Chapter 331: Orion
"Do you want to run away with me?"
"....."
The moment Artemis heard that question, she stared at him in a daze and disbelief.
Isao had noticed it!
No, he knew what would happen to her!
Who was it?
Hermes?
'No,' Artemis showed a bitter smile and knew it was arrogant of them to think they could deceive Isao.
Isao knew everything.
Their deceit, their parting, and the conclusion of their relationship.
Everything was clear to him.
So, Isao asked her this question.
His eyes were clear, showing his determination, so Artemis knew that she shouldn't lie and she should answer him with everything.
"Sorry, everyone has been waiting for me in heaven, but I will definitely return to you when I reincarnate."
Her voice was peaceful, and she had made up her mind, but as those words fell, the tears that she had held spilled, and it was impossible to stop. They were overflowing like the feeling she felt toward this young man who she had only met for less than a month.
This feeling was so intense that she had the urge to accept his invitation right away, leaving everything.
Even if the world was destroyed, so what?
As long as she could be with him, everything was fine.
Yet, when she thought about the sacrifice of her Familia members, the fate of this world, and how there was no chance to defeat that monster except in this way, Artemis knew that they had no fate.
Their fate was only one, and they could only be part of it.
After this battle, Artemis would die, and she would return to heaven. Even if she could be reincarnated, how long would it be?
100 years? 1,000 years? 10,000 years? A million years?
Would Isao be living by then?
More importantly, Artemis knew that Isao had many important people in this world, and there were many who loved him, so she knew that he would be okay. As long as he was okay, everything was fine, she thought.
Even if he wasn't with her in the end, as long as he was happy and could live in this world peacefully, then it was all good, she thought.
However, even so, the tears in her eyes couldn't be stopped.
Artemis wished for them to stop. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't since the thought of her disappearing from his side, the thought of him being with others, and the thought of him forgetting her... all of those things frightened her!
Was love such a scary thing?
Her Familia member told her that it was a wonderful feeling, something that made her happy, yet at the same time, this feeling brought her fear.
The fear of herself changing into something that she hated the most, of losing him, and of not having him by her side.
Artemis didn't know what to do. For the eons of life, this was something she felt for the first time until Isao hugged her tightly.
It was a bit painful, and it made her unable to breathe, yet she didn't let him go or push him away. Instead, she enjoyed it and even clung to him.
'Ah...'
This was something that she needed.
There were no words exchanged between them, and they just hugged each other tightly.
Yet, as he loosened his arms, Artemis clung to him tighter as if she was afraid for his warmth to disappear.
Fate let them meet each other.
Even if neither of them knew the other and they lived so far away, fate drew them together, and from that meeting, whether he or she had become an irreplaceable existence for each other.
On the other side, Hermes and Hestia, who had followed them secretly, let out a helpless sigh.
"Aren't you going to go after them?" Hermes asked softly and in a joking tone, as he knew how obsessed Hestia was with Isao.
"I want to... I want to... but... but..."
Hestia's feelings were so complex at the time. Her heart told her to stop them, but her body wouldn't move as if rooted in a place.
Did she have a hobby of watching another woman hold her loved one?
Obviously not!
However, when she looked at the divine spear... no, it should be an arrow in her hands, she felt at a loss.
Orion.
This was the name of this divine arrow and a weapon that could kill a deity.
Yes, this weapon had chosen Isao as its user.
If this was a normal time, Hestia would be more than happy as Isao could get stronger with this weapon, but unfortunately, this wasn't a normal time.
Regardless, to use this weapon, there was a requirement, and the requirement of that was for Isao to have a deep feeling with Artemis.
Still, this was an easy thing to do, and it was clear to all that Isao and Artemis had a deep feeling.
While Hestia was helpless, she didn't stop them since she knew how charming Isao was. As long as, in his heart, she was the most important, then she was fine with that.
However, the relationship between Isao and Artemis doesn't end well.
There was no happy ending between them, especially when the purpose of Orion's appearance in this world was to kill a monster known as Antares.
If this was just a normal monster, even if it was comparable to a Level 7 or Level 8 adventurer, there should be a way to take care of it, yet this monster was special as it could use a divine power or Arcanum, the power of the deity.
The question was how such a monster could use such a power.
It was because Antares had devoured Artemis.
By devouring her, it could use her power and bring a calamity to this world.
To stop that, before Artemis was devoured by Antares, she sent her copy of herself and summoned Orion, hoping for someone to appear and bring an end to her and Antares.
Antares was powerful as it had devoured Artemis, and to kill it, one needed to use Orion, but for Orion to have the power to defeat Antares, the chosen person needed to have a deep feeling with Artemis.
Isao, who was chosen, had cleared up that requirement, and it should be easy for him to eliminate Antares with Oraion, but at the price of that, he would lose Artemis since killing Antares meant that he had to kill Artemis.
In other words, there was no happy ending to their love to begin with.
Everything was an act, something that was born, so the chosen person could erase Antares.
Yet, even if their beginning was an act, their current feeling was a real thing.
With all of that, could Hestia come forward and stop them?
Impossible!
So, after watching the two for a while, Hestia and Hermes left, leaving Isao and Artemis alone.
Regardless, as a deity, even if Artemis died, she would be reincarnated sooner or later, so—
"Don't forget me."
"I won't."
"Don't stop thinking of me..."
"I will think of you."
"Really?"
"Really."
Artemis took a deep breath and said, "Wait for me, okay?"
"I will wait for you, so don't make me wait too long."
"I will..."
As she hugged him tightly, Artemis was glad that Isao was her Orion.