Chapter 121 Meeting, United, Apollo strikes first.

The adventurers of Heracles Familia gathered in the conference room inside Heracles Manor. To be honest, it was probably the first time they ever entered that room as Heracles was more of a "Do what you like, but make sure it isn't stupid" kind of god in the way he ran his familia. For them, it was kind of nerve-wracking. Never had Heracles called every one of them for a talk.

They sat at a long oval-shaped table, waiting for their god, as well as their captain, August. It was Denki who had gathered them here, saying that their god had something important for them to discuss.

Jogu tapped his finger on the table, probably the most nervous of the bunch. He was a bit scared of what's to come, afraid of August because of his unpredictability. 'What if he wants us to fight a rex by ourselves? He wouldn't do that, would he?' he thought to himself.

"Oi Jogu, will you stop that annoying tapping!" Thorne annoyingly scrunched up his face. "Why the hell are you so nervous, dude?"

"Well... You see... The captain can be a bit extreme... What if the welcoming wasn't the only tradition in this familia?" Jogu leaned on the table, whispering suspensefully, getting everyone's attention. "What if... The captain wants us to solo fight a rex."

*Thud!*

Helga slapped Jogu on the back of his head, making the lanky adventurer wince in pain.

"Don't be an idiot... There's no way August would do that," Helga scolded him. She then turned to Denki, her eyes questioning. "He wouldn't do that... Right?"

Before Denki could answer, the door opened with Heracles and August coming inside, along with Froke, which the rest found odd. She was not a member of this familia, and from what Denki had told them, this meeting is of utmost importance. They couldn't see why an outsider is with them right now.

Heracles looked around with a serious expression on his face, nodding as he walked towards the head of the table. "I see everyone is here now... Good, I have no patience for tardiness... It shows disrespect."

Everyone stood up from their seats to greet the god, straightening their backs as they waited for Heracles to reach his spot. August followed behind him, while Froke walked nervously along the two.

Heracles arrived at the head, his eyes roamed the room, and with a satisfied nod, he sat at the head of the table.

August took his seat next to Heracles, in front of Denki, while Froke stayed standing behind August.

"Sit," Heracles' voice was filled with authority. There was a tense silence inside the room, making them aware that the topic of today might be more serious than they thought.

The others took their seats and waited patiently for their god to start.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why I called every one of you here today," Heracles began, his voice booming, breaking the silence. "I'll go straight to the point then... I'll be challenging the Apollo familia in a war game."

Everyone, except August, Denki, and Froke, widened their eyes, shock apparent on their faces. The Apollo familia is one of the largest familias in the city, and their god is one of the most influential gods here as well.

"Isn't that a little too sudden?!" Helga leaned on the table, looking at Heracles and asking. She couldn't help but raise her voice at the sudden news. She was a veteran and knew how challenging a war game is.

"She's right," Bors chimed in. "Apollo familia is way too large for us to challenge. They have over a hundred members while we only number at 12."

"And I don't see why we should challenge them," Nadia also joined in. "We have no interaction with those lots, and I can't see any reason for us engaging with them... Especially in something so extreme that it would lead to you, Lord, challenging them to a war game."

The others nodded. As far as they knew, Apollo familia wasn't even on their radar; they had no qualms with them, no interaction, no anything. So, for them, Heracles saying that he'll be challenging them was way too sudden.

"To be honest..." August's voice made the others quiet down. He grabbed their attention as his eyes scanned the room. "I was the one who urged Lord Heracles to challenge the Apollo familia."

August's bloodlust leaked inside the room, making the others gulp. Denki closed his eyes and clenched his fist under the table; he understood what August was feeling, as he was feeling it too.

"And to be honest... It's rather selfish." August looked at Denki and then at Froke. "And personal."

"Not just for him," Denki released his intent. Rage was palpable in his aura as he grabbed the attention of the others. "It is personal for me as well."

"With all due respect August... Challenging another familia in a war game should be more thought out, and should not be because of personal reasons," Helga voiced out her opinion.

Some of the members agreed with her, nodding their heads at Helga's words. "You're the captain of this familia, and you should know that challenging such a large familia like Apollo's puts everyone's life here at risk. All for personal biases?"

"I'm sorry, cap'n, but I'm with Helga on this one as well. I don't even know why we're fighting them, aside from the fact that it's personal for you and Denki." Thorne sighed and shook his head. He too couldn't fathom why August wanted to challenge the Apollo familia.

Heracles was being quiet as all of this was happening. He had his hands folded as he eyed August. 'What will you do now?' he thought to himself. 'This is also a test for you and your quality as a leader, August.' He wanted to see if August could rally the familia under his cause, to see if August has that quality in him. In his mind, he can't just hand August a silver platter every time. Though he would still keep his promise to help Froke, he would still be disappointed if August can't pull it off by himself.

August took a deep breath, staring at his side, seeing Froke looking down at the floor, looking guilty about all of this. For her, this was all her fault. August wouldn't have to challenge Apollo familia if it wasn't for her.

Seeing this, August resolved himself. He glanced at everyone on the table. August's tone softened, a glimpse of humility beneath his words. "I know it sounds brash, suggesting we challenge Apollo familia. But there's more to this than meets the eye. The reason this is personal for me is that it involves this girl right here." He pointed to Froke, who was shocked by the sudden attention everyone was giving her.

"I'm sure you all know Froke by now, and are wondering why she's here even though she isn't a member of our familia... Truth be told, she's a member of Apollo's, and she's the reason why I wanted to issue the challenge."

Everyone had a different reaction to August's revelation on why he wanted to challenge the Apollo familia. "She's an important friend to me and Denki, and she had suffered under the rule of that asshole..." he grunted the words, anger filling his body as he remembered what the god did to his friend. "And I can't sit idly by knowing that I could do something to stop it."

"So yes... It is personal. Yes, it is selfish, but I will challenge Apollo familia either way, with or without you. But I would appreciate it if you guys could join me in this fight as well." August stared at everyone in the room, trying to gauge their reaction.

There's a tense atmosphere inside the room; seeing this, Heracles tried his best to hold in his sigh. 'Still too green,' he thought to himself. The reaction of everyone was all too plain to see for the god; he knew that August's speech had the opposite effect, especially after what he said near the end.

"Captain... I'm sorry." Lysander was the first one to speak. He looked at August apologetically and sighed. "This fight, no matter how I look at it, is your fight and not that of Heracles familia as a whole. As sad as Froke being tormented by the god Apollo is, it doesn't change the fact that she isn't a member of the familia."

Denki opened his mouth to speak, but Lysander cut him off before he could even start. "Denki, do you remember when I first joined this familia... I just got out of being a gladiator, all I knew in my life is violence... And killing. No familia in Orario wanted me, not with my history." he then looked at Denki and smiled. "No one but Heracles familia."

"I fight for the good of the familia, and the familia alone... I'm sorry, but Miss Froke isn't a member of this familia."

Denki looked down. He understands where Lysander is coming from; he really does, but to see one of his friends not fighting with him and August really pained him.

"I-I want to fight..." Kiez stood up; he looked at August and Denki with determination. "Miss Froke is important to the captain and the vice-captain. And she needs our help; I can't see any reason why we can't do it. And besides, with the captain around, what can Apollo familia really do?!"

Katty also nodded along with Kiez. She had grown close to Froke, especially since she had become her roommate in the two days that Froke stayed within the walls of Heracles familia. "I too am willing to help Froke!"

Murmurs of agreement and disagreement quickly rose inside the room; the 12 members of Heracles familia all with varying opinions on the subject at hand. Some of them agree, while others don't. Soon, it became a tense screaming match, with opinions thrown out by everyone involved.

"They have us outnumbered!" Screamed Helga.

"We have cap'n! They don't have anyone close to him!" Thorne stood up from his seat to make his point across.

"They could hire someone to fight for them! Or did you forget they have more resources than ours?!" Eira also stood up, pointing out that Apollo familia is richer than them.

"Let them come! I'll take them all-"

The room had become so noisy that the words had jumbled together, watching all of his children getting at each other's faces; a vein popped in Heracles' forehead. He was starting to get irritated by their asinine conversation, what irritated him more is August... Instead of reeling them in like a true leader and captain, decided to join in the debate.

'This had gone on long enough!' Heracles stood from his seat, raising his fist, planning to slam it on the table to silence them. But before he can, a piercing scream grabbed everyone's attention in the room.

"STOP!!!" It was Froke, tears filling up her eyes, she pleaded for them to stop. "Please... Just stop..." she looked at everyone with determination and steeled herself.

She turned around and slowly removed her long-sleeved shirt, revealing her back for everyone to see.

Gasps could be heard inside the room. Froke's back was full of scars, from her neck down to her waist, littered by wounds and gashes that made everyone quiet down.

Even Heracles couldn't believe what he was seeing. His mind jumped to August, remembering their talk in his office, his anger, his bloodlust. Now he understood why... Why his child wanted to kill Apollo so badly.

Helga bit her lips. She too was filled with scars, but the difference is, she got hers within the fields of battle, and she knew the difference between scars resulting from wounds received in a fight and those that were from abuse.

Katty held her mouth. She was Froke's roommate for the two days she stayed at Heracles Manor, but she failed to notice the wounds on Froke's back. All because the girl always changed and bathed away from everyone, and she thought that she was just shy. Now she knows the reason why.

Lysander knew those wounds well. He had received countless of those from his time as a gladiator. 'She's been whipped, not only that...' he looked at her neck and found choke marks; at her shoulders, he found bruises. Memories of the times he was beaten by his owner filled his head, making him see red.

Kiez shook, he paled and started sweating. August's words about how Froke was being tormented by Apollo returned to his head. "How could a god do this... To his own child no less..." his innocent mind filled with dark thoughts on what Apollo did to Froke. He now realized just what August meant about tormenting. No... 'This isn't just bullying... This is torture.' he gulped and touched his neck uncomfortably as his eyes were drawn to Froke's.

Thorne just stared unmoving, not knowing what to do. He couldn't fathom what Froke had been through. "Damn..." he said absentmindedly.

Eira and Nadia closed their eyes, not wanting to see any longer. They shuddered as they could only imagine what she could have felt during the time she received those scars.

Ozwald looked at the ground and bit his lips. He couldn't imagine himself surviving what Froke had survived. He was filled with apprehension towards Apollo.

Bors took a deep breath. He had lived long enough to know that not everyone could live a normal life, that people suffer. But to know all of that and to see someone who actually suffered are two different things. "Poor lass." he muttered, shaking his head in contempt.

Jogu wanted to curse, but he couldn't. He had his mouth agape, his eyes tracing the back of Froke. He gulped, trying to wet the dryness in his throat.

August closed his eyes, his anger bubbling inside his body, he clenched his fist trying to hold his mana back from bursting out in anger. He knew of Froke's story, how she got those scars; he saw glimpses of it when he rescued him from Apollo. But he didn't think it would be this severe. Flickers of red lightning started to spark all over his clenched fist; he was trying, oh he really is. But his anger was starting to get the better of him.

"Control yourself August!" a voice echoed inside his head; Beowulf growled as he tried to snap August out of his anger.

August took a deep breath, the sparks of lightning slowly subsiding as he reeled his mana in.

Denki, meanwhile, was fuming. He remembered his talk with Froke on floor 18th, remembered every word he said. How he wanted to punch himself, now though, he wanted nothing more than to decapitate the asshole who did this to his friend.

His killing intent threatening to flood the room. A hand then stopped him; he looked at August who held him by his shoulder. "You will have your chance." August mouthed.

Denki nodded and breathed deeply, trying to control the anger that was rising up inside him.

Froke gulped and took a deep breath. "I... I was being raped and tortured by that monster for years," she started as she pulled her shirt back down, covering her wounds. Her voice grabbing everyone's attention. "I was told I was trash, useless... And to be honest... I envy every one of you who is in this room."

She took a deep breath and turned to face everyone. Her gaze determined, she clenched her fist and continued. "I envy all of you for having a better life than mine. I know it is unjust, I know it isn't fair for me to feel that way."

Her voice and gaze made some of them look down on the ground, while the others clenched their fists. "All my life, I had always been the victim; there's always something that is taken from me, and Apollo had taken my freedom... My life away... I envy you all for having yours in your hands. While mine is taken from me by a vile monster."

"But this time... I want to be selfish... I want to take back what's mine." She wiped the tears that were attempting to fall and shook her head. She then looked at everyone in the eyes. "I want to be free!" She bowed and slowly kneeled to the ground. "Please... Help me be free... Help me take my life back away from that monster."

"Well, guys..." August's voice was cold; he stared at everyone, and they could feel the anger their captain has. They too were feeling that anger bubbling in them. "Now you know why it's personal."

Lysander stared at August, he gritted his teeth, and nodded. He then walked towards Froke, kneeling down to her figure. He watched the groveling figure of the hybrid with anger. He too was a victim of abuse by a god; while circumstances might be different, the pain and suffering are still the same. "Froke... I have earned my freedom from a tyrant. Now I offer you my sword to help free you from yours."

The others, fueled by newfound determination, joined in solidarity. The initial discord within the room transformed into a collective purpose – to liberate Froke from the clutches of her tormentor.

Froke looked up, seeing everyone looking at her determined to free her. She couldn't help but smile gratefully towards them. As the room found a common ground, August's gaze shifted to Froke, still kneeling on the ground. "Thank you," she whispered, expressing her gratitude. The heartfelt moment lingered, acknowledging the strength it took for Froke to share her painful truth.

Heracles, observing the dynamics, saw a glimpse of the potential he sought in August's leadership. The familial bond, forged in the crucible of adversity, was emerging stronger than before. This war game was not just a clash of swords; it was a battle for redemption, justice, and the reclamation of a stolen life. 'Still too green though, but that will do.' He smirked and nodded as he watched his familia united under one purpose.

As that was happening, the door suddenly opened forcefully. Hestia barged inside the room, shocking everyone.

She was sweating, and pale, panic apparent on her face. Her eyes looked for Heracles, and saw the god staring right at her.

"What the hel-" Heracles started to ask, but Hestia cut him off with a panicked voice.

"BELL!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!!" She shouted, pleading towards Heracles for help. "HE'S BADLY WOUNDED!!! I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!"

The adventurers of Heracles familia as well as their god all had a shocked look on their face at Hestia's revelation. They followed the goddess and rushed to the living room and saw Bell, bloodied and beaten, along with Welf who was also injured. Lili was the only one who seemed fine out of the three of them; she was the one who carried the two back to Heracles Manor.

Denki and Kiez rushed beside Bell's side and winced as they saw the injuries he had sustained. There was a deep stab wound at his abdomen, and his right hand was bent on the wrong side, clearly broken in two.

"Who did this?" Denki spoke in anger, his face scrunched up as he glared at Lili, asking for answers.

Lili couldn't speak; the bloodlust Denki released made her unable to even breathe; she was shaking from fear because of the young samurai.

"ANSWER ME!!!" Denki screamed at Lili, making the pallum yelp in shock.

"DENKI!!!" August glared at his vice-captain and friend. "Control yourself; you won't get your answer if you're scaring her."

Denki blinked a couple of times and looked at the terrified Lili; he clicked his tongue as he realized his mistake. "Sorry." He took a deep breath, trying to stabilize his emotions. He then asked calmly. "What happened?"

"W-we were out drinking after a successful dive. Welf suggested a pub that sells good food and booze at an affordable price so we went there instead of the Hostess." Lili started to recount what happened. How some jealous adventurers started to taunt Bell, how they got into a fight, and how one of them intervened and did this to Bell without any remorse. Smiling as he broke his hand and stabbed him with his knife. "He then said... Trash should stick together. And left."

Froke widened her eyes; she knew who spoke like that. Her eyes then moved towards August and Denki, who by the looks of things are fuming with anger as well as they realized who it was who did this to Bell.

"Who was it?" Kiez asked, not taking his eyes off his friend and the one who he considered as his rival.

Lili gulped and answered, stuttering as she did. "T-the captain of Apollo familia... Hyakinthos."

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- At the Apollo mansion.

Two individuals are currently sitting inside the office of Apollo inside his mansion, one of them being the owner of the house, while the other is a female god who rules the red-light district of Orario.

"So my suspicion was indeed true. You really are a member of Evilus... Ishtar." Apollo swirls a glass of red wine as he smirked at the female god.

"And color me surprised when I received the word that you of all gods decided to join our cause..." Ishtar chuckled as she took a sip of wine. "Last time I heard, you hated us more than anything." she raised an eyebrow at Apollo, questioning his intention of joining Evilus.

"Evilus is just a means to an end... Don't you worry, though, I won't be ratting you out. I'm a man of honor after all. After this whole ordeal is done, I'll be leaving your organization." Apollo shrugged. Revealing his plans to leave after taking care of August and Heracles familia.

'Idiot, Apate wouldn't allow that. He can't even see that she's just using him.' Ishtar wanted to laugh at how idiotic Apollo was. Well, she can't blame him for falling for Apate's tricks. "Whatever you say." She smirked at him as well.

"Are you sure it was wise? Provoking Heracles by targeting Hestia?" Ishtar's seductive voice asked after she took another sip of her wine. "He can be really protective of her. Remember what he did to Heimdall when he insulted Hestia back in heaven?"

Apollo chuckled which slowly turned into mad laughter. "HAHAHA!!! You're afraid of that brute? He is an insult to godhood, and Hestia being friends with him is a fucking mockery of what we stand for. So she deserves what had come to her and her favorite child. And Heracles can be angry all he wants. I'm just getting started."

Ishtar cringed at how crazy Apollo had become; he was now unhinged, unrecognizable from the god he once was. 'That mortal really did a number on him...' she thought to herself,

"Just wait; after I'm done with them, they'll wish they never crossed paths with me. And Froke, I'll make sure to take care of her once I have her back... She's mine and mine alone." Apollo was rambling to himself, a crazed look in his eyes. He had fallen into madness, and he couldn't even tell. "HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

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Chapter 121 is now complete. How are you all enjoying the story so far?

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