Chapter 23: Artemis Defeat
(I updated the tags to include the Villain Tag if that wasn't clear.)
Artemis as a goddess of the Hunt was one of the most powerful of the gods because she was one of the best known. If you asked people on the street to name a Greek god or goddess, Artemis was always on that list.
As a result of Helios and Selene fading and their Domains being taken by Artemis and Apollo, they were much stronger compared to the other gods. Though, the moment Artemis caught the first swing of Constantine, she winced at the impact.
'Strong.'
When Constantine pulled his sword back he surged his Divine Energy into the black causing the Matter Disruption Field to roar to life. This caused a thin layer of matter to destroy energy to cover his blade.
Constantine growled as he advanced on Artemis who ran toward him carried on the wind. He grabbed his sword with both hands and raised his left leg stopping down and trying to crush Artemis' right foot.
She backed stepped to avoid the stomp and following his example channeled her Divine Energy into the daggers. She raised the one in her right hand to catch his sword swing which caused sparks to fly as their energy clashed.
Her arm began shaking as Constantine was a physical powerhouse, but she did not let her aching bones slow her down. With her free left hand, she went in for a stab at Constantine's chest.
'Not bad.'
He spun his sword in an arc followed by Black Cursed Flames. He swung upwards catching her stabbing dagger. Artemis scowled as she lept backward avoiding the wave of black fire.
Artemis in a skillful backflip flip landed on her feet. She exhaled as she realized that Constantine was a threat.
"Who are you under the helmet?"
Constantine snarled.
"Orion."
Artemis scowled with a look that would murder him.
"Don't you dare utter his name?"
Constantine didn't answer as he opened his right hand causing the black chain around his arm to unwind. He then dropped the Black Blade which then returned to his soul. He called out another weapon bringing out his Naginata which appeared in his open palm in a burst of black fire.
He spun the giant polearm with a single hand before he got into a fighting stance.
"Why not bring out your bow little virgin? I will wait."
'Another Divine Weapon?'
Artemis took note of that, but she raised her daggers high.
"You are not worthy of me using my bow."
"That will be your funeral, Virgin."
Constantine charged forward with his Naginata aimed at her heart. From her body, a wave of Moon Light as she forced the weakened connection to the Moon to enhance her abillities.
Constantine spun around causing a miasma of toxins and fire to follow his Naginata's blade. Artemis roared which sounded like the roar of a bear. Around her, he could see the spiritual outline of a great bear.
She raced at him burning in silver flames and with both her daggers she clashed with his naginata. When they clashed Constatine took note that she got much stronger physically as she called on the bear aspect of the Hunt.
He started grinning behind his helmet as his muscles began to bulge and his Dragon Heart began thumping like an engine. More Divine Energy began flowing and his blood flowed through him invigorating him.
"Are you enjoying our fight, little virgin? I would be sad if you didn't enjoy our fight."
"When I rip that helmet off I will make sure to turn you into a maiden. I will have no hesitation to gift you to Zeus."
That pissed and disgusted him so he pulled his Naginata back. He enhanced his physical abillities to the limit with his Divine Energy causing a black miasma to start to radiate from his armor.
He roared as more Titanic Energy began mixing in with his Divine Energy causing his strength to increase even further. With a bellowing roar, he swung his Naginata down at her head.
Artemis' eyes tracked his swing, and she tried to raise her daggers to stop it. However, when his Naginata and her Daggers clashed again, her left dagger snapped down the middle. When that happened, Artemis panicked and tried to jump with the wind, but Constantine activated The Delete Field around them canceling out the wind she tried to use.
Even her aspect of the Bear was weakened, and that moment of weakness was costly. If not for her jumping back at the last moment, he would have probably cut off her right arm or cut deep into her shoulder.
Instead, his Naginata sliced through her flesh near her shoulder to her armpit. Artemis fled a good distance and she wanted to scream in agony. Her eyes began welling up in agony as she kneeled in the sand and she looked at her wound.
Her beautiful skin was starting to blacken with black veins, her golden Ichor began to steam as it tried fighting off poisons in Constantine's gear. Constantine raised his Naginate which was covered in golden blood.
The weapon began absorbing it as he had applied the Blood Drinker aspect on it.
"Hurts don't it? Feels like you want to die, like death would be better?"
Artemis picked herself up and she looked at the wound that refused to close. She began trying to heal herself which was not working as well as she hoped. Vritra who was just watching the whole time flicked his tongue as he slinked around.
Artemis' eyes began to move between Constatine and Vritra. At the moment Vritra had not done anything, but he was a dangerous foe as well. Vritra didn't miss this chance to trash talk. He slinked in closer as he spun around Artemis.
"Pick yourself up. Don't tell me one cut put you down? If it did, I will say my poisons have gotten stronger."
Artemis covered her surviving silver dagger, covered it in Silver Divine Fire before pressing it to her wound. The wound began steaming as she felt the Curses and Poisons on Constantine's gear were truly scary.
That was not even counting the Anti Divine attribute he had placed on each one. Constantine turned his head to look at what Medusa and Solomon were doing. Medusa was running circles around the hunters.
They tried to use spears and arrows to catch her, but she would jump in out of nowhere, and with her chains, she began to wrap them up before she used them like battering rams. He saw as she appeared behind Zoe and with a spinning kick struck her chin.
She jumped off Zoe's head and came flying at Phoebe. She slammed her boots into the hunter's face, and in the same leap, she extended her dagger and hit a young girl on the chin with the flat side knocking her out.
Solomon for his part was using the shadows to tie up the Hunters Medusa defeated and knocked out. From the look of it, she was about done, so Constantine turned back to Artemis.
He dropped his Naginata and he placed his hands at his right side. He drew out his Abyssal Katana from its sheath before he held it with both hands.
"Are you ready to go again, little Virgin? Or, you can give up and I might consider letting you live as my concubine, I promise to be gentle on our first night together."
Artemis scowled as she looked at her left shoulder. The wound was still in agony as the cuts from Constatine's weapons were beyond horrifying. Just the Curses and Toxins were bad, but the other foul effects were worse.
Artemis took a deep breath as she opened her silver eyes.
"I rather die."
Artemis dropped her daggers and pulled out her silver hunting bow. She ignored her pain and knocked a Silver Arrow. When she pulled the drawstring she aimed her bow at Constantine.
He raised his Katana above his head with the blade pointed at Artemis. Both of them kept the stance for a few seconds when Artemis released her first arrow. Her arrow began flying in a beam of Moonlight and Artemis continued to fire a barrage of them.
Constantine erupted in the black fire as he charged forward. He began to spin around slicing every arrow Artemis fired at him. Artemis with her bow in hand began running circles around Constatine firing a nonstop barrage of arrows.
'Die.'
She raised her bow to the sky and with five arrows knocked fired. The arrows flew into the sky as she intended to break the Bounded Field, and if that failed use another one of her techniques.
As she moved she called upon the Aspect of the Wolf, Gazel, Falcon, and Bear at the same time. She even reverted to her true Divine Form which was Moonlight in the form of woman.
She recovered some of the power she lost by being away from the Moon as she needed all of it. The five arrows she fired into the sky multiplied into 50 which began striking the Bounded Field.
The Divine Energy in each arrow exploded with the force of Ballistic Missiles which made Vritra chuckle.
"Clever girl, not clever enough."
He enhanced the Bounded Field with his Dragon and Asuran energy preventing it from collapsing. Constantine taking the chance with her bow raised, blasted toward Artemis as a wave of Divine Energy, Black Fire, and Miasma of Poisons.
He reached Artemis in an instant, and when he swung his Katana down, Artemis channeled her Divine Energy, Moonlight, and her Aspects into her bow which turned into a silver sword.
She grabbed the handle with both hands before she swung upwards catching his Katana swing. This resulted in them entering a sword clash, but it was clear he was physically stronger. He began pushing her back as she didn't have the same strength with her wounded shoulder.
Constantine smirked behind his helmet.
"Want to see something cool?"
Artemis grit her teeth not responding. However, she felt forced to when from his upper back, two large arms emerged. She then saw those two arms pull back before they both rushed at her face.
She couldn't dodge at all which forced her to take both blows on her cheeks. The impact was a crunch as her cheekbones got broken. She was launched flying, but Constantine was not done.
He lept into the air and he punched off the air leading to him slamming his boots into her gut. She spat out golden Ichor as he slammed her back into the ground. Artemis gasped and coughed as he moved his right foot to step on her neck.
He then stepped on her left wrist while he pinned her right wrist with one of his extra hands. When she was completely pinned and unable to move his helmet began to separate exposing his face.
When the last part of his helmet was gone, and his face was exposed Artemis opened her eyes and looked up. She didn't recognize him at first, but after a double-check, her eyes went wide.
"You."
"Yes, me. Do you think this has anything to do with the deer you stole from me? If you do, I will let you know I am not that petty. I just think someone should bring you down from your throne."
Artemis grit her teeth as she looked up at him. Hecate who began walking over after observing the whole fight chuckled.
"I do have to say my son is impressive, isn't he? He kicked your ass."
"HECATE! ZEUS AND OLYMPUS WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"
Hecate held her head high.
"Like Olympus will know."
Constantine chuckled as he returned his Katana to the sheath on his waist. He then reached down and rubbed Artemis' swollen face.
"I just thought of a fitting punishment. Remember Queen Niobe? You killed her six daughters and Apollo killed her six sons just for saying she had more children than your Mother right? Well, in honor of her grief, I say you will give birth to 12 children to me. Fitting right?"
Hecate nodded.
"Yes. Only the best for you, she will give birth to strong children. Plus, she is a pretty virgin goddess."
Artemis when she heard that had her heart fill with dread. Constantine smiled as he reached into his shadow. He pulled out a black collar and he put it on her neck. The collar was made with Abyssal Steel which instantly paralyzed her Divine Essence.
With her Divine Essence weakened, she lost her strength as a goddess making her an immortal, but powerless woman.
"NO! I BEG YOU! ANYTHING BUT THAT!"
Constantine simply attached the black chain to her collar and he opened a Dragon Gate.
"Don't worry. I won't take your virginity just yet, having children at this age would be quite foolish, but that doesn't mean I won't be taking you soon. Eventually, all you will think about is serving me."
When he walked past the Dragon Gate Artemis dug her nails into the sand. Constantine started pulling the chain causing her to be pulled toward him by her neck.
"NO! HELP ME APOLLO! FATHER! MOTHER! ANYONE! HECATE, SAVE ME!"
Hecate smiled at Artemis before waving.
"Trust me, you will wish you had been taken sooner. Chow."
With a harsh tug, Constatine pulled her into the Dragon Gate with a harsh tug causing Artemis to get pulled flying into it. Vritra extended some energy tentacles and dragged the 20 hunters with him.
"See you Hecate, lovely to see you."
"You too Vritra. Remind him to not forget our meet-up."
"He won't."
Vritra then entered the Dragon Gate with the Captured Hunters. Medusa grabbed Solomon's reigns and walked over to take the same gate. Before she took it she nodded to Hecate who returned the gesture.
Once she and Solomon took the gate, it closed behind them and with it the Bounded Field.
"Better get out of here."
She walked over to the 'cursed prints' and with a wave of her magic erased them. By that point, the Bouned Field was going down so she teleported back to the Underworld.
When the Bounded Field was gone, all that remained was an ocean of cursed black flames and a devastated desert. It wouldn't be until the sun rose that Apollo realized something happened to his sister.
Olympus would enter into a panic as one of the 12 Olympians was gone. Artemis had been kidnapped and their was no traces.
Weekly Power Status
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