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Chapter 84: Freedom
Tsuna, Mikoto, and Lili hurried back into the castle to rendezvous with Welf and execute the final phase of their operation.
Meanwhile, outside the castle walls, Ryuu was still locked in a fierce battle with the fifty Apollo Familia members.
"How is a single person doing this to us...?"
"How can we ever show our faces to Lord Apollo after this...?"
Ryuu had already thinned their numbers significantly. The remaining guards were beginning to feel the crushing weight of their own inadequacy.
This is getting difficult... I can't hold them off much longer... Ryuu wasn't injured, and she still had stamina to spare, yet she seemed strangely pressured.
"There she is!!"
"Wait a second! Something's wrong!"
The reinforcement squad dispatched by the fake Daphne arrived on the scene, but immediately skidded to a halt. The battlefield looked nothing like the disaster they had been told to expect. Yes, there were casualties, but they were far from being 'slaughtered.'
"What the hell is going on!? Didn't you guys get nearly wiped out!?"
"What are you talking about!? Why are you guys out here!?"
"Daphne sent us! She said you were getting annihilated by the Elf! She told us Bell Cranel had reached the throne room and we needed to stop the Elf from backing him up!"
"What!? Then why aren't you going to the throne room!?"
"Wait, back up!! Why do you think we're getting wiped out!?"
"Did Daphne betray us!?"
Their information network has collapsed... It seems Mr. Sawada has successfully seized control of the battlefield by neutralizing their chain of command. Watching the enemy forces spiral into utter confusion, Ryuu realized her role here was done. She kicked off the ground, vaulting effortlessly over the high wall, and sprinted straight into the castle.
"D-Damn it!! She's getting away!!"
"After herrrrr!!"
Because of Tsuna's psychological warfare and misdirection, nearly the entire Apollo Familia force was now outside the castle walls. If an adventurer of Ryuu's caliber reached the throne room, they would absolutely lose. Panicking, the massive mob of guards abandoned their squabbling and rushed back toward the front gates.
.....
"I-I can't see!?"
"W-Why is there smoke now!?"
The moment the guards flooded through the main gates, a thick smokescreen detonated in the courtyard, completely blinding them. They stumbled over each other, coughing and shielding their eyes.
A few moments later, the wind blew the smoke away, clearing their vision.
"L-Lord Apollo!?"
"Why is Lord Apollo here!?"
When the dust settled, the guards froze in sheer terror. Standing in the center of the courtyard was the Hestia Familia. But that wasn't what shocked them. Tied up securely on the ground were Daphne and Cassandra. And sitting next to them, firmly gagged with thick rope and crying pathetically, was their deity—Apollo.
"N-No way..."
"Impossible..."
Even Daphne and Cassandra, bound on the ground, stared in utter disbelief at the sight of their god captured before them.
"Nobody move. Not unless you want to see him get hurt."
"Y-You bastarrrrrrrds!!"
"How dare you lay a hand on Lord Apollo!!"
"You piece of trash!!"
Tsuna pressed his hand against Apollo's neck, a silent threat. The Apollo loyalists erupted into a frenzy of rage, screaming curses and death threats.
"Scum? Don't make me laugh. We may have thrown the first punch, but you were the ones who picked this fight. You used underhanded, cowardly tactics to try and steal Bell by force. That's why your precious god is sitting here tied up. You outnumbered us over a hundred to six. We couldn't win this in a straight fight. So, if playing dirty and taking a god hostage is what it takes to protect my family, I'll gladly be called scum."
"I'll kill you!! I'll tear you apart!!"
"S-Stop!!"
One of the loyalists, blinded by pure rage, tried to lunge forward, but his comrades frantically tackled him to the ground to stop him.
"It really was hilarious, though. Watching you all dance around exactly the way I wanted you to."
"""...!?"""
Tsuna's body was suddenly engulfed in azure flames. When the fire cleared, Daphne stood in his place. The crowd gasped in shock. A moment later, the Mist Flames flared again, returning Tsuna to his normal appearance.
The realization hit them like a physical blow. The 'Daphne' who had ordered the courtyard guards outside wasn't Daphne at all. It was him.
"I infiltrated your castle right under your noses, disguised as one of your own, and not a single one of you noticed."
"You idiot!! You got too cocky and blabbed your secret! Which means that Lord Apollo is just a fake illusion too!!"
One of the guards pointed triumphantly, a sneer forming on his face as he realized they were being bluffed.
"H-He's right!!"
"It's just a cheap trick!!"
"Pathetic! You were so desperate you had to try and bluff us!?"
The tension broke, replaced by cruel smirks as the loyalists prepared to charge.
"...And they call you a mid-tier Familia. You really don't understand anything, do you?" Tsuna sighed, his voice dripping with disappointment. "Even a child would know that revealing my ability to use illusions puts me at a massive disadvantage. Why do you think I would go out of my way to tell you that? I told you... because this Apollo is real."
"Sore loser! You think we're going to fall for that again!?"
"It seems reasoning with you is pointless. I guess it makes sense. A Familia that only targets the weak and defenseless would naturally be filled with cowards. Just like your god, your heads are completely empty."
"You bastard!! You dare mock Lord Apollo when you're the ones cornered!?"
"Fine. I'll explain it slowly so even you can understand."
Despite being entirely surrounded, Tsuna's unyielding confidence caused the guards to hesitate. He looked out over the crowd with a piercing gaze.
"How long have you all been stationed here at this castle?"
"""...!?"""
The mob fell dead silent.
"You all moved to this fortress three days before the War Game began. We arrived yesterday. That means for three entire days, every single capable fighter in the Apollo Familia was sitting out here in the ruins. Which means your home base in Orario was practically empty. Kidnapping your god with a skeleton crew guarding him was child's play. The few guards you left behind are currently tied up in a warehouse back in the city."
"Y-You basstarrrrrrrd!!"
The logic was flawless. The realization that the Apollo before them wasn't an illusion, but the real deal, reignited their panic and fury.
"Why are you all acting so surprised? Are you really just going to take my word for it, without a single shred of proof?"
Tsuna drove the psychological knife in deeper. The loyalists gritted their teeth, glaring at him with murderous intent, but no one dared take a step forward.
If this Apollo was real, and they accidentally struck him and sent him back to Heaven, they would instantly lose their Falna, becoming nothing more than regular humans. They would lose the War Game, bear the ultimate sin of Deicide, and likely be hunted down by the rest of the fanatic loyalists. They were completely paralyzed.
"Strange, isn't it?" Tsuna said softly, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Your god has been taken hostage, yet only a fraction of you are actually angry. The rest of you look like you don't care at all. In fact... you look like you want him gone."
The anti-Apollo faction members flinched, lowering their heads, their expressions dark and conflicted.
"So the rumors were true... That most of you were forced to join this Familia against your will."
Before the War Game, Tsuna had done extensive research on the Apollo Familia. He learned that Apollo had a long history of swallowing the penalties just to forcibly poach adventurers from other factions. The Guild viewed it as a massive problem, but Apollo didn't care. He did whatever it took to claim the children he grew obsessed with, ruining lives in the process.
"Which means... most of you don't even want to be here."
D-Don't tell me...!? On the ground, Daphne's eyes widened as she finally realized Tsuna's true objective. He hadn't taken Apollo hostage to stop their movement.
"We want to defeat the Apollo Familia. And you want to escape the Apollo Familia. Doesn't that mean our goals are exactly the same?"
The anti-Apollo members snapped their heads up, staring at Tsuna in shock.
"If we lose this War Game, Hestia will be forcibly deported back to Heaven. But if we win, Apollo confidently declared he would grant us any demand we want. That means if we win, we can demand the complete disbandment of the Apollo Familia and have Apollo permanently exiled from Orario. If you lend us your strength right now, we can give you your freedom. So, what's it going to be?"
"You bastard!! Spouting such treason!!"
"There is no greater joy than receiving Lord Apollo's love!!"
"Don't force your twisted values onto us!!"
"The only ones forcing their values on anyone are you," Tsuna shot back coldly. He pressed his fingers against Apollo's throat again. "And watch your tone. Or do you not care what happens to him?"
The loyalists immediately clamped their mouths shut.
The anti-Apollo members were visibly wavering. Tsuna's offer was the lifeline they had dreamed of for years. But their ingrained fear of Hyakinthos kept them paralyzed. They couldn't find the courage to cross the line.
I guess I have no choice. I have to push them. Sensing their deep-rooted terror, Tsuna took a deep breath, his eyes burning with intense resolve.
"I demand to see your courage!!"
His voice echoed like thunder across the courtyard, striking the hearts of every anti-Apollo member present.
"What do your eyes see!? A future where you remain chained to Apollo's whims forever!? Or a future where you break those chains and take your lives back!?"
His words struck like physical blows.
"You have no other choice but to fight! Freedom isn't given, it has to be taken! You are the only ones who can carve out your own destiny!"
Tsuna's unwavering, fiery conviction began to melt away their fear. The anti-Apollo members tightly gripped their weapons.
"Bell Cranel defeated a Minotaur at Level 1! The ignorant masses claim he cheated to rank up, but they're wrong! I was there! I watched Bell face down a monster far stronger than him, and I watched him win! And I believe with everything I have that he will defeat Hyakinthos today!"
The tale of the Little Rookie was famous throughout Orario. If that boy really could achieve the impossible again... then maybe, just maybe, they really could be free. Hope flared in their chests.
"But he can't do it alone! We need your strength! So please, lend us your power! I'm begging you!!"
Tsuna bowed his head deeply, abandoning his pride to ask for their help.
"Unless, of course, Apollo has already broken you so thoroughly that you've lost the will to even try."
Lifting his head, Tsuna threw out one final, deliberate provocation to ignite the lingering sparks in their hearts.
"...I'll fight."
A voice answered him. It was Daphne.
"Untie me. I will fight with you."
She looked up at him, her eyes burning with fierce, unyielding determination. The anti-Apollo faction gasped in shock as their own commander openly declared rebellion.
"I accept your resolve."
Tsuna's Hyper Intuition confirmed her absolute sincerity. He nodded to Lili, who immediately stepped forward and sliced Daphne's bindings with her dagger. Daphne rubbed her wrists and slowly stood up.
"Daphne!! You're betraying us!?"
"You're really going to fall for their cheap words!?"
The loyalists screamed at her, but Daphne didn't even flinch.
"Shut up!! I am sick and tired of listening to your delusional garbage!!"
She turned to face the wavering members of her Familia, taking up the mantle of leadership once more.
"You all need to make up your damn minds right now!! We will never get a chance like this again! An opportunity like this, handed to us by these insane, bleeding-heart idiots, is a once-in-a-lifetime miracle!!"
She screamed until her throat felt raw, pouring every ounce of her soul into her words.
"I won't deny that the Apollo Familia took care of us! But my hatred for him burns a thousand times hotter!! I despise that man for tearing us from our lives and forcing us into this cage!!"
"Daphne..."
Cassandra watched her friend pour her heart out, memories of their past flashing through her mind. They had run for so long, trying to escape Apollo's grasping reach, but he had hunted them to the ends of the earth until they had no choice but to surrender.
"There is no freedom in running away! No one is going to swoop in and save us if we just sit here waiting! He's right! If we want to be free, we have to fight for it! So fight!!"
Her words were the final spark. The anti-Apollo members' eyes changed, the fear replaced by raw, blazing anger.
"I'm with you, Daphne!!"
"I'm done being that perverted god's plaything!!"
"We're taking our freedom back!!"
One by one, the anti-Apollo members raised their weapons, their battle cries echoing into the sky. And with that, they turned and charged directly at the loyalists they once called comrades.
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