Meanwhile, in Orario, an emergency mandate had been issued to all Familias, strictly prohibiting any movement outside the city walls.
"What're ye sayin'!? We can't leave Orario?"
"The order came directly from the Guild. An injunction of this magnitude..."
"Must be Ouranos! Then what about our scheduled port visit..."
"Suspended, obviously."
"What the hell's wrong with 'em! Those Guild bastards are acting like total half-wits!"
Loki exploded in irritation upon hearing the Guild's decree from Finn. Her anger wasn't merely due to the disrupted schedule; it was laced with a deep, gnawing anxiety for Akumo and Riveria, who had taken leave immediately after the Divine Moon Festival to pursue an unknown quest beyond the city limits.
"Damn it... I can't even go to the Guild and demand answers..."
'As long as Akumo's with 'er, I've gotta believe they're safe.'
Whirrrrr—!!!
Akumo and Bell, riding atop their dragon mounts, finally succeeded in navigating to the outskirts of the Ruins of Elsos.
However, the landscape that greeted them was a harrowing sight.
"The forest..."
"It's entirely dead."
'This is the level of devastation Antares inflicts just by existing...?'
Twitch!
The vitality of the woods had been completely extinguished; not a single speck of lush verdure remained in the once-great canopy. Riveria grimaced at the skeletal trees, and Alfia felt a surge of ominous energy. Suddenly, Akumo sensed a presence descending rapidly from the heavens.
"EVERYONE, MOVE!!!!!!!"
CRACK-BOOM—!!!!
"Kh—!?"
"[Gram]!"
"[Gospel]!"
A massive barrage of light rained down from the sky like a divine execution. Akumo instantly manifested Gram, while Alfia, sensing the lethal threat, unleashed her magic to neutralize the incoming kinetic bombardment.
KABOOOM—!!!!!!!!
Thanks to the swift intervention of Akumo and Alfia, the direct damage from the aerial assault was mitigated, but the sheer force of the shockwave sent the entire group into a violent crash-landing within the dead woods.
CRASH—!!!
"Is everyone alright!?"
"Yes, we managed to survive!"
"Lilli is safe as well!"
'Tch... the dragons are wounded...'
"Flying further is impossible."
Akumo's expression hardened as he checked the injuries on their mounts. The barrage had undoubtedly been aimed at Bell's spear—or perhaps at Artemis herself. In this hostile territory, a loss of mobility was catastrophic news.
—Skreeeeee!!!
"We're completely surrounded."
"Riveria! Do it."
"[Harbinger of the end, white snow, let the wind rise before the twilight.]"
Heeding his command, Riveria immediately began the incantation for [Winn Fimbulvetr]. However, the scorpion-like monsters closing in from all directions were too numerous to be eradicated by a single spell. Just as Akumo prepared to engage with Gram—
"[Closed light, frozen earth. Bluster, three-fold winter—my name is Alf.]"
"[Come, wandering wind, roaming traveler. Cross the sky, race through the wilderness, swifter than all else. Strike the foe with starlight.]"
'That voice...!'
"[Winn Fimbulvetr]!!!"
"[Luminous Wind]!!!"
KABOOOOM—!!!!!!!!!
The magic of the two Elves detonated simultaneously, vaporizing and blasting away every monster in the vicinity.
"So Ryu was deployed here as well..."
"Yes, I have been investigating the area alongside members of the Hermes Familia."
Ryu Lion's timely arrival allowed the group to rendezvous with the Hermes Familia. Guided by her, they moved deeper into the territory until they reached a base established within a section of the forest that still clung to life.
"That aside..."
"Eh?"
Thud!
"What on earth were you thinking, dragging Lady Riveria into a place like this!!!?"
"R-Ryu! Wait a second...!!"
"If anything happens to Lady Riveria, you will be hunted by the Elves for the rest of your life!"
Having witnessed the earlier bombardment, Ryu unleashed a fierce lecture on Akumo for bringing Riveria to such a high-threat zone. The seasoned pioneer found himself completely helpless against Ryu's unrelenting verbal assault, utterly cornered by her concern for the High Elf.
"That is enough, Ryu. Coming here was my own choice."
"But, Lady Riveria!"
"You saw that bombardment. You should know by now—this is no longer an ordinary quest."
"....."
Riveria stepped forward to quiet Ryu. While she found the absolute protective instinct of her kin burdensome as a member of the royal bloodline, she recognized that the escalating difficulty of this mission required their combined strength, not internal bickering.
"Everyone must be exhausted from the journey. There is a lake nearby where you can wash up!"
A member of the Hermes Familia signaled the women, and they began to gather for a bath. Naturally, Ryu and Riveria headed toward the water as well.
"I'll be back, Akumo."
"I apologize for my harsh words earlier, Akumo."
"It's fine, Ryu. It was advice I needed to hear."
"Please ensure you perform your own maintenance. We shall head to the lake now."
With those words, the women followed the rest of the female contingent toward the lake.
"...Wait, this situation..."
'Feels exactly like what happened on the 18th Floor...?'
Before Akumo could process the sense of déjà vu, Alfia approached from behind, her hand gripping his shoulder with iron force.
Grip—!!!
"Stop them. At all costs."
"...As you command... milady."
Pressed into service as a 'Peeping Prevention Guard' by Alfia, the Pioneer stood up and began walking toward the individuals currently plotting something lecherous. He moved with the grim determination of a man who knew failure meant death.
"...Any last words?"
"Akumo-kun! Hindering a man's romance is an unforgivable sin!"
TIGHTEN!
"Care to shut your mouth before I tighten these binds further?"
'I just saved you from being Sent Back by Alfia, and this is the thanks I get...'
In front of Akumo lay a heap of tied-up male adventurers. Even Welf had joined the charge, but all of them had been systematically neutralized by Akumo while he stood watch near the bath.
"How are there so many of you? I almost missed one..."
As Akumo shook his head in disbelief, footsteps approached from the path behind him.
"I figured this would happen."
"You've made a mistake, Master Welf."
"Men really are such fools~"
"Gentlemen, you are all quite lewd."
'...?'
"Um... girls? I'm in a very delicate situation here, so could you please head back?"
"Akumo-san isn't the type of person to do that, after all."
Unable to turn around, Akumo remained frozen in an awkward position.
"...Wait, where is Cranel-san...!?"
"If you mean Bell, I lectured him earlier and sent him back already."
"Phew... that is a relief."
"I'm leaving too. You can do whatever you want with these tied-up idiots."
At those words, the terrified men and Hermes began screaming at Akumo in desperation.
"Wait a minute!!! Akumo-kun!? If you leave us here, surely—!"
"Well... you won't die, probably?"
"Why are you saying that as a question, Akumo-kun!!!!!"
Ignoring Hermes' shrieks, Akumo stepped into the forest, heading in the direction where he had sent Bell. His steps were notably light, buoyed by the fact that he had avoided a death sentence from Alfia.
Step, step—
"I'm sure I sent him this way..."
Rustle—!
"Oh~ Bell! There you are."
"....."
"Bell?"
'Just what is he looking at...'
Akumo's eyes fell upon a blue lake bathed in moonlight.
In the center of that lake stood Artemis, a goddess with long azure hair and eyes that mirrored the moon, reaching her hand up toward the lunar disk in the night sky.
Pat!
"D-Dad!?"
"Bell!?"
'What the hell are you doing...!!'
"Who goes there!"
In his daze, Bell had subconsciously tried to step closer. A panicked Akumo had grabbed his shoulder to pull him back, causing Bell to yelp in surprise.
The sound caught Artemis's ears. She turned her gaze toward them instantly. What she saw was not a voyeur, but Akumo—covering Bell's eyes while pointedly looking away himself.
"I am deeply sorry! Bell! Apologize, now...!!"
"I-I'm so sorry! Lady Artemis...!"
"..."
'These children...'
Artemis didn't retreat. Instead, she stepped closer to them. Was it curiosity, or perhaps a sudden spark of certainty?
"Ahaha! You two are quite lucky. In the old days, I would have shot you on the spot."
"We will leave immediately..."
"It is alright. I do not need an apology. Instead, stay and speak with me for a while, will you? Orion."
".....!"
'I don't know what it is... but just now, some kind of power between Bell and Lady Artemis has strengthened...'
Akumo watched them, lost in thought. He began to piece together why Hermes had suggested peeping and why that spear possessed such overwhelming power.
Minutes passed as he delved into these contemplations...
"And this Orion over here... what are you thinking about so intently?"
"...Lady Artemis."
"What worries you so?"
"I have seen a monster similar to Antares once before."
'The first despair I ever experienced, the one that handed me a crushing, miserable defeat...'
"...I am sorry for involving you in such a catastrophe—"
"Even so, I will move forward. With the power I possess, I will save as many as I can... and pioneer the days to come."
"...Is that so?"
"I do not know what you are hiding, nor do I fully understand the nature of Antares."
"..."
"Nevertheless, I will protect them. Because that is the path I have chosen."
Under the silver glow of the moon, the goddess spoke with two heroes that night.
One hero spoke of an Ideal, much like the heroes of a perfect fairy tale—wishing to save his comrades and transcend his trials.
The other hero knew the reality of the world. Yet, he accepted that reality and declared his Pioneer Will to carve out an unknown path toward the ideal he desired.
What the goddess saw was two heroes. Two distinct lights of hope.