1049. Shirou's Siege / 1050. Victory in the Siege

The evil incarnation, who wanted to destroy all happiness and food, possessed the power to make everything disappear, but in the end, nothing changed. People were so resilient; even after suffering natural disasters, they didn't forget to smile after crying.

When misfortune occurs, even the ordinary things around us can turn into happiness.

Shirou laughed nonchalantly. Even if he broke down, he would only find a place to self-destruct. He wouldn't think about hurting others or destroying the Earth.

Trying to eliminate happiness and trying to eliminate unhappiness yield the same result.

Then Shirou woke up and sat on the windowsill next to Soma, his hand still in the position of holding up the cup of Mara's Sake.

Soma, true to his word, agreed to Shirou's terms.

Shirou didn't experience any changes at the time, but when he tried to use the white god's energy, the energy responded to him.

Perhaps it was because he lowered his guard that the world accepted his existence; no, perhaps it was because he accepted the world. In any case, this change allowed Shirou to use a portion of the gods' power and make a contract with himself.

"Is there anything wrong with your body?" Hestia asked with concern. Shirou's current state could perhaps be described as that of a demigod.

"It's alright." Shirou nodded.

"Listen carefully, this matter must not be known to any other gods until everything is perfectly prepared!" Hestia said in a low voice.

"I know," Shirou nodded, but things always have to be faced.

This time, Shirou officially became a familia member and went to the guild with Hestia to submit the participant form, which was successfully approved this time.

In a few days, the Game War will begin!

Bell, who always left early and returned late, and came back covered in bruises every night, didn't go to training that day because the siege was about to begin.

The Hestia Familia versus the Apollo Familia: five people? No, four against one hundred.

At the command, the tolling of the great bell and cheers heralded the start of the battle. Throughout Orario, mirrors were scattered, using divine magic to grant them the ability to Clairvoyance, observing things several kilometers away.

People used this miracle to watch the siege unfold and gamble. However, to their disappointment, no fierce battle took place.

Apollo Familia remained inside the castle, allowing Hestia's Familia, who were hiding outside, to sneak away.

Contrary to what Orario had hoped for, inside the ancient city, the battlefield, the morale of the kin was low, and no one had the will to fight.

Outside the ancient city lies a plain, with nothing to obstruct the view. From the north to the east, only a few sparse vegetation dot the wilderness; rivers flow to the distant south; and forests can be seen to the west.

It can be said that as long as you stay inside the castle and have people watching the surroundings, you won't have to worry about any accidents happening.

"Haha, if they dare to show up, I'll use this to greet them." The orc youth laughed and tapped his longbow and custom-made giant arrows.

"Be careful, some of them may know True Magic," someone warned.

"Don't worry, as soon as we detect a magical reaction, we'll have the mage squad bombard that area with fireballs," someone said with a laugh.

The power and range of a True Magic are directly proportional to the length of the incantation. The city walls here are exceptionally sturdy, so even if hit by a few short incantations, they won't be greatly affected. The only things worth being wary of are the long incantations, which are easily detected due to the spreading magic power.

If any of the Hestia Familia dared approach the walls, they were greeted with a hail of arrows; if they chose to use long chants from a distance, they were ambushed. The Apollo Familia were well-prepared, and everyone believed they were certain of victory.

Just then, in the middle of the wilderness, a man wearing a cloak appeared; it was Shirou.

Chapter 1049 Shirou's Siege Battle

One hundred Apollo Familia attended the war, and the castle's flag was guarded by a young man with a ponytail, a high-ranking adventurer and the family's leader.

The city's four gates were tightly closed. More than 60 Apollo Familia stood atop the 10-meter-high city walls, each guarding a corner. Located on a plain, the city offered unobstructed views, making it impossible for even a mouse to sneak into the city unnoticed.

However, the members above were all chatting casually or lazily leaning back to rest, because the other side only had four people, the highest level of which was only a level 2, third-level adventurer, and they had no motivation at all.

In fact, even the viewers watching the match through the mirror, which was blessed with Divine Power and broadcasting the live, were yawning with boredom.

The members of the Hestia Familia have all gone into hiding, and even the Divine Mirror has difficulty finding their traces.

On the other side of the gods' seats, the gods were bored and complained that if they had known it would turn out this way, they should have let Hestia draw lots again.

Hermes, who was being blamed, responded with a wry smile.

Hestia stood with her arms crossed, staring blankly at the large screen.

The deity trusts her kin, and the kin trust the deity in return. Therefore, she would never show the slightest wavering, for that would be a betrayal of her children.

Apollo, sitting in the stands, didn't think that way. He wore a victor's smile, completely unconcerned about what the other gods said. As long as he won, that was enough. He was content as long as he could defeat Bell-kun; everything else was trivial.

The thought of the boy's pure white hair, delicate red eyes, and adorable face brought a strange, wicked smile to Apollo's lips.

"Apart from Bell, it doesn't matter what happens to the others. Give them all the bombardment they need to avoid giving them a chance to get close. Even if it means losing arms and legs, or even killing them, it doesn't matter!"

This was the instruction Apollo gave to his clan members at a previous meeting.

He would obtain any treasure he desired, whether by robbery or deception. As for things he disdained, they were merely useless junk, their existence only a waste of nature's resources.

At this moment, Shirou walked towards the main gate of the castle in the wilderness, wearing a cloak and carrying a heavy, inconspicuous gray iron weapon box on his back. He was the one who would start this battle.

Seeing the young man walking towards them from the wilderness, the members of the clan on the city wall revealed malicious smiles.

"Oh! Finally, a good show!" The gods in the stands shuddered and laughed excitedly.

Separated and hiding in the bushes, Bell, Wielf, and the samurai girl behind the rock wall could only pray for their lives.

'Big brother (Shirou)! Please make sure you are safe and sound!'

"The True Magic troops begin chanting! Archers, prepare! Execute all orders as commanded by the Supreme God!" the level-two adventurer in charge announced.

"To come alone, they really have no sense of self-preservation."

"Let's teach him a lesson! The color of burnt meat, hehehe."

The True Magic raised their wands and chanted spells. A volleyball-sized ball of flame appeared at the tip of each wand; although each one looked small, it could still create a crater when it hit the ground.

At this moment, more than ten fireballs gathered together and were launched simultaneously. Like meteors, they transformed into streaks of white smoke and flew towards Shirou was walking in this direction.

Despite carrying heavy luggage, Shirou moved quite quickly when he ran.

He trampled the wasteland, kicking up mud as he charged forward. Fireballs from the sky always flew past his head, yet he managed to dodge them all. Only behind him, walls of fire exploded.

The leader on the city wall's expression changed; the enemy's strength was not to be underestimated!

"Archers! Ready!"

"Watch us turn him into a hedgehog!"

The archer stood atop the wall, drew his bow to its limit, and aimed at the person moving at high speed on the ground. The triangular barbed steel arrowhead, combined with the force of the fall, could pierce through three layers of steel armor. Once it was inside, pulling it out would require scraping off a bit of flesh from the hook groove. If it were an ordinary person, once shot in a vital area, they would have no chance of survival.

"Emission!!"

A series of sharp whistling sounds rang out as countless black dots rained down on Shirou's face from the sky. The arrows were several times faster than fireballs, and this time Shirou couldn't outrun them.

Shirou turned around and put down the weapon box he was carrying. When the bottom of the box hit the ground, it sank into the mud.

Upon opening the weapon case, a wall of steel appeared before Shirou.

Ding ding ding!!!

The sound of arrows hitting the weapon crate rang out continuously, and the ground around them was also covered with arrows, but the inconspicuous weapon crate kept them all out.

Shirou emerged from behind the iron box, then lifted the cloak covering him, revealing two swords in his hands, and charged towards the city.

The commander's eyes widened, and he hurriedly shouted, "What!? He's the Demon Sword Forger! Archers, prepare for the next attack!! True Magic, don't stand idly by either!"

However, Shirou won't give them that chance.

He prepared dozens of weapons for this highly anticipated siege battle.

At this moment, Shirou held the two demonic swords, one blue and one red, in his left and right hands respectively. The blades were still shimmering with a strange light as they were drawn from their sheaths.

As is well known, Shirou can forge relatively durable magic swords, and when he first put one up for auction, it caused a sensation.

But that doesn't mean he can't make swords that are less durable but more powerful.

The swords Shirou is currently holding are of the most ordinary design. Unlike his pursuit of exquisite practicality, these two swords are quite rough, but... the energy they contain is absolutely not to be underestimated.

"Hey! What does he want to do?" The Apollo Familia on the wall felt the pressure in the atmosphere and asked in surprise.

"Never mind that! He's almost down there! Stop him!" the commander roared, his face contorted with rage.

Arrows and fireballs flew towards Shirou.

This time, Shirou neither dodged nor closed his eyes. Instead, he jumped up and met the attack head-on, spinning his arms in the air and swinging two swords towards the top of the city wall!

Suddenly, the demonic sword unleashed a massive surge of energy, forming two colossal dragons composed of elements: one a vortex of flames, the other a pillar of icy cold. With their jaws wide open, they swallowed arrows and fireballs, crashing into the city walls.

With a loud bang, followed by another deafening roar.

"Ah! Waaaaah!!" The Apollo Familia above were shaken and fell to the ground, retreating in fright.

"One more time!!!" Shirou once again swung his ice and fire swords, and two elemental dragons charged towards the city wall once more.

"Whoa!!" The Apollo Familia had never seen such a terrifying scene before. They fled behind the city walls, some lying on the ground, others covering their heads.

When the smoke cleared, a large gap was seen in the top of the sturdy city wall, which could withstand level 3 True Magic. The break was charred, and in some places, ice blocks still connected to it.

After the two demonic swords in Shirou's hands were activated for the second time, they began to crack, and finally the blades turned into fragments, leaving only the hilts.

The ten-meter-high city wall, excluding the breach created by the blast, was now less than eight meters high.

Shirou tossed the sword hilt aside, turned around, walked back to the weapon case, took out two new weapons, and returned.

No rush, no rush, he still has more than twenty weapons to try.

Chapter 1050 Victory in the Siege

With a deafening roar, the city wall was once again struck by the demonic sword, and the breach in the wall grew larger and larger.

"Damn it! What exactly do you want to do?! Don't you feel any remorse for wasting such a precious magic sword?!" The adventurer in command roared in frustration. Using a magic sword like a toy was far too extravagant! It was a complete waste of its potential. Even True Magic requires mana and casting time.

"No, not at all..." Shirou shook his head and casually tossed a nearly worn-out dagger onto the city wall like a grenade.

Boom!

Detonating Noble Phantasm? Isn't that basic stuff?

"Damn it!" The commander simply gave up on organizing his men, raised his wand, and began to retaliate against Shirou.

As a level 3 adventurer, his True Magic was more powerful, and he summoned a meteor that crashed down towards Shirou.

"Don't rush, this is just the beginning." Shirou chuckled, tossing aside the shattered magic sword, dodging the falling meteorites, and then drawing a knight's longsword with a blue scabbard from his waist.

"Don't stand still! Attack together! Blow up his weapon crate!" the commander shouted.

"Yes!" The other adventurers also recovered and attacked Shirou.

The True Magic began chanting a powerful True Magic to blow up Shirou's weapon case, rendering him unable to fire.

"If you can do it." Shirou drew the demon sword from its sheath, clasped his hands together, raised it above his head, golden particles swirling around him, and then... a Beam Cannon was aimed at the top of the city wall and blasted it upwards.

Golden light fell on the city wall and then spread in all directions, forming a pillar of light that shot into the sky.

"Whoaaaaah!!" The True Magic who were lined up and chanting were all blown away by the energy of the pillar of light.

"So strong! The reinforcements invited by Hestia's Familia are suppressing Apollo Familia with their two demonic swords. Could they just dismantle the walls and end the battle in one fell swoop? What an unexpected turn of events!"

Astonishment and excitement spread among the Orario players immediately.

The "mirror" suspended in the air reflected the billowing smoke and dust on the north and east city walls, as well as the ancient city itself, which was also affected by the disaster.

And then there was that young man who, even when facing off against numerous level 2 and level 3 adventurers, remained as brave as a lion. Spectators throughout the streets and alleys applauded and encouraged the powerful adventurer.

"Oh!"

"Go! Go! Tear the wall down like this!"

However, some gods who had previously paid attention to Shirou expressed their doubts.

"Isn't that the Demon Sword Forger? My child bought a scabbard he made, and it's excellent. My child was so happy about it."

"Isn't he unable to make a contract with the gods? When did he come into contact with external gods?"

On the throne, the goddesses Ishtar and Astraea changed their expressions and started arguing again about who knew Shirou first.

Hestia smiled. In short, Shirou-kun was on her side, which was wonderful.

"Oh my, oh my. As expected of my Shirou." Sitting further back, the goddess of beauty Freya looked at Shirou's face reflected in the mirror and smiled sweetly.

"Huh?" Hestia turned around in confusion. How did she get involved with Shirou again?

"Apollo! Send your men out to fight! Don't cower like turtles!" a god complained.

Apollo's expression changed, and he muttered under his breath, "Damn it! Everyone, stay calm! As long as we don't leave the city and hold out until he uses the magic sword, that will be my victory!"

At that moment, on the other side of the city wall, Ruen, Little Folk boy from the Apollo Familia, hurriedly ran over.

"The commander orders you to rush to the rescue! All of you, charge out together and take care of the Demon Sword Forger!"

"What will happen here if we leave?" the guards asked.