The Kingdom of Rakia.
This was a military nation ruled by Ares, the God of War, with a population exceeding six hundred thousand.
In essence, among the various faction-based forces of the Danmachi world, it was the largest and most complex nation-type Familia.
According to historical records, after descending to the lower world, Ares did not choose to develop in Orario alongside the other gods.
Instead, he recruited members of his Familia elsewhere on the continent.
At the beginning, there were only a handful of members.
Later, as their numbers continued to grow, they simply established a nation, thus giving birth to the Kingdom of Rakia.
The soldiers and military personnel within were all followers who had received divine blessings, and therefore combatants.
As for those who managed industry and supported the state, they were referred to as non-combatants.
Each successive monarch was concurrently the captain of the Familia.
Under the influence of its chief god Ares, Rakia was, as a matter of course, extremely warlike, having launched wars against various nations across the continent as well as Orario on multiple occasions.
As for the results of those campaigns…
best not to mention them.
In short—Ares, as the God of War, was only responsible for starting wars.
Victory, however, did not fall within his authority.
And on this very day, the undefeated legend of repeated defeat was once again planning a strategy to attack the adventurer stronghold of Orario.
“No matter what, we must find the Crozzo clan capable of forging magic swords again.
As long as we can produce enough magic swords once more, my army will surely reclaim its former glory!” Within Rakia’s largest military camp, a man clad in bright crimson armor, with gleaming golden hair, was gesticulating animatedly.
Although he was often mocked by the gods of Orario as “the god who manages war but not victory,” the Kingdom of Rakia under Ares had once enjoyed a period of brilliance.
The key to that era was the “Crozzo” clan, recruited by Ares, who specialized in forging magic swords.
A “magic sword” referred to a weapon capable of unleashing magical power without chanting.
Because such weapons possessed overwhelming firepower and were instantaneous, during the early stages of war, the Kingdom of Rakia—backed by the Crozzo clan—won victory after victory.
Wherever magic swords passed, the land was reduced to scorched earth devoid of even a blade of grass, forging an invincible myth.
The flames of war even spread into forests inhabited by elves and spirits.
But for that very reason, they incurred the hatred of the elves.
The Crozzo clan was cursed by the spirits and lost the ability to forge magic swords.
And thus, the Kingdom of Rakia was beaten back once again.
Two years ago, upon learning that another member of the Crozzo clan capable of forging magic swords had appeared, Ares had been ecstatic.
However, that fellow named Welf Crozzo soon escaped with the assistance of the goddess Phobos.
“Crozzo!
My Crozzo!
It’s all that damn woman Phobos’ fault—she actually let the newly emerged Crozzo slip away.
Damn it!!!” Watching their chief god’s habitual outburst of madness, the other members of the Familia showed no reaction.
They simply continued sparring with their weapons.
Swinging swords, blocking, clashing—metallic sounds merged into a dull tide of iron.
Perhaps next year, perhaps next month, perhaps even tomorrow—under the leadership of their chief god, Rakia would inevitably face war again and again.
Before that time came, any improvement in strength through training, no matter how slight, was worthwhile.
Thud— At that moment, before the gates of the training grounds, a slender figure stepped forward against the backlight, slowly walking in— After leaving the inn, Tian’el took control of Haruhime’s body.
Without the slightest attempt at concealment, he opened a spatial gate and boldly entered the stationed grounds of Ares’ Familia.
Seeing the fox-girl in crimson kimono standing before them—clearly still underage—the guard at the entrance to the training grounds froze for a moment before remembering to shout, “Who goes there!” What was going on?
Had the outer guards all died?
How could a fox-girl intrude into such a critical military zone!
However, Tian’el had no intention of answering.
The Celestial Emperor, descended upon the shrine maiden, merely swept his gaze across the field.
Boom—!!
With the girl as the center, the sandy ground within a radius of thirty feet instantly collapsed.
Nearly a hundred soldiers were shaken three feet into the air before crashing back down, their armor cracking inch by inch!
The alarmed cries had not yet left their throats when the second wave of impact arrived.
A visible storm swept across like a sickle harvesting autumn wheat.
Wherever it passed, men and horses were overturned, iron shields twisted into spirals.
“Enemy—attack!!” A war horn pierced the air, yet it failed to sound a second time—a bolt of lightning struck down, shattering even the soundwave itself.
At the same time, within the camp, Ares finally noticed what was happening.
“What is going on?
There’s only one enemy.
Is this a Level 1 adventurer raid?” Upon seeing Sanjouno Haruhime’s figure, the God of War’s roar was filled with confusion.
But that moment of thought was quickly cast aside—the enemy had arrived, war had begun.
As the God of War, the only response he could give was counterattack.
“Charge!
Use the enemy’s blood to defend Rakia’s glory!” With his chief god’s roar, the crimson military banner was raised, fluttering in the wind.
Heavily armored soldiers, hundreds upon hundreds of armored warhorses, long spears gleaming darkly beneath the overcast sky…
the most elite warriors in this camp were fully prepared.
At a single command, they charged without hesitation toward the youthful fox-girl.
There was no underestimation, no arrogance.
From officers to common soldiers, every face was solemn, as if what stood before them was not a delicate young girl but the most terrifying demon from the depths of the Dungeon.
One could only say habit had become instinct—though this army appeared formidable, it had long since been trampled countless times by powerful adventurers.
And this time, the result was, as always, no different.
Amid the thunderous neighing of warhorses, Tian’el manipulated Haruhime’s body, lightly tapping the tip of a spear with her toes.
She rose like a paper kite, spinning within the forest of blades.
The next instant, as divine will struck outward in all directions, the forest of spears twisted into spirals under an invisible colossal force.
Iron shards scattered.
The soldiers watched in horror as their bodies rotated uncontrollably in place, as if thrown into a massive grinding mill.
Screams, the clang of iron, the cracking of misaligned bones—all blended together.
Yet not a single life was lost.
Tian’el’s control was precise.
After stripping the soldiers of their ability to fight, he simply allowed them to collapse to the ground and fall unconscious.
Thus, in the blink of an eye, the only figures left standing across the battlefield were the fox-girl and Ares.
“Such power!” Seeing this scene, the golden-haired God of War did not grow angry but instead burst into laughter, releasing a lion-like roar.
“Is this the new trump card cultivated by some Familia?
Excellent!
Powerful and beautiful—I like you very much.
Let the flames of war burn even fiercer!” Where the enemy came from?
That sort of thing was utterly unimportant.
As the chief god of Rakia, who waged war everywhere, Ares knew full well that he had offended countless divine Familias and continental nations.
If some god had cultivated a powerful follower and sent them to teach him a lesson, that was perfectly normal.
“Hahaha!
My blood is boiling.
Come!
Defeat me—or be defeated by me!”