Demeter walked over to Artemis, her familiar gentle smile on her lips.
"We already knew you were only a thought projection."
Artemis stiffened.
She turned to Demeter, her eyes filled with disbelief.
They already knew?
Since when?
How had they found out?
Why hadn't anyone told her?
Countless questions raced through her mind, each one driving into her heart like a nail.
She had thought she was keeping a secret, protecting them, bearing this burden alone.
But they had known all along.
She felt like a fool, putting on a performance that no one but her believed.
"You... you all..."
Her voice faltered. Her lips parted, but she had so many questions that she didn't know where to begin.
Genichi sighed inwardly at her stunned expression.
He knew Demeter hadn't meant any harm. She simply saw no reason to hide it and believed Artemis deserved to know that they knew.
But this was the wrong time.
Antares could attack again at any moment. They needed to focus on the danger in front of them, not dwell on what had happened before.
"That's enough for now."
Genichi's voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the command behind it. "Our priority should be figuring out how to deal with Antares."
Artemis opened her mouth to press for answers, but the words died when she met his steady gaze.
There was no reproach in his eyes, no impatience. Only a calm that reassured her.
She took a deep breath, pushed her questions aside, and turned her attention to defeating the giant scorpion.
There would be time to ask once this was over.
"Antares should be in the deepest part of the ruins."
Her voice had steadied, though pain flickered in her eyes.
Her children, the Familia members who had trusted her, depended on her, and willingly risked their lives for her, lay in those depths.
Their bodies were still there. No one had recovered them, laid them to rest, or given them a final farewell.
She could barely bring herself to think about it. Whenever those images surfaced, the pain cut through her like a knife.
"If we want to kill Antares, we have to reach the deepest part of the ruins."
Her voice was quiet, but every word was clear.
"That's its lair. We'll be fighting on its territory, where it's strongest."
Genichi watched her in silence for a moment before speaking.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving."
He sounded as though he were discussing something perfectly ordinary, but a glint passed through his eyes.
This wasn't impulsiveness or recklessness. He had considered the danger and made his decision.
He knew how dangerous the depths would be. He knew how powerful Antares was.
He didn't care.
Antares was simply another monster that needed to die.
With the scorpion's barrage over for the moment, Genichi raised a hand and dismissed Fairy Sphere.
The pale golden light slowly faded, revealing the forest outside, devastated by the arrows of light.
Blackened craters scarred the ground. Trees had been blasted apart, leaving destruction in every direction.
Genichi scanned their surroundings. Once he was certain another attack wasn't coming, he lowered his gaze to the shadow at his feet.
"Go."
At his quiet command, the darkness began to writhe, like countless snakes stirring beneath the surface.
Then black figures emerged from his shadow. They had no faces or features, only indistinct human silhouettes.
They streamed silently into the ruins. Some slipped through gaps in the crumbling walls, others climbed ancient stone pillars, and still others merged with the shadows on the ground.
They moved with astonishing speed through the dim ruins, scouting every passage, every corner, and every possible ambush ahead.
Astraea turned to her Familia.
Kaguya stood at the front with her katana in hand, her gaze unwavering. Beside her, Alise held a short sword in each hand and leaned forward slightly, like a hunting hound ready to spring. A little farther back, Ryuu waited with her rapier drawn, her expression composed. The others readied their weapons as well, awaiting orders.
"Spread out."
Astraea's voice was calm, carrying unquestionable authority.
"Clear out the scorpion monsters nearby. Don't let any get through. Maintain your formation, don't stray too far, and be ready to support one another."
Her Familia members nodded and dispersed without a word.
Like seasoned hunters, they began a silent slaughter around the outskirts of the ruins.
Scorpion monsters poured from cracks and holes deeper inside, swarming out of Antares's lair in a seemingly endless tide.
They varied wildly in size. Some were no bigger than a fist, while others towered over a person. Dark red armor covered their bodies, and their stingers arched high above their backs.
Kaguya led the charge. Her katana traced a silver arc through the air, splitting a human-sized scorpion from head to tail. Dark red fluid gushed from its body and hissed as it splashed against the ground.
Her movements were crisp and efficient, without a single wasted flourish. Every cut struck a vital point.
Alise fought to her left, her short swords flashing like twin fangs as she drove them into scorpion heads and joints. Every attack claimed another life.
Ryuu supported them from the rear. Her rapier darted like a striking serpent, precisely dispatching any scorpions that tried to surround them from the sides.
Genichi stood at the entrance, watching Astraea's Familia cut down the monsters in droves.
Most of these creatures were only Level 2 or Level 3. The weakest were barely Level 1. Against adventurers who were all Level 4 or above, they were fodder, dispatched with a single blow.
The real threat was the giant scorpion lurking deep inside the ruins.
Antares.
Its next attack could come at any time, and every barrage was stronger than the last.
The minutes ticked by.
Genichi remained at the entrance, staring into the depths as his fingers tapped lightly at his side.
His shadows were still exploring, feeding information about every corridor, every chamber, and every possible ambush point into his mind.
He could sense Antares in a vast underground chamber at the deepest point of the ruins, frantically absorbing Artemis's divine power.
Its strength was growing.
Every moment, it grew stronger.
About half an hour later, Genichi abruptly stiffened.
"Here it comes."
His voice remained calm, but a note of gravity had entered it.
The words had barely left his mouth when countless arrows of light rained from the sky.
This barrage was far more vicious than the last. There were at least twice as many arrows, and they flew faster and struck harder.
They filled the sky, blotting out the sun and bathing the entire ruin in golden light.
Their piercing shrieks overlapped as they tore through the air.
"Fairy Sphere!"
Genichi raised his hand, magic surging through him.
Pale golden light spread from his palm and instantly formed an enormous spherical barrier around everyone.
The arrows slammed into Fairy Sphere, sending ripples rolling across its surface. Every impact unleashed a deafening roar.
Genichi's brow furrowed.
He could feel how much stronger this attack was than the previous one.
This wasn't a slight increase.
It was a massive leap.
Artemis's face went pale.
Of course she knew what it meant. Antares had absorbed another portion of her divine power.
Her authority, her strength, her very essence were being devoured piece by piece by that monstrous scorpion.
Every minute they delayed made it stronger.
If this continued, defeating Antares would be the least of their worries. They might not even make it out alive.
"We can't keep waiting."
Genichi spoke through clenched teeth.
"We have to finish Antares as soon as possible."
He dismissed Fairy Sphere and turned to the others.
"Everyone, follow me. We're going straight to the deepest part of the ruins. Ignore the small fry along the way. Ignore the ambushes on either side. Don't let anything distract you. We have one objective: reach Antares as fast as we can and hit it with everything we have. We end this in the shortest time possible."
The members of Astraea's Familia exchanged glances, then nodded.
(End of Chapter)
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