— — — — — —
Footsteps echoed softly.
Step by step, Ryo walked to the front of the band and climbed onto the low stage, barely a foot high.
As the music faded, eyes began to turn toward him, one after another.
Whispers quickly spread through the crowd:
"Is that… Arcadia's new leader?"
"That's him, the man who defeated Zeus."
"So that's the strongest human in history?"
Curiosity, doubt, and shock filled the air.
"So cool…"
In a corner by the wall, several children from Arcadia's headquarters stared wide-eyed at Ryo on stage.
"Ryo-nii is already this amazing?" Jin Russell looked at the stunned expressions on the surrounding community leaders, a quiet sense of pride swelling in his chest.
"I want to become the strongest human too," the fox-eared girl Lily said, her face full of envy.
A companion beside her burst out laughing. "Give it up, Lily. You're a Kitsune, not even human."
Standing nearby to watch over them, Kurousagi turned her head and reminded them, "Stay here and don't run around, understand?"
"Yes!" ×N
After they answered, Kurousagi straightened her appearance and moved toward the stage from the side.
By then, Ryo had already taken his place.
He stood on the modest platform, looking down at the crowd.
His gaze was sharp as lightning. He swept his eyes across the hall, and those weaker than him instinctively averted their gazes, lowering their heads under the weight of his will.
That domineering display sparked quiet dissatisfaction among many, but with no one willing to take the lead—and given the occasion—they swallowed it.
Seeing this, Ryo closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he wore a faint smile.
"First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for traveling such long distances to Arcadia City to attend this ball."
"As the current leader of Arcadia, I'd like to say a few words."
As he spoke, the smile slowly faded from his face. He swept his gaze across the crowd again. Some lowered their heads, unwilling to meet his eyes.
But this time, there was no force behind his gaze.
A trace of disappointment appeared on his face.
"To be honest… I'm disappointed."
The moment those words fell, the entire hall was stunned. No one understood what this was supposed to mean.
"Just now, I used a little trick—nothing worth mentioning. I mixed a bit of telekinetic pressure into my gaze."
"And unfortunately, nearly half of you avoided eye contact."
A number of people looked embarrassed. They were exactly the ones who had looked away.
Facing the thousands before him, Ryo spoke with quiet gravity. "I imagine your thoughts aren't that complicated."
"To sum it up: Arcadia is powerful. I, Ryo Yagami, have already secured my position. It's not wise to offend me, so you endure—for now."
"That's normal. Fear of the strong is instinct. I'm no exception."
He forced a crooked smile, almost like a clown. "Because just a few days ago, when Hermes arrived at Arcadia… I thought the same way."
"The Greek pantheon is too powerful. I had no choice but to endure—even when they were unreasonable, even when they acted arrogantly."
He paused and scanned the room again.
This time, the expressions he saw had changed.
There was anger there. The kind that dared not speak.
Softly, he asked. "How many years has this scene repeated itself?"
The atmosphere grew heavy, like the sky before a blizzard—dark clouds pressing in.
"I'm strong, so you endure me. Greece is strong, so you endure them."
"But am I really strong?"
Without restraint, Ryo released the aura of his cosmos.
It surged outward like layered storm clouds, filled with a destructive pressure that bore down on everyone present.
In an instant, faint light flickered across the walls—the defensive blessings activating automatically to resist the pressure.
At the same time, synchronized footsteps rang out as the crowd was forced back several paces.
Then, in the next moment, bursts of power erupted from all around the hall.
An old man with a white beard blazing with the fire of wisdom.
An oni of abundance.
A leader from the Five-Colored Dragon Court.
A handsome man with horns growing from his head…
One after another, powerful figures released their auras, pushing back against Ryo. In a heartbeat, they stood evenly matched with him—some even forcing him to take half a step back.
And then—
Ryo smiled.
He looked around at them, at every single person who had risen to resist, and shook his head lightly. "Looks like… I'm not that strong after all."
The meaning behind his words flickered through the crowd like a spark.
"What is he doing?" the young Sandora asked, confused.
Mandora's expression darkened. "He's waking up their courage."
At that moment, Ryo continued with a smile, "As you can see, the man who defeated Zeus… was pushed back by all of you working together."
He began to clap, his face full of mockery. "Congratulations. You've successfully defeated Zeus."
Silence answered him.
They defeated Ryo Yagami?
Which meant they defeated Zeus?
Only an idiot would believe something that absurd.
They hadn't defeated Ryo. And they certainly hadn't defeated Zeus.
Because in the past, they hadn't even dared to resist.
Why?
Because the Greek pantheon was powerful.
And why was it powerful?
Nearly a thousand five-digit communities. Experts of the four-digit rank appearing one after another. The Twelve Olympians, each at least top-tier four-digit, with their king reaching into the three-digit realm. And behind them, possibly the backing of Thousand Eyes.
That was why they were strong.
But were they truly that strong? Stronger than everyone gathered here?
Yes.
That part was true.
With the Twelve Olympians, Greece could easily send a single top-tier figure to destroy any one of the communities present.
But what if—
It was a battlefield where such top-tier beings couldn't appear?
What if Greece had to face nearly five hundred communities at once… along with over two hundred four-digit elites?
A thought began to take root in every mind.
If together they could force Ryo back a step… Then could they also defeat Greece, stripped of its highest-tier support?
The question lingered, deep and inescapable.
On the stage, Ryo's applause finally stopped.
He looked at the silent crowd, and at last, his expression became completely blank. "You all understand what I'm trying to say, don't you?"
"One chopstick breaks easily. A bundle doesn't. We love using that lesson to teach five-year-olds in our communities."
"But the truth?"
"The adults teaching it don't understand it themselves."
"Why?"
He slammed his fist against his chest and raised his voice, "Because we lack courage!"
"Without a leader, we're nothing but a scattered mob! That's why, even under oppression, we've never been able to unite!"
He pointed at the crowd.
"You need me."
Then he pointed at himself, smiling. "So—I'm here."
At that moment, Kurousagi stepped forward and handed him a glass of red wine. Below, attendants began distributing wine to the guests.
Ryo raised his glass and called out.
"A toast—to the Avengers!"
Glasses rose across the hall.
"To the Avengers!!" ×N
'A toast to Ouroboros,' Lamia thought silently as she lifted her glass.
'A toast to the Trickster,' Ryo echoed inwardly.
And with that—
Their morale was ready to be forged into a weapon.
.
.
.