Beneath Apollo's golden throne, two side corridors were lined with dazzling men and women. Some played magical instruments, trying to please the sun god with harmonious sounds. The atmosphere was one of pomp and ostentation, yet it carried a tense air.
Hyacinthus Clio, known as Phoebus Apollo, commanded with grandeur. At the head of more than a hundred elite adventurers, he led the defense of Apollo's fortress in the War Game. His combat attire was predominantly white, and the hilts of his long and short swords at his waist protruded from beneath his cape.
Behind him, two legions of mages, clad in predominantly white combat uniforms, stood ready to chant their spells at any moment. Level 3 adventurers guarded the highest points of the castle, ready to intercept any invader. The Apollo Familia was at full formation.
Additionally, several Level 3 adventurers occupied elevated ground throughout the castle, monitoring the surrounding area.
Hundreds of Apollo Familia members, wielding various types of weapons, were fully motivated.
But then, something changed.
The castle's music was suddenly drowned out by a soft voice, which spread like a whisper throughout Orario, transmitted through the "Mirror of God," echoing in the hearts of every citizen and deity.
Everyone turned to the walls in disbelief. A winged giant clad in purple armor suddenly appeared in front of the castle's imposing walls.
It was none other than Yuri in the final form of his Susanoo.
His imposing presence left anyone who saw him stunned.
"Amaterasu..."
The sword wielded by Susanoo was suddenly engulfed in black flames.
"I'm gonna borrow that emo avenger's move a little..." Yuri muttered as he manipulated his Susanoo.
A bow appeared on Susanoo's left arm as a black flame arrow formed.
"Hell Style: Susanoo Flame Control!"
The arrow was immediately fired, followed by a barrage of more arrows.
Each one struck the walls and those upon them, causing explosions of black flames that engulfed everything, turning everyone to ashes.
The entire defensive formation, meticulously built, crumbled like paper. Half of the adventurers died instantly. The magical legions evaporated without casting a single spell.
Even Hyacinthus and his last defenders could do nothing. The powerful black flames reduced them to dust.
In mere moments, the pride of the Apollo Familia was annihilated, turned to ash without even being able to react.
From sky to earth, absolute silence fell over Orario. The eyes of gods and mortals alike were fixed on the magical screen. The whole city was breathless.
"Impossible..." whispered the strongest adventurers.
Even Loki and Hermes, always irreverent, were stunned.
All across Babel Tower, a deadly silence began to spread.
Hestia, seated in a corner, widened her eyes and stared at the devastating scene on the light screen. For a moment, she couldn't react.
Freya suddenly collapsed onto the table, her entire body trembling as if she'd just climaxed.
She kept murmuring something, her face completely flushed, and if a god approached her, they would certainly hear her words...
"Hmm~ Beautiful... Ahhh~ What a gorgeous and dazzling man~"
Hermes, using his divine power, couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
"Zeus, Hera... the hero you waited for, powerful and unmatched, has finally appeared..."
And Apollo, in his temple, looked even more grim.
This was an entire magical army, along with Hyacinthus and all the most powerful adventurers of his Familia!
Wasn't Yuri Winters just a Level 2 adventurer? Apollo had worked so hard to gather so many Level 3s—was all his effort wiped out in seconds?
How was it possible that over a dozen Level 3 adventurers, dozens of Level 1 and 2 adventurers, and two mage legions—a force strong enough to corner and kill a Level 5 adventurer—were wiped out so easily? His entire sense of reality had been turned upside down.
The faces of the Apollo Familia members in the castle changed drastically, and the music once meant to entertain Apollo turned into the sharp sound of instruments falling to the floor.
Inside the hall, at the foot of the throne steps, Cassandra, who stood on the left side, suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Cassandra!"
Her friend Daphne rushed to help her but heard Cassandra kneeling on the red carpet, whispering in panic and helplessness:
"At twilight, when the sun and moon meet at dusk, the sun... will set for all eternity!"
At that moment, Yuri completely dissipated his Susanoo.
Only Yuri remained, cloaked in black. His eyes, cold as a shadowed spring, were locked on the castle.
The only two remaining Level 3 adventurers guarded the temple gate nervously, spears in hand. Yet after Yuri's display of power, they felt like insignificant ants before him.
His footsteps echoed like war drums on the ruined road. It didn't matter if they were the most common Level 1 and 2 adventurers in Orario or the Level 5s from top Familias—everyone felt like they were suffocating.
They unconsciously held their breath, and their heartbeats synced with the sound of Yuri's steps.
In Babel Tower, the gods murmured.
"Should we call him... the Purple Giant?"
"How about Narcissus?" another suggested, enchanted by the warrior's beauty.
"Scorching Flames!" someone else shouted with enthusiasm.
Level 1 adventurers are considered mid-tier in Orario, and there's a huge gap between them and Level 2s.
A title is granted by the gods only to adventurers of Level 2 and above. The title is decided by majority vote after discussion at the Gods' Assembly. Each time the level is updated, there's a chance the nickname will change or remain the same.
Gods love giving adventurers all kinds of titles for wicked reasons, and once they start, they can't stop.
The gods, eager for amusement, began bickering over what title to give Yuri.
The fight lasted a good while.
In the end, gods and goddesses with differing opinions couldn't convince one another.
"Stop fighting! He's already entered the castle!" one god shouted, and the entire hall fell silent.
Nearly all the gods widened their eyes, anticipating the very likely event of... deicide?!
At the gate, the two remaining guards charged forward with desperate cries.
With a single punch, Yuri slammed the first into the wall with meteor-like force.
"Don't get so cocky you—!"
The second, who tried a desperate dagger attack, was flung like a bloody bullet, crashing through the temple doors and landing behind Apollo's throne.
The fight lasted only a few miserable seconds.
Inside the temple, the remaining Apollo Familia members collapsed to the ground, paralyzed. The room was steeped in deadly tension.
It was then that Apollo, known for his twisted love, finally became afraid—no, terrified!
Staring at the invader with wide eyes full of pure terror, he screamed: "No! You can't kill me! I'm Apollo! A god!"
"If you dare raise your blade against me, the gods will hate you, hunt you down—!"
Before he could finish, Yuri was already in front of him.
His Nichirin blade pierced the sun god's chest like a final sentence.
Apollo's golden blood dripped down Yuri's blade and spread over his clothes and throne.
Apollo, gradually losing his life, raised his head to the sky and finally closed his eyes weakly, releasing his last breath.
The sun... had set.
A god was dead.
The atmosphere among the gods suddenly turned still.
They stared at the scene in shock.
A god... was dead!
And yet, for some unknown reason, fear welled up in their hearts.
Whether it was Hermes, Loki, or even other gods who were masters of scheming and deception, all felt panic in that moment.
It was as if they had unleashed some terrifying, violent, god-slaying monster with their own hands.
Freya, with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks, raised her voice.
At that moment, her face was deeply rosy, almost glowing, and even her eyes sparkled with an enchanting, passionate light.
"The War Game has ended. In the face of such a feat, his name must be immortalized. A deed like this will be remembered for millennia."
"What title shall we give the first mortal to slay a god with his own hands?"
After hearing Freya's words, faced with the young man who had performed such a banquet of power, who carried himself so heroically, the gods couldn't just play around and give him silly nicknames to tease him.
They lowered their heads and thought hard to find a fitting title, while Hermes, who had been silent the whole time, narrowed his eyes and spoke:
"Call him [Sunsetter]... The man who brought down the sun."
"In the history of Orario—and even of the entire human continent—he is the only person to have brought down the sun."
Hermes' words echoed through Babel Tower. The gathered gods fell silent for a moment, then looked at each other, nodding in agreement.
"Then, the new Level 2 adventurer, Yuri Winters, shall be called Sunsetter!"
"The man who brought down the sun!"
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(End of chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉