While Judas continued his fight against Dina…
Vena emerged from the brush like a shadow, her staff raised high and began casting her magic.
"Diaval Dis!"
Ten ominous magic circles, pulsing with black and purple light, manifested from above.
He looked up just as pillars of crimson fire, trailing thick trails of dark smoke, rained down from the heavens.
Judas became a blur, weaving through the bombardment.
Explosions tore the earth apart behind him, turning the terrain into a scorched wasteland of craters and ash.
When a final, massive pillar centered on him, Judas didn't dodge. H
e thrust his arm upward, meeting the attack with his own.
A concentrated beam of pure light erupted from his palm, piercing the sky and shattering the rotating magic circles like glass.
Without missing a beat, Judas extended both arms, targeting the sisters on his flanks, and unleashed two different spells.
『Freon Blast』
『Thunder Rage』
A freezing beam surged from his left, frosting the ground and air as it tore forward.
At the same time, a wave of blue lightning erupted from his right, thunder cracking violently across the battlefield.
'This guy is a monster!'
Faced with such overwhelming magic, the Dis Sisters couldn't help but break into a sweat.
Vena frantically channeled her magic sword, firing a beam of flames to intercept Judas' attack.
Meanwhile, Dina pulled out a magic item from her pocket and channeled her mind into it, forming a barrier that enveloped her body.
She braced herself as the lightning engulfed her, cracks spiderwebbing across the barrier's surface.
Thankfully, it held just long enough before shattering into pieces.
'I can't believe I had to use that creepy guy's magic item…'
Dina clicked her tongue and tossed the shattered remains aside, her expression tinged with disgust.
On the other side, Vena dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as the magic sword in her hand crumbled into fragments.
"What a cheater. As a fellow mage, the fact that he can cast magic without chanting is seriously unfair."
She pouted, trying to look cute though the effect was undercut by the blood smeared across her face.
She glanced toward her sister, who gave a subtle signal with her eyes.
Retreat.
'Alright, big sister Dina.'
Vena gave a small nod.
Without hesitation, the two turned tail and vanished into the darkness of the woods.
Judas watched them go.
Under normal circumstances, he would have pursued them immediately.
But when he looked up at the artificial moon hanging in the sky, he knew time was no longer on their side.
The countdown to the end of the world had already begun.
'I'll deal with them later. Right now, defeating Antares is the priority.'
Besides, he had a feeling their paths would cross again soon.
He turned and sprinted back toward the camp.
…
When he returned, the battle was still ongoing, but the situation had stabilized significantly compared to before.
"Orion… are you alright?"
Artemis ran toward him the moment she saw his condition.
"I'm fine, Lady Artemis."
Judas reassured her as he dispelled the barrier protecting Hestia and Hermes.
"Judas… what about those two crazy elf sisters?"
Hestia asked, glancing around nervously as if expecting them to reappear.
"They ran after I beat them up a bit."
Judas replied with a shrug.
Hermes stepped forward, his expression uncharacteristically grave.
"Judas, Artemis, we need to head to the Elsos Ruins now and finish off Antares before it's too late."
He pointed toward the sky.
With every passing second, the artificial moon grew brighter, more complete.
A faint outline of an arrow was beginning to take shape, the crescent moon acting as its bow.
'The strongest arrow of Heaven… I can't believe Antares can already wield Artemis' power to this extent.'
…
At the center of the camp, Artemis stood before the assembled group to deliver the final briefing.
"As you all know, the Elsos Ruins have become a den of monsters."
"Inside, Antares continues to amass its power."
"There is no doubt we will face great difficulty before achieving our goal."
"But never surrender. Never succumb to fear."
She paused, sweeping her gaze across the gathered adventurers before briefly meeting Judas' eyes.
"Here is the plan. The Hermes Familia will act as a decoy! Draw the monsters out and keep them occupied."
"Understood!"
The Hermes Familia responded in unison.
"The rest of us will enter the ruins while their attention is diverted. That is when we strike and defeat Antares."
"Lady Artemis."
Lante interrupted, her hand raised.
"Yes, Lante?"
"Are you planning to enter the ruins as well?"
There was concern in her voice.
The upcoming battle would be unlike anything they had faced before.
Even setting Antares aside, the monsters closer to its source would be far stronger than anything they had encountered.
"The gate to the ruins cannot be opened without my divine power. Whether I want to or not, I must go."
Lante clenched her fists.
For a moment, she lowered her gaze.
Then she looked up again, determination burning in her eyes.
"Then I will protect you, Lady Artemis."
Her voice was unwavering.
The other members of the Artemis Familia echoed her words, vowing to protect their goddess at all costs.
Artemis blinked, momentarily taken aback.
"You do realize I'm only a fragment of your goddess, right? If the original Artemis is saved, I will simply merge back with her and disappear."
"It doesn't matter!"
Lante stepped forward.
"Fragment or not, you are still a part of her. Don't speak as if you're something fake. To us, you are real."
Even Rethusa said nothing to stop her.
She felt the same.
Though unspoken, every member of the Artemis Familia carried guilt in their hearts.
If only they had been stronger.
If only they had been more attentive.
If only they had protected her better.
They believed this tragedy was, in part, their failure.
And so, they made their stand.
To atone.
Looking at her children, Artemis struggled to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm sorry… please don't blame yourselves. I was the one who acted on my own without telling any of you."
She gripped the hem of her clothes.
"And everyone…"
She looked at her children and smiled.
"Thank you."
…
The group moved out.
The sound of boots striking damp earth echoed through the forest, branches snapping underfoot as they advanced.
Then, at last, it came into view.
The entrance.
Almost instinctively, they slowed to a halt.
Before them stood a colossal structure, ancient and half-consumed by time, its surface covered in moss and decay.
"So this is it…"
Judas murmured, lifting his gaze.
"The Elsos Ruins."
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