The clash between Caenis and Scáthach's Noble Phantasms unleashed a colossal shockwave.
Even Odysseus, stationed on the flagship, couldn't help but be distracted.
Chaldea's sudden, near-suicidal charge, driving straight into the Olympus fleet with unstoppable momentum, had already caught him off guard. He should have been issuing launch orders to the Machine Gods in satellite orbit, yet the command still would not go through.
Every second of hesitation meant another sacrifice from Odysseus's fleet.
Even though he had initially treated the frontline allies as acceptable losses to annihilate Chaldea, he had still underestimated Chaldea's sense of battlefield judgment.
"What are you doing? Fire at once! Stop Chaldea's warship. Do not let that vessel advance any further!"
Realizing that Chaldea was using him as a "hostage," Odysseus burned with anger, yet he issued the order with his usual calm.
In truth, the fleet was already firing.
Their proud artillery hammered the Storm Border, but it achieved nothing. An invisible, top-tier barrier enveloped the ship, completely negating the barrage.
"Is there an exceptional Magus aboard…?" Odysseus ground his teeth.
Encased in heavy armor, his expression beneath the helmet was impossible to see.
Worse still, Chaldea's return fire was even more ferocious than the fleet's. A single hit was enough to punch straight through a warship.
The Olympus fleet was being torn apart by the combination of absolute defense and absolute firepower.
"So that's how it is. No wonder they crushed the other Lostbelts so easily."
With that, Odysseus made his decision. He would personally command the flagship and face the enemy head-on.
However, the great strategist of this Lostbelt was thrown off by the Storm Border's sudden tactical shift. In that moment of distraction, he overlooked the vanguard that had first plunged the fleet into chaos.
"You're absolutely right!"
The instant the unfamiliar voice rang out above him, Odysseus leapt backward on pure instinct.
He failed to notice the danger to the Olympus soldier nearby. A crushing impact sent the man flying, his scream cut short as he plunged into the sea.
From within the swirling dust, a man in a lightweight combat suit stepped forward, a crimson spear hanging loosely from his hand.
"Good reflexes. Even in a Lostbelt, a great hero is still a great hero. No way you'd go down that easily."
Shiomi sneered as he leveled the spear at the center of Odysseus's helmet.
Behind him, two armored female knights descended in quick succession, landing on the deck.
"Just three people were enough to throw my fleet into disarray, and now you've reached the flagship itself." Odysseus's jet-black cloak snapped violently in the sea wind. His voice remained calm, as it always was. "You've set your sights on me. Planning to win by defeating me?"
"Why not?"
Unlike the alert Melusine and Barghest, Shiomi casually brushed the dust from his clothes.
"Not a bad call, but—"
Amid the roar of the wind, the sharp sound of blades being drawn rang out.
Clang!
Melusine's sword crashed into a pair of black-and-white twin blades, spraying brilliant sparks.
One of the Alien Apostles, Nameless, revealed himself.
"So you had a backup," Shiomi said, tapping his temple. "To be honest, I've lived a long time, but spending all that time dealing with brainless fairies hasn't done my confidence in strategy any favors. Still, if your trump card is just an Alien Apostle Archer… no, an Alterego, then I don't think that's quite enough."
At that moment, Melusine gained the upper hand in raw strength, forcing Nameless to retreat by leaping onto another ship.
Elsewhere, a pair of twin Servants burst onto the battlefield, leaving Barghest no choice but to move in and engage them.
"Two Servants? Planning a one-on-one?"
Shiomi pinched his chin, watching Odysseus closely, gauging whether there were any more cards left to play.
As expected, a rain of arrows suddenly poured down from the sky.
A handsome archer landed beside Odysseus and spoke calmly.
"Looks like I made it in time. I never thought Chaldea could push your fleet this far with just a single warship."
"I'm surprised as well," Odysseus replied evenly. "But given how unlikely this situation was to begin with, calling for reinforcements the moment I detected the phenomenon of Chaldea entering this area was the correct decision."
His tone remained composed, with not the slightest hint of satisfaction at having predicted this turn of events.
After all, even the most improbable scenario had come true, wrecking his carefully laid plans to this extent. There was nothing to celebrate.
At the mention of Chiron's name, Shiomi activated his Star Eyes and glimpsed the truth of his opponent.
A living Divine Spirit.
In this Lostbelt, unlike Proper Human History, Chiron had remained a god from beginning to end, never needing to relinquish his divinity.
"Two against one, with more reinforcements on the way. Either you crush us quickly here—"
"Or you expect us to enjoy your piecemeal tactics?"
Shiomi's smile grew sharp and dangerous. A massive killing intent surged outward like a tangible force, startling both Odysseus and Chiron.
He was clearly human, yet everything about him felt wrong.
"Then to save time, how about making it two against two!"
A storm of crimson spears descended from the sky, forcing Odysseus and Chiron to retreat again. A violet figure landed lightly in front of Shiomi on the deck, turning her head to regard the two Lostbelt heroes with cold detachment.
"You're the one who fought Caenis," Odysseus said, instantly grasping the situation. "Have you already finished her?"
"Who knows," Scáthach replied as she drew her Gáe Bolg Alternative, now returned to a single form. "Maybe she's still alive. Or maybe she's already sunk to the bottom of the sea."
Shiomi smiled in open admiration.
"When my master gets serious, it's terrifying. There probably isn't a god in this world you can't kill."
He pointed his spear at Chiron.
"That man is Chiron, the one who trained countless Greek heroes. Even though he belongs to the Lostbelt, he stands in a similar position to you. A teacher."
"I understand," Scáthach replied, having grasped Shiomi's division of opponents.
The Storm Border had already pushed close. The nearer it came to the flagship's waters, the harder it became to break through quickly, but it was only a matter of time.
Odysseus's composure, in its own way, delayed his decision.
He could not bring himself to choose total annihilation of his own forces just to destroy Chaldea.
In his calculations, even if the Machine Gods in satellite orbit launched their attack, Chaldea still had a considerable chance of escaping. The ones certain to be destroyed would be himself, the Olympus fleet, and the reinforcements he had called.
Master and disciple crossed their crimson spears, sweeping them apart as brilliant sparks erupted from the friction.
In the next instant, Shiomi vanished from where he stood.
Odysseus reacted on instinct, spinning around and crossing his arms as a shield of magical energy formed in an instant, blocking Shiomi's sudden strike.
The battle of the decapitation operation began at that very moment.