"DO NOT STOP, BOY—keep going!!!", The Traveler's God, Hermes, who had unleashed his divine might, roared.
The hat adorned with white feathers on his head was blown away by the fierce wind, and his golden hair wildly danced in the storm. That godly face, so handsome it seemed beyond mortal realms, now revealed a trace of ferocity and frenzy.
"Fate didn't choose you? Then seize fate with your own hands... Hahaha, interesting, truly interesting... Just go for it, just go for it!"
"Artemis! Is this your resolve? Is this the will you pursue for redemption? Is this all you have?"
Hermes' voice boomed in Emiya's heart like a war drum. At the same time, along with Hermes' furious roar, a certain power within the spear seemed to be suppressed.
Emiya gripped the spear tightly, feeling that force struggle within it. He channeled all his magical energy into the spear to completely subdue it.
Magic surged like a tide, and along with Hermes' divine might, the determination within Emiya became even stronger.
At that moment, it felt as if the weight of an entire world was pressing down on his hands.
BOOM—
Emiya pulled out the spear. The crystal sealing the spear tip shattered with a loud crash, and the fragments scattered in all directions, leaving multiple wounds on both him and Hermes. Even a bloodstain appeared on the side of Hermes' face.
The surrounding adventurers fell into a brief silence, followed by an eruption of cheers.
"Oooooooh!!!"
"He pulled it out!!!"
"Hooray!!!"
They didn't know exactly what had happened; they only knew that someone had finally pulled out that spear. Just like the heroes in stories.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Hermes," The male god casually wiped the blood off his cheek, his overwhelming divine presence now fully retracted, "It is an honor to meet you, Shirou Emiya."
"Greetings, Lord Hermes," Emiya raised the spear in his hand, "May I ask, what exactly is this spear...?"
The silver-white spear no longer looked dull as before. The divine inscriptions on its shaft lit up, flickering with mysterious colors, and the previously sealed, magnificent spearhead was now fully unveiled.
The instincts of a projection mage made Emiya subconsciously begin analyzing the weapon. However, the situation was somewhat unexpected.
Holding his aching forehead with one hand, Emiya muttered, "Analysis... failed?"
No, it wasn't exactly a failure. It was that the analysis progress was extremely slow.
It was like trying to decrypt an enormous encrypted file of over a thousand gigabytes, but with a processing speed of only 1KB/s. And that was already with his computational circuits running at overclocked capacity.
For now, Emiya gave up on analyzing the spear. The essence of this weapon was something beyond his current comprehension.
"Regarding this 'Spear of Artemis,' let's find a quiet place to discuss in detail."
Hermes said, "However, one thing I can assure you. 'The Goddess' Blessing' and 'World Travel' are both real. This event is officially recognized by the Guild."
Hermes took a parchment titled "Event Announcement" from his traveler's satchel and unfolded it. Emiya could clearly see the Guild's official seal in the bottom right corner.
"Would you mind discussing this further at Hephaestus Familia's base, Lord Hermes?", After reading the parchment, Emiya returned it and asked.
"No problem, that's how it should be," Hermes responded politely, "However, please wait a little. The sponsor of this event should actually meet you, but her current condition is probably not very good. So, please give her some time."
On the other side of the street, in the shadows, a beautiful goddess with moon-blue hair sat weakly against a wall, gasping for breath.
She gritted her teeth, struggling to stand. Her slender fingers gently brushed against her neck.
A crimson-black thorny curse mark had appeared on the pure white, graceful skin of her throat. Like a beautiful yet dangerous choker.
And besides that, below her clothing, on her lower abdomen, there was also a Command Seal shaped like a sword and shield.
These were the marks proving she was now a controlled weapon.
Originally, with her divine rank, she could have easily resisted an adventurer's Domination Skill with just a fraction of her true power.
However, just as Hermes had said. This was her only chance at redemption.
"No matter what method... he is the only one who pulled out 'Orion's Arrow'...", The goddess panted, "Then being wielded by him... is my fate, my 'redemption'..."
"He is... my Master, my 'Orion'..."
———
"Allow me to introduce to everyone—this is 'Goddess Artemis,' the sponsor of this Crescent Festival event."
Emiya and Goddess Hephaestus did not have to wait long before Hermes arrived at the Etna Volcano with Artemis.
He already knew that the spear in his hands was called 'Spear of Artemis,' and now, he finally saw the true form of the Moon Goddess.
Her long blue hair was like a lake under the moonlight, soft and smooth, gently rippling with a starlike glow, as if merging with the night sky. Her emerald-green eyes were bright and deep, exuding pure kindness and gentle determination.
The goddess's figure was tall and athletic, carrying the grace and power of a huntress. Her curves were elegant, and every inch of her skin radiated pure beauty, its sheen flowing like soft moonlight. Her waist was slender yet full of strength, and her graceful lines swayed lightly with each step, like the night wind brushing across the water's surface.
Around her swan-like, slender, and pure white neck, she wore a black silk choker that concealed a large portion of her fair skin.
This discordant element, originally out of place with the goddess's sacred image, unexpectedly added a hint of mystery and allure, blending a touch of seductive charm into her divine presence.
Artemis was known as one of the Three Virgin Goddesses in the divine realm, with domains over the moon, chastity, and hunting.
After descending to the lower world, like most gods, Artemis granted her divine blessings to the children of the lower world and established her own familia.
Her familia mainly focused on exploration and monster hunting, belonging to the combat-oriented factions. However, unlike many other gods, Artemis did not choose to stay in Orario but instead expanded her familia's activities to regions beyond the city.
Outside the Dungeon, various monsters also roamed. Some had escaped from the Dungeon through various means, while others were wild beasts that mutated into monsters after devouring magic stones or being influenced by the magic power in the earth's ley lines. There were also descendants of ancient monsters and beasts that had escaped from ancient secret realms.
Overall, the monsters outside the Dungeon were far inferior in both quantity and individual strength compared to those inside. When Dungeon monsters left the Dungeon, their strength and ferocity often diminished over time.
Even though Artemis's familia primarily operated outside the city, and the goddess had descended relatively late, their strength could not be underestimated, and they had grown rapidly in recent years.
According to the Guild's intelligence, Artemis's familia had nearly twenty members, including at least one Level 3 and one Level 2 advanced adventurer.
Even within the labyrinth city of Orario, this familia could be considered a solid mid-tier force.
"Artemis, it has been a long time," Goddess Hephaestus stood up, smiling as she greeted the Moon Goddess, her voice carrying the joy of reunion.
"The last time we met was back when we were still in the heavens."
Back in the heavens, Hephaestus and Artemis had been close friends. Their bond was strong, and they shared this friendship with another yet-undescended goddess, Hestia.
Artemis approached gracefully and resolutely. However, just when Hephaestus thought the goddess was coming to exchange pleasantries, Artemis bypassed her and walked straight toward Emiya.
Stopping in front of him, her emerald-green eyes flickered with deep light. Then, she reached out her hands and gently yet firmly held the boy's right hand, "Can you become my 'Orion'?"
Her voice was soft yet carried a touch of earnestness, as if seeking a promise of fate.
Emiya was slightly taken aback before responding after a brief pause, "Nice to meet you, Goddess Artemis… My name is Shirou Emiya."
———
Meanwhile, at the center of the labyrinth city, atop Babel Tower, an unusual gathering was taking place.
At the very center stood a regal and beautiful elven princess with long emerald-green hair, Loki Familia's [Nine Hell], the city's strongest magic caster, Level 6 adventurer, Riveria Ljos Alf.
Beside her were three equally striking elves.
A platinum-haired elf, draped in a pristine white robe, bore an indifferent expression, as if detached from the mundane world. He was Hedin Selland, a Level 6 member of Freya Familia, and one of Orario's top-tier mages, known as the [White Fairy's Magic Wand].
A dark-skinned, white-haired dark elf, slender in build yet exuding an undeniable sharpness. Currently recognized as the city's strongest swordsman, Level 6 adventurer, [Balck Fairy's Demon Sword] Hogni Ragnar.
Lastly, a petite white-haired elf, appearing as a cute teenage girl but in truth possessing an age, seniority, and experience far beyond the others present.
She was a member of the [School District] under the goddess of youth, Idunn—a Level 6 magic caster, [Thousand-Year Sage Staff] Friana Elain.
Even the nearly century-old Riveria had grown up hearing stories about this elder. Before Riveria was even born, Friana was already a famous grand scholar in the Elven Forest, mastering numerous magical rituals and elven secret arts without the aid of divine blessings.
She was also one of the rare few elves who showed little reverence for the royal family.
Riveria remembered that in a letter Friana had written to her father, King Rafale, she directly criticized him as a "stubborn and rigid fool."
Later, in pursuit of deeper magical knowledge, Friana left the Elven Forest and joined the [School District].
Receiving divine blessings from the goddess of youth, Idunn, she took on the role of professor in magical studies, history, and comparative theology, traveling the world with the School District.
Since the School District happened to be near Orario, the Guild had invited this powerful and experienced elven mage to assist in a critical matter—
If Artemis's approach failed, they would gather Riveria and the others to channel their immense magic power and use Friana's ancient elven magic ritual to forcibly activate the 'Spear of Artemis' and erase the awakening Scorpio monster [Antares] from existence.
Now, the four Level 6 elves were gathered, but the atmosphere was unusually… delicate.
By bloodline, Riveria was an elven princess, ranking above the others, yet at the same time, [Thousand-Year Sage Staff] Friana was their senior by an overwhelming margin.
Riveria disliked being worshiped due to her royal status, but in front of these particular individuals, she had to uphold the dignity of the royal family.
Meanwhile, [White Fairy's Magic Wand] Hedin was a subject of the elven royal family and Friana's junior, but he was also a member of Freya Familia, the city's most powerful faction.
In Orario, especially here in Babel Tower, where Freya Familia reigned supreme, his demeanor represented his goddess's stance, particularly in interactions with Loki Familia, the second-ranked faction.
He could not 'disrespect the royal family and his elders,' nor could he 'weaken Freya Familia's prestige,' putting him in a particularly difficult position.
As for [Thousand-Year Sage Staff] Friana, as the elder among them, she could have alleviated the awkward atmosphere, but she showed no interest in doing so.
She simply sat there the entire time, engrossed in reading an ancient tome. One of the rewards she had requested from the Guild for her assistance.
As for [Black Fairy's Demon Sword] Hogni, he was completely unreliable in this situation. Though outwardly calm, inwardly, he was in complete panic, 'So scary, Lady Riveria is terrifying, Lady Friana is terrifying, Hedin is terrifying too… I want to go home and hide in Lady Freya's arms! Someone save me!'
The awkward tension persisted. Friana kept reading, Hogni remained silent, and Hedin and Riveria exchanged polite, superficial words, only making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable.
At last, the gods finally arrived.
Accompanied by Hermes and Artemis, Ryuu and Emiya also entered Babel Tower.
Four Level 6 adventurers, one Level 5, all powerful elven mages or magic swordsmen, along with a spear-wielder.
This was the strongest magic force that could currently be assembled in Orario—or even the entire world.
———
"Hermes-sama, you and the guild's Ouranus-sama went through great trouble to gather us here. What is the matter? Can you explain now?"
The petite white-haired elf girl, with her hair styled in cute twin tails, lifted her gaze from the book. Her emerald eyes looked toward the gods opposite her, and she asked in a calm and indifferent tone.
Hermes slightly lowered his head, the brim of his hat casting a shadow over his eyes, "I apologize for disturbing you all, but at this moment, the Labyrinth City, no, I should say, the entire world, needs your power!"
The Traveler God's voice paused briefly. He then lifted his head, meeting the elves' gaze, as well as Shirou Emiya's.
With a solemn expression, Hermes said, "The ancient monster, the scorpion Antares, has awakened."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
A few seconds later, Thousand-Year Sage Staff Friana lowered her gaze back to her book and uttered a brief, "Oh."
"Excuse me, what is this 'Antares'? Friana-sama, do you know?"
Hedin adjusted his glasses and asked.
Hogni, Ryuu, and the others also turned their eyes toward her, clearly unfamiliar with the name.
"Antares is a dangerous monster that has survived since ancient times," Friana stated, her tone remaining flat, "A long time ago, the Great Spirits sealed it away in the Great Tree Sea, within the Elsos Ruins. It seems that as time passed, the seal gradually weakened."
As she spoke, she looked at Riveria and the others, "The Grand Library of Alfheim, as well as the archives in various elven forests, should have records of it. Haven't you all read them?"
The younger elves averted their gazes in guilt.
Riveria thought to herself, 'The book recording ancient monsters… I read it as a storybook when I was a child, so I don't remember many of the details...'
Hedin, Hogni, and Ryuu, on the other hand, were thinking, 'Huh? Library? What library?'
Friana sighed and turned to Hermes, "But if it's about subjugating Antares, why ask us? Leon should be a better choice. He would probably be happy to help with this."
The Leon she mentioned was Leon Vardenburg, a fellow Academy professor, and an Lv.7 Knight Supreme.
One of only two Lv.7 adventurers in the world, standing equal to Ottar, the Berserker of the Labyrinth City.
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