Chapter 26: Dragon Valley 1. Artemis

In the dead of night, when the only lights that could be found are of those of the heavens.

Amidst a sprawling forest that seems to never end.

A sea of trees nearing the border of an unknown frontier in the northernmost point of the continent.

Bell runs with bated breath across the numerous branches.

If it were in Orario, such behavior would've been normal for the vigilante as he roamed the streets of the city in search of crime to clean up. But in this instance...rather than being the hunter...he was the hunted...

"Ha...ha...ha...ha..."

'WHY WON'T THEY JUST GIVE UP!'

Bell thought angrily as he continued to run across the forest to escape his pursuers. He was able to get a lead on them, but he knew it was one that could be broken easily should he not maintain the fast pace he was currently at, one achieved by focusing his reinforcement magecraft at near full power around his legs.

'The way the Aphrodite familia easily tracks me down... it's like they're used to hunting down escaping people...please don't tell me they have a member with a tracking skill linked to me-'

Bell was continuing to escape from the clutches of the Aphrodite familia who had given chase to him earlier that day in the city of Preblica.

Bell thought he would easily evade and tire them out over time. He was able to do so for the majority of the search party, but the elites of the goddess' familia remained, and they were more of a hassle for Bell to deal with than he had thought.

'A party of veteran level two's, and some veteran level three's...all specializing in speed and agility...'

"Haa...guess this will be a test of attrition then..."

Bell resolved himself to continue this game of cat and mouse until sunrise if it was necessary. He knew that at some point the search party would overextend themselves and be required to return to their familia.

'It's only a matter of time...on the plus side...all this chasing around made me achieve great progress in my journey to the Elsos ruins...haha...haha...ha...'

Bell gave himself whatever comfort he could in this situation. He was still deliberating on what his plans should be for the coming situation. Should he attempt to slay Antares by himself? Assist the Artemis familia in their attempt? How would he gain the trust of the familia that prided itself on its chasteness?

'...I'll think about it later...for now...'

「Reinforce」

'Just keep running...'

Bell's magic circuits began to spur with a new burst of energy as he utilized his mind reserves.

So the vigilante set forth to continue his escape...heading ever closer to the fabled ruins of the great monster...and one of the three great unexplored frontiers of the world...

The Dragon Valley

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..

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"Lante! Cover for the support! Rethusa! Take over the frontlines!"

"Understood, my goddess!"

A fair maiden of blue hair shouted with confidence and magnanimity. Replied with the disciplined responses of her entourage.

Her beauty and those of her companions stood in stark contrast to the setting they find themselves in.

A battlefield. Corpses of numerous wyverns lay dead beneath their feet. Some decompose into ashen dust in an instant, others slowly doing so and unable to deny anything about their inevitable demise.

Arrows flew forth from bows with mark precision and technique. Spears and swords cut through the tough hides of the monsters as if they were only mild inconveniences. Magic and spells were invoked with reliability and potency.

They faced a horde of monsters that would make even a well-supported city on the surface tremble in fear. But they were nothing more than a regular opponent in terms of power and scale for this group.

The Artemis familia. A hunting familia that roams the continent to hunt down surface monsters rather than delving into the dungeon of Orario.

Such a choice of action would most of the time result in a sub-standard familia, but the Artemis familia was no such familia. All members stood as extremely well-trained veteran level two's, with their captain as an intermediate level three.

The average accumulation of their stats was much higher than the standard of Orario, their skills polished far more than the adventurers of the dungeon. Refined and honed through countless battles in the diversified terrain of the surface world.

Such a thing can normally be attributed to the sheer talent of each of their members, but there was an underlying factor that superseded all such speculations from people who didn't familiarize themselves much with their familia...their familia head...their goddess...Artemis.

Artemis. A goddess which presided over the areas of hunting and chastity. An adored deity among the goddesses and an object of desire to most gods.

She prided herself in valuing her virginity and focusing on honing her skills as a warrior first and foremost. A value that led to the traumatizing of many gods in Tenkai. A value she propagated within her familia with their policy of no romantic relationships being possible whilst being a member. Something which made many of their members dismay at their youth slowly withering away.

But though her stance on romance was her key defining feature...there was one more thing that set her apart from all the other deities...

'They'll need support...positioning...trajectory...wind...'

Something which only manifested when the goddess descended...a trait which would become the envy of many of her fellow deities...

'The draw strength of this bow...I'll need my children to take a look at it later...for now...my target is in sight...'

Artemis drew her bow with grace and precision. With a technique that most experienced archer adventurers would hail with reverence. The bow radiated immense force as the goddess' muscles continued to pull the bowstring with little struggle.

With a breath...

"Fuu..."

She let her arrow fly forth

𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘔

A shockwave tore through the entire area as the arrow broke through the wind at immense speed.

The projectile tore through two wyverns with one shot. Wyverns which threatened to pierce the rear of her familia's formation.

"...my thanks Lady Artemis!"

Her familia, realizing what had just happened, immediately went to thank their goddess before returning to the battle. A sentiment Artemis returned with a smile and a light nod.

This was what let Artemis stand apart from the numerous gods and goddesses in the lower world...a divine strength that couldn't be completely diminished in her mortal vessel...a trait that allowed the divine to fight on their own two feet as well...

Her strength...one which allowed her to combat foes with the capabilities of a high-end level two adventurer...a strength that even a war god like Ares failed to possess.

With this strength, she stood on the frontlines of battle alongside her children...with this strength, she trained her children rigorously in the art of combat.

"Looks like the children will be done with this soon...I'll leave the rest of the monsters for the less experienced members then..."

「Artemis: The Divine Huntress」

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The skirmish soon settled down to a stop as the Artemis familia unsurprisingly emerged victorious. The familia took this time to recuperate from the battle...but although it was described as recuperation...it was nothing more than the familia members catching their breaths.

Weapons were being maintained with temporary fixes from light damage caused by the wyverns. A few unlucky individuals were having light scratches patched up by the healers of the familia. While the rest were assigned to gathering the magic stones dropped by the wyverns.

While the familia moved busily about, Artemis slowly approached a figure who was leading the entire group with ease and efficiency. The captain of her familia who fought and led from the frontlines as the commander and tank. Fighting valiantly with a sword and light shield as her auburn hair swayed in the wind.

"Rethusa, do you have a moment to spare? I would like to discuss something with you"

Artemis called out to the figure with familiarity, to which Rethusa complied with a simple nod. Giving out a few orders before conversing with her goddess.

"What might it be about, Lady Artemis?"

Rethusa asked inquisitively.

"Can you give me another rundown of the itinerary so far? Just want another refresher before we approach the frontier"

Artemis asked, to which Rethus duly complied.

"The familia will soon be able to gather and organize the magic stones in a few minutes...after which I plan to lead us to a nearby lake we can use for the night before we enter the frontier and continue our way to the Elsos ruins...the more sensitive of our group would probably want to bathe before traversing the outskirts of Dragon Valley"

Rethusa ended with a slight chuckle, something which Artemis shared as well. She knew full well the rather uncomfortable journey which lay ahead for them all.

"It's all right Rethusa. I quite understand where they all come from. I too would like to bathe before traversing the frontier"

Artemis had led her familia to this northernmost region of the continent for two reasons. One which was known to her children...and another that was more...personal in nature.

The first was a subjugation request from a local village.

The village was situated quite close to the Dragon Valley and as such, was subjected to the constant fear of wyvern invasions whenever they left the valley for their seasonal hunt.

Artemis and her familia happily accepted the subjugation quest and fulfilled the requirement to cash in the rewards with their magic stones as proof...but they weren't planning to do so immediately...they planned to continue forward after dealing with the wyverns...choosing to complete the request on the way back from their second destination.

The Elsos ruins...the second destination Artemis had set for her and her familia in this journey. None outside of herself knew the reason why the goddess had done so. Most chose to believe in the competency of their goddess. She had long since earned their devout loyalty.

The reason Artemis had kept the reason secret...was because she wasn't sure of it herself...it was a feeling of worry that constantly nagged at her...one which pointed towards the direction of the Elsos ruins.

The goddess was somewhat familiar with the location. Remembering it briefly from a long time ago as being a sanctuary for spirits which were envoys of her arcanum back in the days before the gods' descent.

She hadn't remembered much of what happened to the spirit's sanctuary and didn't even have a clue as to why she might be feeling a nagging pull to go towards it...but she knew...if she didn't...she would in all likelihood regret it quite a bit.

'I don't know whether my kindred spirits are safe right now...I just hope they'll be alright...'

Artemis was naturally worried for the spirits she dearly cared for. The spirits were the beloved children of the gods before the mortal races came into existence, so their well-being was a matter the gods took very seriously, especially for spirits that were personally related to them.

Seeing the worry on her goddess' face, Lante immediately cut herself into the conversation between Artemis and Rethusa, wanting to dissuade the fears of her beloved deity.

The half-elf with light blue hair who fought with a spear quickly embraced her goddess before happily speaking.

"Lady Artemis! Later when we bathe tonight, you wanna try this new bathing lotion I bought? I heard it's quite popular among people in Orario and Altena!"

Lante spoke in joyful exuberance, something which naturally made the familia and the goddess less weary after tiring battles.

"L-Lante I appreciate the gesture...but you don't have to-"

Artemis wryly smiled as she struggled to deal with the half-elf embracing her tightly. But she was rescued by another member of her familia who had long since grown to become Lante's counter.

"Eh?-"

"Stop causing so much trouble will you Lante? It's obvious Lady Artemis and captain Rethusa are talking about something serious right now..."

A cat person with green and yellow hair spoke with a tired expression. Holding an ornate black bow in one hand as she carried Lante in the other.

"Thank you, Atalante. But there's no need to reprimand Lante"

Artemis thanked the child of her familia whom she considered to have the best talent in archery after herself. Atalante, a cat person the goddess had recruited as a child when her familia encountered her being raised in the wild in a forest.

"Yeah! Why are you quick to bully me Atalante~ We even share the same four letters in our name!-"

Lante spoke in protest as she continued to be held by Atalante. To which the cat girl spoke tiredly.

"For the last time Lante. It's just a coincidence-"

(There are a lot of people that think Lante is supposed to be Danmachi's equivalent of Atalante...but she wasn't talked about much, not even her choice of weapon or appearance. So I think it's fine if I add the cat archer right? HAHAHA)

"-and the reason I reprimand you so much...is because if I give in a single inch, you'll run a mile and cause mischief!"

Atalante spoke with intense vigor. Something born from having to clean up the messes her friend has made throughout their time together.

"...um...ehe?~"

Spurred through the annoyance of her friend...unconsciously...Atalanta began to invoke a magic that would allow her to vent her frustration.

Atalanta gripped her bow tightly as wisps of black flames began to emit themselves from her arm...

「Run wild...and strike down...all who stand in your warpath...beast of Calydon...」

Sensing the impending that awaited her, Lante immediately began to calm down the cat girl and started listing off things she could use to bargain for her continued existence.

"Let's not get too violent Atalante! We're civilized people right?! I'll clean the dishes and handle the waste disposal for a week for the familia! How about that?!"

But though Lante stated something most of her familia members would accept...Atalante continued to chant.

「Spawn of demise...Boar of Divine Punishment...Agrius-」

Sensing Atalante wasn't satisfied yet. Lante quickly began to raise her promise.

"One month! for one month!-"

"..."

But Atalante simply stared at her in utter contempt, her mouth beginning to speak out the last part of the magic.

「Meta-」

But Lante cut her off.

"ALRIGHT! TWO MONTHS. JUST PLEASE DONT KILL ME!~"

The half-elf had broken down into tears at this point, the sight of it all making Atalante give out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Good. Not get to it"

Seeing the dangerous glare on her "friend". Lante immediately ran off.

"HIIII!- YES MA'AM!---"

Seeing the terrified half-elf...who was supposedly their familia's vice-captain...Rethusa and Artemis cannot help but grow worried about the rather...toxic friendship the two share.

"Atalante...don't you think you take it too far sometimes?..."

Rethusa spoke out. Even though she was known for her penchant for wanting everything in order. Even she was a bit put off by the threats the cat girl archer made. Even the stern Artemis.

"Like I said before captain. If you give her an inch she'll run a mile. She'll thank me for not letting her devolve into a perverted mess. Its called tough love"

Seeing the cat girl's smile on her face as if she were a parent proudly watching their child grow...and remembering the young woman was born and raised in the wilderness...they couldn't help but conclude it was only natural for her to be so..."lenient" with her incentives...

But though they appeared to be hostile to each other, Artemis knew that the two of them were very close as friends...they just had a unique way of showing it.

Seeing her children act with joy and smiles on their faces...Artemis began to move away from the fears which crept around her mind.

'There's no use worrying about it too much...with my familia by my side...I'm sure it will be nothing"

Artemis smiled as she thought such a thing. Rethusa smiled as well, seeing her goddess growing less tense.

As the captain and goddess made their way to the group, Rethusa reported an odd occurrence with their skirmish with the wyverns. Nothing that didn't really concern them due to their strength, but posed a risk to the village that issued the subjugation request.

"Lady Artemis. The villagers report stated having observed somewhere around fifty wyverns per seasonal hunt...our team had only gathered around twenty magic stones..."

Artemis immediately picked up on what Rethusa wanted to say.

'So there might be stragglers...'

Artemis readied to possibly delay their trip by another day. Though she was concerned about the matter of the Elsos ruins. She wouldn't jeopardize the safety of innocents for her own selfishness.

But before Artemis could give out orders for a night hunt and a possible extension for their trip, a loud roar rang throughout the forest they were currently in.

𝘙𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘙𝘙𝘙𝘙𝘙𝘙𝘙

"?!-"

Artemis and her familia immediately diverted their attention to the source of the loud noise. it wasn't a product of a single powerful beast...but a large horde screaming in unison.

But as they trained their eyes on the source...the scene confused them immensely.

"Around thirty wyverns...and they're chasing something?..."

Rethusa confusedly reported what she observed.

A flock of thirty wyverns was flying together in unison in chase of something...they couldn't distinguish what it was...but traces of blue light could be seen briefly before disappearing.

"Lady Artemis..."

Rethusa turned to her goddess for orders on what to do...and the goddess immediately spoke back.

"Have everyone stand at arms as soon as possible. I will lead a group to make first contact alongside Lante and Atalanta. You organize the rest of the familia. Understood?"

Hearing the concise commands of her goddess, Rethusa immediately replied.

"Understood, my goddess!"

Artemis immediately began racing towards the source of the congregating wyverns alongside Lante, Atalanta, and a few of the strongest members of their familia.

Their hunt wasn't over just yet.

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..

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'First I worry about possibly having to contend with a great monster that spirits could only deal with through sealing...'

𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉

'Then I try my best to not get sexually assaulted in public...only to get chased by a bunch of level two's and three's in the forest for hours...'

𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉

'And to top it all off...'

𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉

'I'M BEING CHASED BY A FLOCK OF WYVERNS'

𝘙𝘖𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘙𝘙𝘙𝘙-

𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉

"Shut up...please...just shut up..."

Bell said, his voice visibly conveying how hard he is trying to not shout at this very moment.

In the process of escaping his pursuers from the Aphrodite familia, Bell had somehow come across the flock of wyverns that were wandering the area.

It seemed to be a splintered-off group due to the fact he can recognize its behaviors, something he learned from a monster encyclopedia he read with Eina one time.

Confused and lacking direction. This was what Bell was able to gather after analyzing the flock for a brief moment. But it would appear to have been a fatal mistake...because the wyverns locked eyes with Bell as he was analyzing them and gave chase to the vigilante.

'Do I have bad luck whenever I stare at people now?... maybe I should get a blindfold...'

Bell thought to himself in order to repress his annoyance.

He was deeply exhausted. He would've been able to easily dispatch such enemies with ease, but playing hide and seek with a bunch of adventurers that were trained seekers... it drained him immensely with how much 「Reinforcement」and 「Transient」he had to invoke to not be caught.

"Haa....haa...haa...haa..."

Bell breathed erratically and heavily.

But he pushed forward nonetheless, surrounded by countless wyvern corpses, all of each were struck down in such a way that they wouldn't disintegrate into ash immediately.

'It may seem cruel...but they're not Xenos...and I really...REALLY...needed a way to vent right now...'

「Trace...on」

Bell manifested another set of chained blades into both of his hands, swinging them to build up energy to throw at the flying beasts.

'There's just four of them left...I would've liked to just sword barell'd them...but I don't have enough mind...for...that....'

Bell's thoughts began to slow as he began observing the wyverns...they were behaving peculiarly...

'?...'

They were emitting a weird noise that was high-pitched in nature. Their wings began to beat faster, but not in a way that made them rise that much in altitude.

Bell began to go through his memories to recall what type of behavior they were displaying...the result...didn't please Bell that much.

'They're...laughing at me...'

Bell recalled how the wyverns took immense pleasure in hunting their prey. It was as much of a form of entertainment to the lizards as it was a necessity to survive.

Should a wyvern deem the prey to be at the end of its life... it would begin to taunt it in mockery.

"..."

Beneath the mask Bell wore...

"You know...I'm a man who just wants peace...I'm not some Chinese sword fantasy character that picks fights whenever they can just for the sake of it..."

Bell began to wear an expression...that wasn't befitting of a hero of justice he wanted to be...

「Trace on」

"Mother Meteria...Grandpa Zeus...if you're watching this...just know..."

「Reinforce」

"I tried my best to be reasonable"

𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘔 𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘔 𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘔 𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘔

Bell threw four chained blades at the remaining wyverns with immense strength. Each launch ripped through the air with such strength that a sonic boom was left in its wake...

'Who cares if I get mind zero after this...I just want to vent some stress right now-'

Bell was going all out with all he had remaining in order to satiate his annoyance.

𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉 𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉 𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉 𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘉

Each of Bell's chained swords pierced through the bodies of the wyverns with ease. Bell could've easily targeted their magic stones or severed their head...but he wanted to try something more...brutal.

「Alteration」

Blue sparks began to emit from the blades which had pierced through the wyverns. Its shape began to be violently molded into something else entirely

'Never used alteration in battle before...but there's a first for everything right?'

Bell grinned sadistically as he thought so.

The blades...were now formed into hooks.

「Reinforce」

Mind began to course through Bell's entire body. He didn't care about efficiency anymore...he simply wanted...brute strength.

The wyverns displayed a look of shock in their eyes. They weren't very intelligent but they possessed some semblance of higher thought. So Bell relished the look of the reject dragons that had hounded him after his marathon.

"Hey, wyverns...you ever watched that scene with Hulk at the Stark tower?"

Before the wyverns could express confusion at not being able to comprehend what was being said to them...their vision blurred...the feeling of immense wind on their bodies...until-

𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏

The wyvern's bodies crashed violently to the ground...Bell had pulled on their bodies via the hook and chain...and wanted to thrash them around a bit.

"You're still alive...good"

Wyverns as far as Bell could remember were quite resistant to blunt strike damage in the danmachi world...that means...

"We're gonna have a lot of fun...you and I..."

Bell grasped the chains tightly into his hands as the wyverns struggled in vain to limp back up...but it was too late...

「Reinforce」

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𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏 𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏 𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏 𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏 𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏 𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏 𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏

The sounds of violent crashing and smashing rang throughout the forest, a sound that greatly concerned the approaching Artemis and her familia.

"What the hell is happening over there?...wyverns shouldn't be this strong..."

Atalanta commented in concern, to which Lante followed up.

"This can only mean... it's the doing of whatever they're chasing..."

The eyes of the advance party immediately narrowed, even Artemis.

The path to the Dragon Valley was one that wasn't frequently traveled.

Unless one's goal is to travel along a faster route to the northernmost point of the continent, which contains very little to do besides the Elsos ruins.

Or to explore the great frontier, which only a strong familia on the level of Zeus and Hera could only accomplish.

There was little chance for anyone to meet another traveling group.

Thus the Artemis familia readied themselves to begin combat with a powerful monster that was capable of such brutal sounds.

"Everyone! Do not immediately engage the target. Simply perform reconnaissance, and we will decide on our course of action once Rethusa arrives with the rest of the familia...Understood?"

Artemis spoke out loud and clear.

"Understood, my goddess!"

To which her familia complied with discipline.

Though Artemis radiated an air of confidence, in reality, she was quite nervous.

'It'll be alright...It'll be alright...'

Ever since the goddess' encounter with Aphrodite, Artemis has been retrospecting a bit on her entire life up till that point.

Her talks with Aphrodite, Lante, and Rethusa regarding the subject of love...whether a person can change from what they were created to be...if a goddess of chastity such as herself...can break the mold that had been imposed on her.

All her life she acted to live up to the image of a goddess whom people worshipped...a figure that was looked upon with awe...she was retrospecting on the promise which led the gods to descend from the heavens into the lower world...

She was beginning to try and uncover...what ten thousand years of romance...meant to her...

'It'll absolutely be alright...if worst comes to worst...I'll call upon it...'

Artemis' divine aura began to secretly stir within her body.

The image of a divine construct readied and honed itself should it be called upon.

A manifestation of her divinity that wouldn't immediately send her back to Tenkai

'It's prophesized to be held by a warrior beside myself...one whose fate is to be irreversibly intertwined with mine...but even if I use it myself...bar some outrageous threat...I'll be able to blow it away in an instant..."

Calming her nerves with her failsafe should anything go awry...Artemis' gaze steeled itself with conviction.

Her arrow was primed and ready to shoot down any foe...

「Orion Arrow: They Who Pierce」

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"What in the hell is...this?..."

Lante spoke in utter shock at the scene which lay before her eyes. Her fellow familia members and her goddess were just as equally shocked as she was.

Brutality. Such was the only way to describe what was being shown.

The forest was broken to pieces. Trees were uprooted and torn down with sheer force. The dirt and ground scattered all over as if they were caught up in a violent storm.

But the damage to nature wasn't what shocked the familia members the most...it was the sheer number of wyvern corpses that were sprawled about.

"Those injuries...they weren't fatal...but the precision of the strike makes it seem...intentional?"

Atalante commented as she analyzed one of the nearby dying wyverns. Their bloodied bodies slowly disintegrated into ash.

"Precise cuts and stabs meant to hinder its movement...strikes which were directed away from the magic stone of the wyverns...the general area of it being the most pristine part of the body..."

Atalante continued to speak. Amazed at how such a technique was employed...for a rather inefficient hunt. She had a guess as to why such skills were employed...but she wondered what would drive a person to such lengths?

Artemis watched the entire scene with vigilant eyes, she was readying herself to for the possible monster to arrive and find them...but she soon discovered that they would find it instead.

𝘚 𝘔 𝘈 𝘚 𝘏

"-?!"

Artemis and her familia immediately entered their combat stances...but they soon learned that the source of the sound came a bit farther ahead from their current position...

The familia members looked towards their goddess for orders...

"...everyone is to maintain stealth to the best of their abilities...we are to gather information first...all members who aren't confident in their ability to hide their presence...wait here for Rethusa to arrive and direct them in our direction should we not make it back when they arrive..."

They all prepared themselves to approach the source of the sound alongside their goddess, aside from a few members who decided to serve as the lookout for Rethusa and the rest of the familia.

It was a risky move to have their goddess approach danger so closely, but this wasn't the first time they had encountered such a situation. The familia were confident in their goddess' skills as a huntress...and should it be necessary...they were ready to give up their lives to allow her to escape.

"...ready?..."

Artemis called out in a quiet but serious tone. Her familia members nodded in agreement.

There were no longer words said among them...there were no longer sounds among them...they began to approach the target...whoever was ensnared...be it them or the mysterious figure...would be the victor of this hunt.

...

..

.

Artemis and the familia moved silently across the greenery. Obscuring their presence to a high degree.

They were closely approaching the source of the noise...their nerves readying to react at a moment's notice...but they were soon caught off guard by a noise they began to hear.

"Ha...ha...ha...haa..."

The huntresses were intimately familiar with the noises produced by various prey that they hunted...and this sound was one all too familiar to all of them...its cadence... its weight...the sound of a mortal...one extremely injured and exhausted.

"Its a mortal! Everyone rush forward!"

Artemis immediately canceled the order on stealth and began rushing forward to aid whoever was being caught by their senses.

The goddess had detected no signs of life outside of one individual, and so trusted that they were now safe. Her instincts as a goddess that valued justice immediately took over. Artemis' familia members followed closely behind her.

"..."

But the scene shocked her once more...much more than the bloody warpath that they encountered with numerous wyverns...

'Such...brute force...'

The damage done to nature compared to before...could be seen as laughable compared to this...it was an absolute massacre.

'Are those...wyverns?...'

Artemis doubted her eyes for a moment as she eyed four monster corpses held tightly by chains...their figures were so deformed that the only clue that allowed her to identify them as wyverns was through their crooked and injured wings.

'More importantly...'

Artemis fixed her gaze on a solitary figure that stood still amidst the chaos.

'Black...no...gray? The armor looks quite foreign...and those weapons...'

The goddess was confused by the lack of an explanation as to everything that had just happened. But before she could think any longer...the figure's heavy breath began to slow...before he subsequently fell onto the floor...the chains he held had somehow dissipated into the mist...but his armor had remained.

"Damn it- Nows not the time!"

Artemis immediately snapped out of her daze and begin heading toward the figure.

The goddess immediately grabbed a potion she carried on her person and readied to administer it...but she couldn't find a way to do so...

"Huh?...whys this mask...it won't come off.."

Artemis struggled in vain to try and pry open the figure's armor but to no avail. Even with the assistance of her familia, no progress could be made.

"Damn it!- If only the healers were here...then-"

Before Artemis could wallow in her inability to help...a faint glow began to radiate off of the figure's body...white strings began to emit from it and began to strangely entangle themselves.

"What is..."

Artemis and her familia were simply left with confusion after confusion. The goddess began to experience a small headache with the sudden intrusion of something she cannot even begin to explain as a god. Atalante furrowed her brow to formulate as best an answer she could.

'Insane strength...countless dead wyverns...that chained weapon that somehow faded into nothing...and now this?...just what...'

But as Artemis deliberated what this could possibly mean. Though she wasn't on the best terms with this goddess, she wanted to be able to consult the goddess for knowledge of what just happened in front of her.

Artemis was one to believe in signs and omens. For such a figure to encounter her familia...when she was already experiencing much worry originating from the Elsos ruins?...

'There has to be something that somehow connects all of this...'

But while the goddess and her group were left in utter confusion...Lante spoke out quietly...as if the revelation had just dawned on her.

"Is this...the Gray Ghost?..."

Immediately, the group turned towards the half-elf who had just spoken.

"Gray Ghost...as in...the Gray Ghost of Orario?..."

The familia members seemed to know who the figure could possibly be, but Artemis and Atalante were left in the dark, not caring much for affairs that didn't directly affect them. They were people of action rather than thought after all.

"Lante. Who are you talking about?"

Atalanta spoke, wanting to know who this figure was. Artemis silently agreed with her child.

"Well...I don't really know much...since we haven't been to Orario in a while...but from the little, that was talked about from the merchants who came from Orario..."

Lante began to recount the little she knew of the figure.

"The Gray Ghost of Orario is a vigilante that appeared somewhat recently. Donning form-fitting armor, a cloak, a mask, and chained blades"

"He goes around saving adventurers in the dungeon and hunts down criminals all throughout Orario. He is even said to single-handedly wipe out criminal familias..."

Hearing the descriptions Lante gave, Atalanta and Artemis began to look once more at the figure who was still surrounded by numerous strings of light.

"There were a few signs people talked about that distinguished him...chained blades that can fade into the air...and white glow or white strings which would come out of his body...people speculate the second sign to be some sort of...healing ability"

"It's a stretch to say something like that...but I did hear that the Gray Ghost had stopped appearing around Orario...so maybe..."

Lante spoke as she focused on the mask of the figure.

"The Gray Ghost came here...and we...stumbled upon him..."

The group became quiet...what Lante had just proposed was plausible...but there were still too many holes that couldn't be explained just yet. But for now, the familia would work under the assumption...that the masked figure that lay before them was the Gray Ghost of Orario.

"Haa...is this a sign of things to come?..."

Artemis sighed in tiredness. In her long stay in the lower world...she knew...such amazing circumstances...always invited trouble beyond compare.

But the goddess and her familia weren't the types to back down in the face of trouble. So they immediately took action.

"Everyone! Immediately head back and begin to direct Rethusa and the rest of the familia to the planned resting spot! Bring a contingent of our familia's healers here. It's better to be safer than sorry with his current condition. Understood?"

"Understood, my goddess!"

The members of her familia began to take action all around her...as they did so...Artemis began to focus on the mask of the figure...

'Perhaps it was fate for us to meet here...'

Artemis began to unconsciously tighten her first.

A storm was coming...and she wasn't sure she was strong enough to pierce it away on her own...

'Please...let your arrival...be an omen of good fortune...'

...

..

.

Authors Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter!

Not much to say but...wish me luck to survive my last year of high school before college HAHAHA.

My classes begin in two days, and I'm not the best when it comes to Chemistry...so it'll be a challenge to see if I can write while swamped with work-

Anyways, I'm planning on developing Bell's relationship with Artemis and her familia in the next chapter while foreshadowing some stuff with the dragon valley...I mean...a great unexplored region in the world of Danmachi...named Dragon Valley...not really subtle is it?

This arc will end in around two or three more chapters. Depends if I want to write the Antares fight to be two chapters long.

That'll be all. Hope you look forward to it and have a nice day!