Chapter 375: No Excuse, Soldier!!

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE, SOLDIER!" the god in Roman-style armor yelled at me, his voice echoing like a warhorn across the black coliseum. "WHERE IS YOUR SHIELD AND SPEAR!"

"..." I just blinked, stunned that someone was actually yelling at me. Not running, not screaming, not clutching his jewels in terror—just yelling like I was one of his recruits.

"ANSWER ME, SOLDIER!!"

"S-Sir, yes, sir!" I snapped to attention without thinking, my body moving on instinct. I even threw a salute, crisp and sharp, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"HMM…" The god rubbed his bearded chin, his stern gaze burning into me. He looked satisfied, like I had just passed some invisible inspection. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME, SOLDIER?"

"M-Morgana, sir!" I barked, my voice slipping into the tone of a raw recruit before I even realized it.

"THAT IS THE MOST STUPID NAME I'VE EVER HEARD, BUT WHO AM I TO JUDGE YOUR MOTHER'S INCREDIBLY POOR SENSE OF NAMING"

"T-Thank you, sir."

"NOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, SOLDIER? WHY DO YOU NOT HAVE A SHIELD AND SPEAR?"

"I... don't know, sir. I just arrived."

"NO EXCUSE!" He barked, pointing his spear at me. "NO EXCUSE! NO EXCUSE AT ALL! WE MUST WAGE WAR WITH PRIDE AND DUTY OR NOT AT ALL! DO YOU UNDERSTAND, SOLDIER?"

"Y-Yes, sir"

"GOOD," He nodded, approaching me, "WERE THESE"

He snapped his fingers, and before I knew it, I was clad in the familiar Roman legionnaire armor, complete with a gladius strapped to my hip and a huge scutum shield in my hands. The shield was red with an engraved Roman eagle at its center.

"SO, NOW THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED. FOR WAR, SOLDIER! FOR WAR!!" he exclaimed, lifting his spear into the air like he was fighting some unseen enemy.

"FOR WAR!"

I picked up my spear and scutum. They felt comfortable in my hands. Familiar. I felt something building up in my chest. Nostalgia, maybe? Or maybe pride, the pride of a soldier ready to charge into battle with his legionaries.

'Wait a minute!' my rationality suddenly roared from deep inside, 'what the hell am I doing!'

And just like that, I realized I was standing here like some fool in heavy armor, cheering for nothing. I was supposed to be having fun and maybe getting a little sex, not preparing to play some random god's stupid game.

"Aaah!... I forgot myself for a moment."

"ARE YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF, SOLDIER?" The god turned, noticing my deadpan look. "THIS IS NO TIME FOR GAMES, SOLDIER!"

"Tsk," I let out an irritated sound.

Then I leaned my weight forward, raising the giant scutum to guard my head. This position was very familiar for some reason. I narrowed my red eyes, appraising the old god, wondering just what exactly he was planning to do with me.

"Let's stop this bullshit. I didn't come here to play your games, old man."

"SPEAK UP, SOLDIER. SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR A DAMN WORD YOU'RE SAYING!" He pointed his spear at me, and his armor shone bright under the flaming words that were written across the sky. "DID YOU JUST DISOBEY AN ORDER?"

"Don't care. I said. We're stopping now."

"COME ON, YOU WEAKLING," He yelled, "BEHOLD THE POWER OF YOUR IMPERIUM!"

Inhaling sharply through my nose, I resisted the urge to bash him over the head and decided to roll with it instead.

'Whatever,' I groaned inwardly, 'might as well have fun, this could be interesting.'

"SIR YES SIR"

The god cracked a crooked smirk, raising his own spear in a battle-ready stance. The silver spear tip gleamed in the light, cold and silent. Deadly.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT," the god roared. But then, suddenly, his whole aura changed. All that excitement and anticipation vanished in an instant.

"Sorry about that, sometimes I forget myself in a character," he spoke calmly this time, "didn't mean to bore you."

He removed his helmet, revealing a surprisingly handsome face for an old god with gray hair. He looked like he was a soldier once; there was even a small scar on his face.

"I get carried away," he admitted, his words calm, unhurried, like a man remembering a time long gone.

"Habit. Old habits die hard, don't they? I drilled legions until my voice bled, until the walls shook with their chants. Now…" He gestured vaguely at the vast black arena around us. "…Now I drill nothing but shadows."

"So what are you then?" I asked, lowering the scutum just a little. "Some role-playing ghost? Another god trying to make me dance to his tune?"

"Not a ghost." He chuckled, surprisingly warm for someone who'd just been screaming in my face.

"I'm Mars. Or at least, I was. The Romans prayed to me, bled for me, and sang my name before every battle. Now…" He tapped the scar running down his cheek. "…Now I play soldier with whoever's foolish enough to stand in front of me."

Mars. A god of war. Of course. I should've guessed it the second he started shouting like a drill sergeant on steroids.

"I don't need another mad god trying to push me into their fantasy," I said flatly, though something about his presence gnawed at me. "I came here for myself. Not to be anyone's soldier."

'I came here to fuck'

"Hehehe." His smirk curved into something sharper, more dangerous. "Oh, but you are a soldier. You can feel it, can't you? The weight of the shield in your grip. The spear balanced against your palm. Your blood remembers what your mind wants to deny. You've fought before—differently, maybe—but you fought."

I swallowed. My chest tightened. The shield did feel… right. Too right. Even when I wasn't fighting, it was almost like I was born a soldier—not a sex-crazed Hentai.

It felt good. No matter how much I hated it, the part of me that hungered for battle couldn't help but purr like a feline with a full stomach.

But I wasn't giving in that easily.

"Don't confuse me for one of your legionaries," I snapped, forcing a sneer. "I don't take orders. I give them."

"Alright, Alright, I yield." The god shrugged his arms up. "It was just some fun, sorry about that."

'Sigh, and again no cock'

"You're here for the Iron Challenge, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess the others freaked out, haha, can't blame them," he admitted, rubbing his jaw. "Anyway, since you seem like a strong god, why not make a game out of this? Let's have some fun."

"Sure, but I get to pick up the trial," he said with a sly smirk. "Those are the rules."

'Fuck...'

"Alright, fine, no problem."

The Roman-armor-clad god smiled like I'd just given him a priceless present. Without speaking, a blue screen materialized between us. He placed his hand on it, and the world began to appear.

[IRON CHALLENGE: ACCEPTED]

[GAME MODE: ARMY STRATEGY GAME]

"Army strategy game?" I blinked in surprise, looking at the old god.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's my favorite game mode."

"It's simpler than the full strategy game mode," he continued, explaining the game mode to me. "We each start with the same number of points and a commander tent."

"The points are used to summon troops and to create unit buildings." The old god's voice sounded exciting, like a kid showing off his favorite toy. "To generate more points, we need to capture key locations like mines and farmers. This game mode doesn't allow us to build them; however, the maps and the locations are randomized."

"Hmm... I see" I nodded, taking the information in, and in truth, Mars didn't have to explain anything; all the information was on the screen. However, I didn't bring myself to stop him. For some reason, the way he talked reminded me of my grandpa, who used to spar with me.

"Alright," Mars said, rubbing his hands together like he was about to roll dice at a tavern table. "We'll fight until one of us destroys the other's commander's tent. And remember, the tent only becomes destructible after you slay the general."

"And of course the generals are us," I added, flashing a bloodthirsty smile to which Mars replied with a similar one.

"Of course, it cannot be called a war if the generals don't face each other, oh, and before I forget, since you challenged me, I have the right to add rules to the trial."

I kept silent, waiting for the old man to spit it out, but I wasn't surprised by his actions. I mean, the whole mode was basically an advantage for him. I'd do the same if someone challenged me; however, what Mars forgot or didn't know was that I was a goddess of war, too.

"The race of the army is limited to only humans."

"Why is that?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Well, other creatures make the game mode too hard and complex. Moreover, I prefer human warfare, which brings out the best of the general's abilities."

I didn't complain; this rule serves me too, and saved me from the headache of trying to pick the best unit out of different creatures.

"So are you ready?" Mars smirked, his gray eyes sharpened with anticipation. "Ready for war, Morgana."

"Bring it on"

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