BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOOM!
The harsh bombard shook the ground, and its voice echoed throughout the area, causing many people to look out in confusion.
As the sun was just beginning to rise, the noise was particularly intense, adding an element of suspense to the early morning scene.
"What's so loud in the early morning, nyaa?"
"Is it a fight?"
"Ah, is it Isao-kun's place?"
"Hey!"
Yet, deep inside, they knew that it should be from Isao's place.
"Wh-What's happening?"
Hestia was startled by the loud noise and explosion, but when she realized everything, she was already on the rooftop being held by Isao.
"It should be the Apollo Familia." Isao, who had dodged, looked at the group of people, remembering their faces one by one, then looked at Hestia, who he held. "Are you okay?"
"Um, I am okay." Hestia nodded. "I-I am surprised, but fortunately..." If Isao didn't react as soon as possible, then...
"Hold me tight. Don't let go."
"Un!" Hestia clung to him tightly, feeling happy but also angry. "That bastard Apollo! How dare he destroy our love nest!"
"It's fine. We have a new one."
"That isn't a problem, but you are right." Hestia was speechless because she had seen their new house, which she loved, and Isao also told him that he was prepared to build a bookstore on the first floor.
When Isao went to the dungeon, she could stay in their small bookstore, reading and selling books.
Such a simple yet happy future was waiting for them, yet all of them were ruined by Apollo Familia.
"Give up."
Even though Isao had run away on the rooftop, he was still surrounded by many. Nevertheless, he didn't lose his calm and looked at the woman who told him to give up.
"Once Apollo-sama takes a liking to a child, he'll follow them to the end of the earth. That's how it was with me and Cassandra."
Isao looked at the beautiful woman with short red hair, dressed in the white uniform of the Apollo Familia and holding a rapier. Behind this woman, there was a woman with a cowardly expression, long hair, a more reserved uniform, and a gloomy appearance, and she held a crystal magician rod, showing her status as either a healer or a magician.
Besides those two, there were more people around them, but Isao was too lazy to look at them since, unlike those two, the rest were small fries.
However, there was no doubt that they had an advantage in the quantity.
"From city to city, country to country... until we gave in. He followed us everywhere."
Whether Isao or Hestia, they shuddered in disgust at the thought of a stalker god following them to the end of the earth.
"Would you surrender? I don't want to hurt anyone who's going to join us," the woman said while looking at Isao.
Isao looked at the woman and asked, "What's your name?"
"My name?" The woman tilted her head, feeling confused by his calmness, but she said, "My name is Daphne Lauros. You can call me Daphne, as we will be colleagues."
"Say, Daphne, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"If I become part of your Familia, do you think that Apollo won't touch me?" Isao asked.
"....."
Daphne opened her lips, then closed them again, feeling helpless, but she knew that as long as Isao entered the Apollo Familia, then he had to say goodbye to his ass.
"You are kind, but it is impossible for me to join your Familia."
Isao held Hestia in one arm and took out his saber, showing his intention to fight. "No matter what."
"Is that so?" Daphne sighed, and she could tell disgust on Isao's face at the thought of Apollo's hobby, but there was nothing that she could do.
Still, Isao glanced at the woman with long hair, causing her to flinch. Then, with a flushed face, she peeked at him cautiously.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Hyakinthos suddenly came in their direction. "He is a cunning guy! Hurry up and catch him!" Unlike the others, he had faced Isao, and he knew even though Isao was only a Level 1, Isao kept so many tricks! Moreover, he was so angry when he thought how no one believed in him and how all of them knew that he had lost one of his balls!
Watching Isao, Hyakinthos also wished to destroy Isao's balls too!
Not only one but the two of them!
"Well, see you later, Daphne, Cassandra. You two are cute. I will talk with you again later."
BOOOOOOM!
Suddenly, a loud explosion and smoke spread everywhere, causing them to cough and be blinded.
"Catch him! Don't let him go! Cough! Cough!" Hyakinthos roared.
Isao quickly ran away like a rabbit, jumping from one roof after another after he threw a smoke bomb he learned from Tengen Uzui's DNA. Naturally, he had also mixed this smoke with something else.
"Somehow, I feel sleepy..."
Those who were exposed to the smoke bomb somehow felt sleepy and lay on the rooftop and closed their eyes, clearly sleeping.
"Dammit! This smoke is poisonous! Use wind magic to make it disappear!" Hyakinthos said hurriedly, and the smoke cleared up; then, once again, they chased after Isao again.
Only Daphne and Cassandra stood in one place.
"What's wrong, Cassandra?" While Daphne didn't really want to chase after Isao, she was also stopped by Cassandra, which confused her.
"He is dangerous..." Cassandra said with a blush.
"Dangerous? What do you mean? There are hundreds of us! Do you think that he can do something to the two of us?" Daphne looked at Cassandra with confusion, but she thought for a while and said, "But well, even if we're attacked by him, you don't seem to hate it, though."
"..." Cassandra.
Well, that was true since the thought of his calm expression when Isao faced all of them made it impossible for them to hate him, and he also called the two of them cute.
Only unlike the two, who could laze around, Isao couldn't since he was surrounded by many. Moreover, they were also prepared for his tricks and were very careful, especially when Hyakanthos had taken precautions.
"A trick is only a trick! In front of the overwhelming power, you can do nothing! Give up! You can't run away!"
Isao didn't bother to talk to Hyakinthos and directly attacked the weakling one, slashing his saber and causing a deep bloody gash on one of the adventurers.
"ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
That adventurer screamed in pain, but Isao didn't let him go; he stomped his shoulder and snapped his bones.
Snap!
Due to the pain, the adventure quickly passed out.
"..."
Watching how cruel Isao was, all of them fell into silence and felt chill, especially when they saw his eyes, cold and merciless, realizing how he was ready to kill all of them.
Isao didn't say anything and just remembered all of their faces as he used his other hand to close Hestia's eyes.
"Isao-kun?" Hestia was startled by his sudden act.
"Don't look. I don't want you to see me like this."
While Isao wanted to have a peaceful and happy life where no blood was shed, he knew that it was impossible. While he tried to become a good person, many forced him to become a bad person. He thought that after two worlds, he had grown up, but unexpectedly, many situations forced him to become bloody.
More importantly, he couldn't help but feel angry at the thought of god, who thought of him as nothing but a plaything.
Yet, probably how he was in the eyes of those high beings; he was nothing but a toy that they used to have fun with in the lower world.
Still, as he was at a disadvantage in terms of both quantity and strength, he ran away directly after they were stunned as they watched his cruelty.
Hyakinthos quickly recovered and shouted, "CHASE HIM! HE IS ONLY ONE PERSON! WE HAVE A NUMBER! SURROUND HIM AND MAKE HIM FALL INTO DESPAIR!"
Nevertheless, as Isao had taken advantage of running away first, he was able to escape and hid under the bridge. While holding Hestia, he started to think about what he should do.
'Now, what should I do?'
Frankly, this experience was new for him.
Unlike in the world of "Highschool of the Dead," where everyone followed the rules and played dirty in a subtle way, or in the world of "Kimetsu no Yaiba," where his opponents were evil, in this world, his opponent was on the right one.
Or rather, there was no right or wrong among them.
However, as Apollo was stronger than them, even if he had attacked them, nothing would happen, and all he would do was pay the guild fine.
Yet if Isao killed them, then he would be labeled as a criminal.
Still, as he was deep in thought, Hestia looked at him, who never lost his calm, never showed his weakness, and always hid everything inside. Watching this, she cried, feeling helpless by her powerlessness as she was unable to do anything to help him. At the same time, watching his silent struggle, thinking about how many things he carried secretly on his shoulders, she said, "Isao-kun."
"Hmm?"
"Let's run away."
Isao looked at Hestia, but she didn't stop and continued with her words. "Let's go out from the Orario. As long as I am with you, I am fine. We can open the bookstore that you want to open and be together. With you, I am sure that we will be fine, so that's why let's run—"
Hestia, who was a virgin and had never been touched by the opposite or same genders for eons, was stunned still when her forehead was kissed by him.
Isao pulled his lips, rubbed her head softly, and said, "Thank you for accompanying me, but I will fight even if I am alone. I hope that you will be okay and forgive me for kissing you." He stood up, ready to leave, but Hestia quickly stopped him and clung to his waist.
"I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry!"
Hestia cried, apologized, and said, "I am sorry for doubting you! I am sorry for being afraid to lose you! Let's fight together! I will stay with you! So, don't leave!"
"Are you sure?"
"Un."
"Then, don't regret it. Let's go to the headquarters of the enemy."
"Yeah, let's do it!" Hestia was fired up and prepared to support him no matter what.
War game.
Isao knew that this was the only way for him to solve everything peacefully and, more importantly, to get revenge in a legalized way. He could stay on the side of the good instead of becoming those criminals or rats that could only hide in the gutter.