章 26: Final Battle
"Damn, this guy tough!"
Cried Welf after unleashing the potent magic sword of Crozzo at the monster. The battle just lasted for a few minutes but it felt like an eternity to them as everyone went all out battling their current adversaries.
"Don't lose focus Welf, we can defeat it!"
Said the other guy he acquainted with from the Hermes familia. He saw most of the burn marks, and various damage they deal with the monster who began to heal at a rapid pace.
"Damn, I hope the thing does have a limit." He muttered, "Any idea how to def- Oi! Bell!!"
Welf instinctively trying to reach the blur that passed him but only air he grasps.
"Hahh!!"
Bell swiftly charged to the front, poised his short-sword to slice the black carapace of the monster. Nothing but the sound of metal that met a hard surface as his sword did nothing lest a scrape to the thick hide of the monster.
"What is he doing!" That is suicide no matter what, Welf mind went to a race. Then the vice-captain of the Hermes familia issued an order.
"He's distracting the monster! Flank it and assist him!"
Did they cover the blunder? Welf was sure that Bell charged mindlessly since his mind went into drought after seeing the despairing objective that they need to kill the god inside the jewel the monster possessed. And losing Lily after the fall didn't help his mind either.
Thought Welf hurriedly erasing such thought when there's a more pressing matter to do. This is the last charge, he looked at the sword he painstakingly forged.
Just this time friend.
He said to the sword. It didn't matter whether he thanks to it or not, but to him, the weapon is not a mere tool but a long and loyal comrade. He once abandons his bloodline, shying away from using them, but he realized that was a mistake. Not when his friend's life is hanging above the thin rope.
He started to run just like anybody else, intend to help the white-haired rookie.
"Move away!"
Then with a slash to the air, a mighty wind was created. Accompanying it was a hurricane of flames that eat away the air, and the monster hides. Soon after the sword crumbled into black dust carried over by the wind current created from the battle.
Bell seeing this as an opportunity closed in and strike one of the monster appendages deep into their writhing mess. Seeing it didn't do any damage, he uttered the most reliable and powerful weapon in his arsenal.
"Firebolt!"
His unique skill defies the concept of magic. One need to chant it to justify the existence of miracles that is magic. Or so the people in this world thought.
The magic did its miracles as that one word left his mouth. Like electricity, the energy was transferred from bell using his sword as a medium towards the tip of the sword that etched deep inside the monster flesh.
As a result, one mighty explosion blow a portion of the monster. One of the legs got destroyed and broken apart. The monster robbed from its balance and fell to the side.
"This is our chance, strike with all your might!"
Cried everyone as they each revealed their cards, and exploit the situation.
Back in the field, the gods watched their children fight to their absolute peak as the world fate rest in their shoulder. Praying fervently as their gaze sometimes wandered above where the light of the moon illuminated the caves.
"Antares can't be defeated with conventional means."
Hermes said while looking at the children horrified even after their relentless assault the monster began to regenerate back to its full condition.
"Not with the power of a goddess charging up all their attack." They could fight for thousands of years; the power of Artemis won't be depleted in the slightest.
"Then what should we do, Hermes!"
He only shook his head at Hestia's question. "The answer lies to Artemis and your favorite children, among everyone he is the only capable to kill her and Antares."
"No way."
Her eyes widened horrifically. Artemis could only watch with her hands gripping tightly to the spear closed to her chest.
"Orion, I beg you." She could only hope the best for her chosen champion. She realizes the burden he needs to carry; she should have not developed a feeling to him or get close to him for the matter.
The boy now refused to use the spear, believing he could save her real-self. Just like a hero of the old, Brave yet so foolish. There's a limit in everything you can take.
Now the bow of war is already set up high in the sky. Notching its heavenly arrows to the general direction of the Orario.
If this not end soon, the center of the world will be no more, and afterward perhaps the world.
"Please. Orion ends this suffering soon."
As the god, deliriously and ironically, answered her prayer in the form of the mangled jaw of the monster.
Boom!
The cause? A piece of black shield that etched deep into their jaw. Everyone stood stupefied at the sudden pace of the battles as the dust gathered by the monster who fell due to whatever force that throw the shield.
When the dust dispersed it revealed towering steel of a man, with a divine figure covered in robes at his side, and the thought-lost lily on the man's shoulder.
"Master Bell!" Lily, waved her hands happily then jump down to hug said person she waved.
"Lily!" Bell immediately answered her, a wash of relief at his face. "I'm sure you will survive no matter what lily."
"Heh, it will be embarrassing after all if I died to mere rubble after enduring so much and everything you gave master Bell." She beamed happily as indicating that nothing was happening to her.
"As expected of our mascot-midget, hard as a cock-Ow!" Welf didn't finish his line, like a punch connected to his side.
"Hmph, after all this time and that was the first thing you said, Welf."
"Sorry, I thought I could lift the mood or something." He grinned wryly.
On the other side of the field, the knight only fixated his gaze to the monster who currently and leisurely regenerated from the wound he caused.
Looks like everyone didn't bother to attack since it will regenerate no matter what, he dryly thought. No matter what, it must have a limit, right? Though that was only a part of him wishing.
"So, you've survived after all." Came a voice behind him. I started to hate that elf, he thought.
"This one is not keen on getting such troublesome endeavor called as dying. Apology if it disappointed you so much,"
He said in the most cringest tone a Khajiit could muster, which did earn a slight twitch to the stoic face of the elf.
"I see."
"Sigh, I don't know what business you all guys have, but I think we should move towards a more pressing issue."
Ereshkigal sighed at their antics, looks like her partner too had fallen to this activity which he proudly called as a skit or something. And then suddenly a flash of blue light gone as fast as it came.
A blue beam made out of pure arcana was directed against them. The knight raised his shield which instantly collided with the raw power it possessed.
"Hrghh!"
It was like meeting a head-on truck that coming right at you in the speed of a jet fighter. He noticed that he slowly gets pushed back. Seeing the attack was blocked, the monster increased the intensity of the beam.
"Arggh! Someone, do something!" Honestly, he was in a pinch facing the raw power of arcana that might rival those of Daedra. Though he still managed to tank the damage with the help of his fortification magic.
"Sure, but anyone has an idea of how to defeat it."
Then Hermes stepped out the line of the adventurers. The gods were carried over closer to the battlefield with the assistance of the andromeda.
"Let me explain this again. Antares couldn't be defeated conventionally. The goddess trapped inside that jewel is not a mere decoration. The arcanum is fueling up its power, consequently, this could give Antares a substantial divinity of its own."
He paused, making sure that everyone listened. He already explained this to them after all, but looks like a bit of piece still didn't clear regarding their adversaries.
"The only way we can defeat it is to sever the connection of Antares and Artemis using the spear of Orion."
"In which the consequences are Artemis will die after being severed."
"Unfortunately, it will be the case, she has… bonded with the monster far too long now their existence practically inseparable." He tips his hat downward, casting a depressive atmosphere around.
"I-I can't accept that! I'm sure there's another way, I'm sure of it!" Bell clenched his fist tightly almost like on the verge of tears. "I won't accept the result, surely there's any other way to conclude this."
"Bell, I know this is selfish of us to ask you, but please end this, and free me of my prison." Artemis placed her hand to his chest.
He was about to rebuke but his goddess beat him to punch. "Bell-kun as it pains me but sometimes a hero can't save a life. However, the thing you can do is to free them."
"You can take all the time in the world! Be my guest!"
This drama skit is crawling to his skin.
He swears to Mara wraths that these people should be punished after leaving him to deal with the fucking beam. He didn't swear for a long time, he just realized.
"Fight on, my dear partner."
His goddess could only pat him in the back, as the knight still struggling to maintain his stance and not be pushed back. Though her eyes equally lose the same luster as him seeing the drama unfolded.
Ereshkigal could only wish this would end over soon. It seems her partner still stubborn not intending to show his arsenal anymore than this. She was confident enough that he will come out of this without a scratch since he could simply fix that on-demand in the first place. And don't get her about his resurrection skills.
Their journey should simply a relaxing outdoor walk or something as her partner claimed and yapping about throughout the journey. Though she already learns a lot from him which she thankful for and she since the beginning of the battle has done nothing but support him. Casting a meager novice healing spell to him and feed him stamina and magic potion from the side.
He has been holding out for at least 2 minutes. She frowns a bit at that and glanced behind in distaste as they still finished yet.
The other veteran already has taken initiative alongside the knight to hold back the monster until the gods finished the business with the boy. Ryu and the other lv 3 adventurers were trying to immobilize it, while Asfi flew and distracting the monster sight and consequently, hoping that would diminish the beam output somehow.
As thought that the knight was equally mysterious. His strength showed so far was perhaps equal to lv 5 but by tanking all that arcana she took her former opinion and he was at the near end of his lv 6.
Someone with the power like him should have been heard across the continent, and perhaps his feat was overshadowed by those children of Loki and Freya Familia, or simply he just wanted for him to stay that way.
Either way, the guild master seal was undeniable proof and no one could embellish the emblem etched on the letters. Whoever this man is, at least warrantied a certain trust and confidence from the guild.
Her mind then shifted, diverting these thoughts to the monster in front of her. It seems regarded the vanguard as a mere fly as it didn't bother the slightest to retaliate but simply putting more power to the beam it spit out as regarded the knight the only worthy adversary it ever faces.
She could only wish the knight will hold out until then.
"Please Bell!"
Bell stared hard at her, then lowered his face trembling and clenched his fist. He strides forward and took the spear, "I hope, your happy goddess." He said softly.
"Ehm, thank you, Bell."
Then he turned behind, facing the monster who still spit the beam to the grunting knight.
"Thank you, Mr Knight."
He walked past him. He smiled softly and admired the knight.
Then a low hum started to echo in the recesses of the caves. It was heard with a crystal-clear clarity despite the rumbling the monster made.
As he closed in, the hum turns more resembling that of bell tolling in the great tower far above. Power surging throughout his body powered by the manifestation of his will, the hope of those around him, and the great burden on his back.
He grips tightly the spear before facing a determined look at the monster who stops its attack, recognizing the spear on the adventurer's hand.
"Arghhh!!!"
He charged forward; the monster won't stay silent as it too raised a few of its claw intending to end the perceivable threat in front of it.
Though the strike didn't connect as it was severed and fell to the ground.
"Go Bell!"
Ryu said passing overhead him and parrying the other claw.
He silently nodded, the hum grows stronger, the spear was raised. The azure blue coat of the spear turned golden with inscriptions as he charged as fast as he can.
"Haaaah!!"
The spear was shot, the monster trying to shield itself with another of its appendages but was held back by Asfi who embedded her sword to the thick carapaces.
Like the sound of shattered glass, the spear strikes true to its target and break the monster head, then the chain reaction caused by the magic spear grew big enough to shatter the entirety of the monster.
Everyone shields their eyes from the wind pressure caused by the attack, bell stood mournfully, not for the monster who whimpered in helplessness but the jewel in front of him.
"Someday, I hope we can meet again, Goddess."
His hand trying to guide the knife center to the jewel where the goddess chest located underneath.
"ArghhHH!!"
With a painful cry, he stabs the jewel and breaking it into thousands of pieces, but he didn't stop until the blade tip touches the goddess, ready to deliver him his promise.
"Eh?"
Bewilderment latched in his face; the dagger can't penetrate the goddess skin. Instead, soon after a strong black gust was formed where the goddess's chest is, and blew everyone back with the raw power the goddess possessed.
"You… Kidding right…"
Their stomach churned into a mild disgust, the lower level adventurer or simply those who have not enough willpower suddenly throw up their stomach content. Malevolent energy was washed up along the gust they felt earlier.
"What… Is this?"
Hestia trembled, stupefied by the on-going event as her friend, Artemis, float there, her hair shade turned darker. She looks at the side, only to see the projection of Artemis who accompanied them all this time started to disintegrate and absorbed by the real one.
"Artemis!!!!!!!!!"
Bell shouted in despair; his body lay flat to the hard floor of the caves as something suck every last stamina inside him that makes him incapable of moves.
"Fuhahaha" A deep chuckle echoed the large chamber of the caves, everyone started to search for the source of the voice.
"To think you would do all the heavy labor, this prince could only express his gratitude with the same level of hospitality."
Then Artemis eye glowed in an unholy shade of blue and cold, as she raised her palm towards them.
On the other side of the field, the knight could only muster a single curse.
Shit.
クリエイターの想い 
Abbeysensei
Abbeysensei There are a few excellent new fics on this site, I'm very happy that they were done far more excellent and the writing is pretty solid far more than mine. Though it won't affect my motivation the slightest.
Thank you for reading, I hope you all still alright in the middle of this pandemic.
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