the heavy weapon.
He stepped slightly to the side.
The axe hit the dirt with a loud thud.
Elias moved his naginata smoothly.
The dull side of the pole hit the man behind the knees.
The big man fell down hard.
Elias kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into three other men.
"Hey! He got lucky!" a woman yelled.
"Get him all at once!"
Five fighters rushed at Elias from different sides.
Elias breathed in.
He remembered Scathach's voice.
*Move like water.
Do not fight force with force.
Guide it away.*
He spun the long pole.
He deflected a sword strike, letting the blade slide off his wood.
He spun around and hit that man in the stomach.
Without stopping, he swung the curved blade and cut another man's spear completely in half.
He ducked under a wild punch, stood up, and knocked two more men out with the blunt end of his weapon.
He moved perfectly.
He did not waste any energy.
Every step had a purpose.
Every swing found a target.
"What is he doing?" an Apollo fighter yelled, stepping back in fear.
"I can't read his moves!"
While Elias walked through the center, a small group of Apollo members tried to sneak around him.
They ran straight for Bell and his team.
"They are coming!" Lili shouted.
She fired her crossbow.
The arrow hit a man in the shoulder.
"Firebolt!" Bell shouted out loud.
A blast of fire shot from Bell's hand.
It hit the ground right in front of the rushing men.
The fire exploded.
The men stopped and covered their faces to protect their eyes.
Welf ran forward into the smoke.
He swung his heavy sword with all his strength.
He slammed it into two shields, pushing the men back hard.
"Stay away from him!" Welf shouted.
Bell ran in right beside Welf.
Bell was very fast.
He dodged a spear, stepped close to a fighter, and punched the man hard in the jaw.
They fought well together.
They did not try to be heroes.
They just kept each other safe.
They made sure Elias did not have to worry about them getting hurt.
Dee ate another piece of popcorn.
"Nice teamwork," she mumbled to herself, looking very entertained.
Back in the center, the Apollo Familia finally realized Elias was not normal.
The smiles were totally gone.
"He is a monster! Mages! Cast your spells!" a captain ordered in a panic.
Ten mages stood in the back of the army.
They began to chant their magic words.
Fireballs, wind blades, and ice spikes formed in the air.
They aimed all of them right at Elias.
Elias looked up at the magic.
He did not run away.
He gripped his naginata tighter.
He remembered another lesson from Scathach.
*Magic is just energy. If you know where it flows, you can break it.*
"Fire!" the captain screamed.
The spells flew through the air.
Elias swung his blade.
He hit the side of a fireball, pushing it directly into the path of an ice spike.
The spells crashed into each other.
Thick steam filled the air.
He spun his weapon to blow away the wind blades.
When the steam cleared a few seconds later, Elias was standing right in front of the mages.
"Impossible," one mage whispered.
His eyes were wide with shock.
Elias hit them quickly.
He used the flat side of his blade and the wooden end of his pole.
One by one, the mages fell to the ground.
He did not kill them, but they were knocked out cold.
"Archers! Shoot him!" the captain yelled again.
His voice cracked.
He was terrified.
Arrows rained down from the sky.
Elias did not even look up.
He spun his naginata over his head like a fan.
It made a loud humming sound.
The wood knocked every single arrow away.
He adapted to the speed of the arrows.
He adapted to the wind.
No matter what they threw at him, he adjusted his stance and defended himself perfectly.
In the city streets, the crowds went completely silent.
The people stared up at the giant floating mirrors.
"Did you see that?" a man asked.
His mouth was wide open.
"He didn't even use a spell," another man said softly.
"Just a spear. Pure skill."
"I... I want my money back," a woman said.
"Apollo is actually losing."
High up in the Guild viewing room, the Gods were frozen.
Loki sat on the red couch.
Her mouth was open.
Her expensive wine sat on the table, totally forgotten.
"What in the world is that kid?" Loki asked.
Her voice was flat and shocked.
"Finn, you told me he was strong. You didn't say he was a complete monster."
Finn smiled a little bit.
He looked very pleased.
"I told you, Loki-sama," Finn said.
"The rumors from the dungeon were not normal.
But even I did not expect this level of skill.
His technique is flawless.
There is no wasted movement at all.
He fights like a warrior who has lived and trained for a hundred years."
Tione crossed her arms over her chest.
She looked annoyed, but her eyes showed deep respect.
"That is not a normal fighting style. Who on earth taught him how to move like that?"
Tiona jumped up from her seat.
"He is amazing! He is just knocking them down like practice dummies! Did you see how he deflected that fire? I want to fight him!"
Ais stood by the large glass window.
She watched Elias spin his naginata.
She watched him walk calmly through the terrified army.
He looked so at peace in the middle of a war.
Slowly, the edges of Ais's mouth moved up.
She smiled.
It was a very small, quiet smile, but it was real.
"He is strong," Ais whispered to herself.
"Very strong.
He is beautiful when he fights."
Hermes laughed loudly, breaking the silence in the room.
"Oh, my!
This is history, just like I promised!"
Hermes cheered.
He pointed across the room.
"Look at Apollo's face!"
Apollo stood on the other side of the large room.
His face was completely white.
His bright, confident smile was entirely gone.
He grabbed the back of a wooden chair to keep his balance.
His hands were shaking.
"No,"
Apollo said to himself.
His voice trembled.
"This is a trick. It has to be a magic trick. They are cheating. Hyakinthos! Do something! Kill him!"
Down on the battlefield, Hyakinthos heard his God's voice in his head.
He saw his family falling apart.
Men were running away.
He pushed his own men out of his way angrily.
"Out of my way, you cowards!"
Hyakinthos yelled.
He stepped forward and glared at Elias.
"You think you are special? You think you can embarrass my God? You are nothing!"
Elias stopped walking.
He rested the wooden pole of his naginata on his shoulder.
He looked at Hyakinthos.
He looked very bored.
"Are you done talking?" Elias asked calmly.
"You are wasting time. I want to go home and sleep."
"I will kill you slowly!" Hyakinthos screamed.
He rushed forward with all his speed.
His sword glowed brightly with magic.
He swung with everything he had.
Elias just sighed.
He stepped forward to meet the angry captain, ready to end the game.