The morning following the grand ball at Apollo's estate, Hestia had to meet with the deities overseeing the War Game arrangements. It was decided that the contest would be Capture the Flag, featuring two castles—one for each Familia. Victory conditions included either the complete elimination of the opposing Familia members or the successful retrieval of the enemy's flag and its return to one's own base.
While Hestia handled the administrative side of things, Aiz and Finn of the Loki Familia arrived at the abandoned church later that morning. The moment Bell saw Finn hand over the cart full of Valis, his excitement was uncontrollable.
"Finally! We actually got that money!" Bell cheered, hugging the cart like a treasure.
The mere mention of money was enough to wake Lili from her slumber. She sat up groggily, her eyes still half-closed but focused solely on the prize. However, before she could demand her cut, she noticed something off about the atmosphere.
Harry and Hestia were still sprawled out in bed, looking a little too comfortable. Hestia had her head resting on Harry's chest, and the red tint on her cheeks suggested their night had been more than just peaceful slumber.
Lili stared at them for a second before groaning. "Ugh, get a room."
Hestia stretched, lazily opening her eyes before shooting Lili a mischievous smile. "Maybe we will…" she said slyly, before adding, "after we win the War Game."
Bell and Lili both sweatdropped, while Harry, grinning like the devil himself, hummed in a sing-song voice, "It's diving time and training time~."
Dungeon Dive:
With two and a half weeks to prepare, the Familia wasted no time. The very next day, Welf officially joined Hestia Familia, and with their numbers solidified, they ventured into the Dungeon for an extended dive.
They bulldozed through the earlier floors, moving at record speeds until they reached Floor 24 and beyond. From this point forward, the real training began. Harry, as usual, handicapped himself in absurd ways to keep things challenging:
Fighting one-handed
Hopping on one foot
Closing one eye (or both for the ultimate challenge)
Restraining his magic usage
The progress was staggering. When Harry updated his Falna, his new stats were revealed:
Status Update:
Name: HarryLevel: 4 → 5Strength: SSS 1999 → I0Endurance: SSS 1999 → I0Dexterity: SSS 1999 → I0Agility: SSS 1999 → I0Magic: SSS 1999 → I0
Harry felt the surge of power and immediately signaled the others to press forward. Their next challenge? Udaeus.
At first, he left the battle to Bell, Lili, and Welf, letting them test their limits. The result? They needed a little help.
Just as the bone giant's massive fist came crashing down, Harry blitzed in, saving his teammates and retaliating with a devastating punch to the chest. The force of the blow caved in Udaeus's ribcage, allowing them to remove the magic crystal and claim victory.
After the battle, Harry offered personalized feedback:
Lili was already incredibly fast, so she needed to focus on her Agility, Dexterity, and Endurance, while keeping her Strength and Magic at solid levels.
Welf needed to maximize Strength and Endurance along with his Magic while maintaining respectable Dexterity and Agility.
Bell was an all-rounder, meaning his priority was continuous leveling rather than focusing on a specific attribute.
Harry... well, he was just Harry. Better than everyone else.
After pushing forward to Floor 40, they decided to camp there for a total of five days, using it as a grinding ground to push their limits even further.
Upon their return to the surface, the Familia had an unexpected run-in with Ottarl, Freya's strongest warrior. What followed was a silent conversation—a battle of grunts, hums, and nods that only they understood.
Ottarl:Hmmm.
Harry:Hmmm.
Ottarl:Nod.
Harry:Nod.
The tension was palpable—at least to the bystanders, who had no clue what was actually happening.
When Hestia updated their Falna, the results were shocking:
Lili: Level 2 → 3
Welf: Level 2 → 3
Bell: Level 3 → 4
Harry: Level 5 → halfway to 6
Since falsifying level records was illegal, they had to report their growth to the Guild. The moment the news spread, Orario was left stunned.
A brand-new Familia already had:
A First-Class Adventurer (Harry)
A Second-Class Adventurer (Bell)
Two rapidly rising elites (Lili & Welf)
Not wanting any unnecessary visitors, they immediately went back to the Dungeon, this time using disguises (which worked by anime logic but made them stick out even more to normal people like you readers).
With one and a half weeks remaining, they squeezed in another five-day dive, this time pushing to Floor 50.
Lili was halfway to Level 4
Welf was just behind her
Bell was on the verge of Level 5
Harry was halfway to Level 7
War Strategy: No Rules in War
On their final night before returning to the surface, the Familia gathered in their abandoned church for a strategy meeting over dinner.
Lili spoke first, her mind focused on logistics. "We need resources if we want to be fully prepared—"
Harry grinned, cutting her off. "You guys really don't know me yet, do you?"
The room fell silent as Harry leaned forward, his golden eyes glinting mischievously.
"Why waste time preparing for a long battle, when we can win before it even begins?"
Bell and Welf shared a look, but it was Lili who raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"A battle is won best, before it is fought," Harry smirked, tapping the table. "Let's cut their supply chains, beat up a few of their members in pubs, and leave them scared, confused, and demoralized."
Hestia gasped, "Harry! That's not fair!"
Harry's smirk widened. "There are no rules in war."
His words hung in the air. Then, one by one, the rest of the Familia grinned in agreement.
"Let's win…in style."