Open Space, Outskirts of Olympus, Interstellar City Mountain Range
When the Shadow Border broke through the thick imaginary storm and pierced the clouds, what appeared before everyone's eyes was a world beyond the limits of human imagination.
There were no desolate ruins or primitive jungles.
Instead, there were enormous floating corridors, shining spiritual pathways, and super high-rise buildings as clear as crystal piercing the clouds.
This was the end of the Age of Gods and the pinnacle of technology.
"This is… Mount Olympus."
Ritsuka leaned against the window, reflecting the magnificent cityscape in her pupils, almost forgetting to breathe.
However, the gods' welcome ceremony arrived sooner than expected.
BOOM…!
Without any warning, a thick bolt of lightning fell from the sky.
It was not natural lightning, but a pure torrent of magical energy—the manifestation of God-King Zeus's will.
It did not directly target the Shadow Border's armor, but grazed the vehicle and slammed violently into the ground 100 meters ahead.
The earth split, and rocks instantly vaporized.
The nano-reinforced vehicle shook violently from the massive shockwave, and alarm sounds rang throughout the interior.
"Uwaaaaah! I knew it! I knew this would happen!"
Director Goredolf gripped his seatbelt tightly and shouted, "A god-level lightning strike right off the bat?! There's no way this vehicle can withstand that!"
"Please calm down, Director."
Steve, sitting in the passenger seat, said calmly, "This is just a greeting."
"If the God-King truly wanted to destroy us, that attack would have pierced straight through the engine."
"This is a show of force. In other words, 'I can defeat you anytime, but I'm in a good mood now, so I'll give you a chance to resist'… typical villain arrogance."
As Steve said, after the lightning passed, the sky regained its calm.
Thanks to Da Vinci-chan's skillful piloting, the Shadow Border successfully fired auxiliary jets and, despite somewhat awkward movements, smoothly landed in a clearing surrounded by forest.
When the passenger door slowly opened, fresh air flowed into the vehicle.
However, the air was thick with suffocatingly dense magic.
"Everyone, check your status and prepare to log in."
At Ritsuka's instruction, in addition to the regular Chaldea members, four more figures slowly emerged from the rear cabin.
Kadoc Zemlupus, Ophelia Phamrsolone, Hinako Akuta, and Scandinavia Peperoncino.
These four individuals, who had never appeared on the main stage before, now stood on it as an unofficial force of New Chaldea in this critical Lostbelt.
...
Shadow Border Temporary Strategy Meeting Room
"…Then let us begin the first Olympus Conquest Meeting."
Holmes lightly tapped his pipe, sweeping his gaze over everyone present and finally resting it on the four former Team A members. "Although we achieved victory in Atlantis, as you all know, that was merely the outer edge."
"The true core and the true enemy both lie on this mountain."
"To be honest… I was going crazy in Atlantis."
Pepe elegantly crossed his legs and fiddled with a small magical prop in his hand. "That Artemis… is basically a satellite cannon floating in the sky."
"Except for Grand-rank Servants like Orion, our magecraft and Servants were completely powerless against her."
"That feeling of helplessness was really painful."
"Poseidon too."
Ophelia pushed up her glasses and added seriously, "The true form of that Machine God is hidden in the deep sea, and its core was taken away by Captain Drake long ago."
"What we faced was merely a rampaging empty shell that had lost its soul. There was no need for us to intervene excessively in such a battle."
"Steve's judgment was correct. The best strategy is to conserve combat strength for Olympus."
"Hmph, easy for you to say."
Hinako Akuta crossed her arms and glared at Steve, who was pretending to be weak in the corner. "You just want to watch us do something stupid, right? But… whatever."
"Since we've come this far, I have no intention of just observing anymore."
"Especially that guy Zeus… calling himself the almighty god. How infuriating."
"Consort Yu, please calm down."
Kadoc rubbed his temples with a complicated expression as he looked at Ritsuka and Steve.
In Atlantis, he had witnessed Steve using irrational means to repel Wodime.
That power had made him tremble, but it had also ignited the flame in his heart—the desire to prove himself—even stronger.
"I have something to say about Olympus."
Kadoc stood up and pulled out an incomplete map.
It was information he had gathered while working as an infiltration agent with limited access.
"First of all, we are not only facing Machine Gods, but more importantly… Wodime himself."
The moment that name was mentioned, the atmosphere in the meeting room grew tense.
"He is a genius and a true monster."
Kadoc clenched his fist. "His magic circuits, magic crests, and understanding of celestial magecraft… far surpass those of modern magi."
"The attack in Atlantis was probably not even his full power."
"Moreover, this is his home turf."
Ophelia continued the conversation, her magic eyes shining as if analyzing the vast spiritual leylines flowing around them. "The structure of Olympus's spiritual leylines… has been reconstructed."
"The entire mountain range of the urban area acts like a gigantic magical amplifier."
"Here, Wodime's magecraft can receive an infinite supply of magical energy."
"If we don't cut off this supply, he is invincible."
"Therefore, a direct attack is the worst strategy."
Pepe smiled and raised one finger. "We must divide them."
"As far as I know, the gods of Olympus are not a monolith."
"Although Zeus rules over all things, other gods—such as Aphrodite who constantly talks about love, or the gloomy Hephaestus—each have their own logical flaws."
"And… Beryl."
At that name, Pepe's eyes turned cold. "That troublesome guy must be here too."
"He's a madman, and precisely because he's mad, he could be the greatest destabilizing factor. We must stay alert against his surprise attacks."
"In other words…"
Listening to everyone's analysis, the confusion in Ritsuka's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a light of determination. "Our goals are: first, cut off Wodime's mana supply; second, take advantage of the conflict among the gods to defeat them one by one; and third, prevent Beryl's schemes."
"That's an excellent summary, Ritsuka."
Steve finally spoke.
He was slumped in his chair, pretending to be weak, but he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes.
"Recruiting you all… was indeed the right decision."
He gazed at the four who had once been enemies and were now comrades.
"You know Wodime better than anyone, and you understand the mechanisms of this Lostbelt better than anyone. That is our greatest strength."
"Chaldea once fought alone, but now…"
Steve pointed at the towering God-King's palace on the holographic map.
"This is an internal civil war within Team A. In other words, it's a battle for you to prove to that perfect captain that ordinary people also have ways to survive."
"So? Do you have confidence?"
"Hmph, I don't need your provocation."
Hinako Akuta snorted coldly, but dark red cursed blood flames had already ignited in her hands. "For the sake of living peacefully with Lord Xiang Yu, I'll dismantle all those troublesome Machine Gods into scrap."
"I'll prove that my Mystic Eyes aren't just for watching destruction."
Ophelia adjusted her glasses and spoke resolutely.
"Hey, I don't want overtime, but since I'm here, I might as well go wild with everyone."
Pepe shrugged.
Finally, Kadoc took a deep breath and looked at Ritsuka.
"Fujimaru, I don't like you… but I hate that arrogant Captain even more."
"This time, I'll use my own methods to refute his ideal world."
Seeing this, Director Goredolf couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered to Holmes beside him.
"Hey, Detective… doesn't the current Chaldea feel more terrifying than the kings of that Lostbelt? Is this lineup really okay?"
Holmes smiled lightly and blew out a smoke ring.
"That is the charm of the variable, Director."
"When all possibilities overlap… even an almighty god would feel fear."
…
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