Chapter 30: Waning Moon

The night's breeze rushed through a hill that overlooked a nearby lake.

The noises and lights of an encampment were clear to see from this position.

Under the full moon that shined brightly in the starry sky, Bell sat alone...only his thoughts to accompany him as the Artemis familia ate together for the night.

'Being stuck in a wheelchair...not the most fun experience...'

Bell sighed in his mind as he began to review his current condition.

'Reincarnating as Bell Cranel...then attaining Shirou Emiya's powers...now I've become wheelchair Kirito from Alicization... what's next in store for me?...'

Bell was currently still recovering from his fight with Antares. It had been an entire week since he and the familia left the Elsos ruins...but even with the assistance of his new Avalon, Bell's injuries still took an immense amount of time to properly heal.

'I should be glad I can even recover from this...recovering the nerves I burned and broke is no doubt taking a majority of the healing process right now...it was only recently that I even began to feel the sensation of touch again...'

Bell now made a solemn swear in his heart to never push himself that far ever again. He now had the safety net of his Avalon, but he couldn't afford to stay so limited in the future, especially with the timetable he will face once canon begins.

'At least I'll be able to rest for a bit...studying in Altena...I never went to school after a certain point in my past life...I'm excited to become a student again in this life...'

With Antares slain and with Artemis and her huntresses safe and sound, Bell now moved to the next part of his journey outside Orario.

Altena, the magician nation led by the goddess Athena. The world's leading center of magical knowledge, products, and learning. The place Bell planned to travel to next in order to further his proper utilization of his magecraft.

'Studying the Orion arrow has allowed me to get a general idea of enchantments...but it's best if I solidify my understanding a bit more...I'm also curious about the products that even Riveria would often rely on...I'm also quite curious about the goddess Athena'

The nation of Altena was spoken of only briefly in the novels, but its significance couldn't be understated.

Where Orario generally held a stronghold as the center of trade, industry, and innovation in the world. Altena was able to secure its position as the world's leader in magical knowledge. Something that was cemented throughout hundreds of years, without doubt, nor without question.

'I heard they have the second highest record of kicking Rakia's ass after Orario...it will certainly be an interesting place to explore...'

Bell also wanted to see who the mysterious third member of the three virgin goddesses was like...he felt as though it was a bit much to expect to meet her while he hid his identity...but he soon learn to just expect the worst when it came to beautiful women he was interested in.

'The man who conquered the three virgin goddesses...it has a nice ring to it...'

But before Bell couldn't continue to ponder on his more perverted thoughts, a beautiful voice began to resound clearly in his head.

'How are you doing, Orion?'

Leaving the campfire, Artemis began to approach and check up on Bell. Utilizing her telepathic link with him to talk.

'Artemis...I said I'm fine, so you can eat with the others-'

Bell tiredly responded to Artemis' arrival, but the goddess wasn't having any of it.

'It's my decision when I worry about you, Orion... it's the least I can do after...my shameful failure...'

Artemis spoke with guilt apparent. Bell could only awkwardly admit defeat once more towards the goddess.

'...????...fine...'

Hearing Bell's acceptance, Artemis immediately began to brighten up as she began to check up on Bell's physical condition once more.

The goddess over the last week profusely learned how to care for the crippled vigilante to the best of her ability.

Artemis felt a sense of responsibility to do her best after the entire fight had finished. Remembering how she stood still as she wallowed in her self-pity...how she couldn't bring herself to move...how she caused major problems to occur due to her negligence...Artemis wished to make up for it as best as she could.

'She's been pushing herself to carry most of the tasks of the familia from the little I can tell...hunting for long hours to sustain our current encampment...all the while tending to me with every ounce of time she had left...'

Bell could only sadly think this to himself as the goddess was racked with guilt.

He didn't hold it against Artemis for what she did. He too went through something similar, so he wasn't in a position to chastise her.

'Even if I wasn't...I can already tell Artemis was pushing back a lot of mental issues for a long time now...Antares simply broke down her walls and let it all flood all at once'

Antagonizing herself against many gods for her beliefs. Ostracizing herself from the majority of the deities in Tenkai.

Questioning her beliefs and identity with the pestering of Aphrodite, the experiences of her huntresses, and my arrival...all the while believing that the blood of all she loved would be on her as Antares wreaked havoc on them all.

'Baggage she carried for thousands of years... it's no wonder the gods are so...peculiar in their behavior and personality...'

Bell thought as he reexamined just how messed up Artemis' mental health must be.

'Orion?...is something wrong?...'

Artemis worriedly called out to Bell.

He was remaining quiet as she checked up on his physical condition, and she grew anxious that she might've done something wrong.

'She's...shaking...'

Bell could feel the slight sensations Artemis felt whenever they were near together. The Orion arrow that was modified into the Avalon that laid inside his body...the spiritual link between their souls with the divine construct as a medium...it allowed Bell to see through the usually stoic goddess more clearly.

'I want to calm her down right now...but Freya and her familia are currently watching...'

There was another development that Bell found quite troublesome...the Freya familia was now able to close in on his position...and they would be able to most probably keep track of him moving forward.

'I left Orario so quickly and without much notice because I wanted to delay this from happening as much as possible...Freya should be able to tell that Artemis is playing some part in healing me by looking at my soul I think...so I shouldn't worry about her wiping out the huntresses and Artemis'

Bell thought to himself.

He couldn't exactly determine where they currently were at this moment. His senses were still too weak to determine the observer's location...but the feeling as he was being pierced through something...he knew it all too well...

'Freya is currently using her arcanum crystal ball to observe me right now...I can't tell where they are...but I know that she is looking at me right now'

Bell was glad he had developed a sixth sense for Freya as the original did. It proved immensely useful over the past week.

'Having to juggle Artemis with Freya is already proving difficult enough...this is another reason I'm pushing back getting a love life...its because I know how Freya would go to requite her love...'

Bell recalled how all of Orario fell to its knees under Freya's arcanum.

Rejected by Bell Cranel after the goddess confessed as Syr, and growing tired of the stain Ais had left on Bell's mind...she charmed the entire dungeon city and warped their minds...warping their memories and their sense of self.

Gods...goddesses...and adventurers of every level...no one was safe from Freya's mind control.

'I don't want to have Freya turn into Aizen this early on...so I'll simply remain neutral for now...I just hope Artemis can hold on for a bit...'

Bell needed to recover a bit more before he can resolve this entire situation. Being a harem protagonist proved to be more troublesome than he expected.

...

..

.

'Open your mouth, Orion!'

Artemis telepathically spoke to Bell as she hovered a spoon of porridge near his mouth.

Bell slowly opened his mouth, and the spoon was promptly put onto his lips. The heat of the food became apparent to his slowly recovering body.

'I'm glad I recovered enough to start eating again...I'm also really glad that Artemis is continuing to take care of me so dutifully...but I can feel Freya's glare begin to intensify right now...'

Bell thought he would be able to pass the time as he recovered relatively fine...he wasn't capable of performing any misunderstandings or setting off any flags...he was bound to a wheelchair after all.

But crippled as he was...he was nothing but on edge this entire time.

'Freya...please sleep... it's hard to relax when I constantly feel your gaze in every waking moment I have...'

Bell had been feeling the cold stare of the goddess on his back for most of the days of the past two weeks since he first sensed her.

It was to the point that he was truly beginning to worry that she might perform the soul society betrayal at any moment now.

'And if that isn't enough...Artemis' mental state is getting worse and worse...'

Bell was able to feel the stirring discord and worry inside the goddess.

She put more hours and effort into rectifying her mistake. Something even Atalante who was a workaholic began to notice as too much effort.

'An obsessed and jealous goddess on one side...and a deteriorating mental mess of a goddess on the other...'

Bell was now lamenting his desire to become the protagonist of this story...even in a wheelchair...he had to fight valiantly in order for the world to not fall into chaos.

'My preparations should be complete...so I'll put my plan into action tonight... it's time to have some therapy with a goddess...'

Bell readied himself to somehow finesse his way out of the sticky situation he found himself in...but unaware of his concerns and the fact she was being overworked, Artemis continued to happily feed Bell.

'Orion~ Open your mouth again~'

Artemis giddily spoke, to which Bell complied once more.

The goddess felt her tiredness fade away as she took care of her Orion. It was the most fulfilled she had ever felt in her entire existence.

'I have to apologize to Aphrodite when we meet again...love... it's so so wonderful~'

Living day-to-day with her beloved by her side. Resting her weary body and heart in his presence...the goddess of the moon who was once solitary could no longer imagine a life without her Orion.

"hmmm~ hmmm~ hmmm~"

The goddess began to hum with glee as she continued to feed the vigilante...a sight that made her huntresses awestruck, to say the least.

"I know it's been two weeks...but I still can't get over how close Lady Artemis is to Gray..."

Atalante spoke with hesitation in her voice. She wasn't particularly jealous that Bell was being fawned over by her goddess...but she was concerned at the rather extreme emotional state the goddess was in.

"Ten hours hunting...ten hours caring for Bell...the rest for the bare necessities...Lady Artemis said that she was able to take appropriate naps while hunting and tending to Gray...but this is too much..."

Lante, who would usually joke at such an interesting sight in their familia, couldn't find anything humorous to make jokes about.

"Keep quiet you two. It's not nice to talk about our goddess behind her back. Instead of gossiping, focus on scouting the area for more routes"

Arethusa exited her tent and began to chastise the two for what they were talking about.

They were busy trying to find a safe and efficient route to travel from the Elsos ruins' forest back to the nearest settlement.

They couldn't exactly drag Bell and his wheelchair as they fight off a horde of wyverns and infant dragons in Dragon Valley.

This is the reason why they have remained in their current encampment site for two weeks.

"Yes...captain..."

The two huntresses regretfully replied to her orders. But Arethusa couldn't fault them completely...she too was worried about her goddess' recent behavior...but she trusted that the man Artemis dubbed her Orion would be able to heal her mind once he recovered.

'I hope you can recover soon Gray...Lady Artemis badly needs affection...Gray won't refuse Lady Artemis' love right?...no, that couldn't be possible...unless Gray is...'

Before Arethusa fell into a rather dangerous speculation about her friend. She immediately began busying herself with work in order to cut that line of thought completely.

...

..

.

"phew..."

Inside a tent that was reserved for herself alone, Artemis readied herself to go to sleep.

Her hair remained somewhat wet as she had just recently finished bathing. But it wasn't to the point that it would hinder her rest.

'Is Orion doing ok?... I was fine with sleeping by his side...but Arethusa and the others seemed insistent that he would be fine...'

Artemis was aggrieved that her children didn't allow her some intimacy with her fated partner.

'I can continue to keep watch over him if I was closer to him...I feel...different if I can't confirm he is safe...'

Artemis was constantly worrying over Bell in every waking moment she had.

Every time she remembered he wasn't by her side...the memories of Antares would begin to run through her mind on repeat...her cowardice...her stupidity...she knew love now...she knew life was so much better indulging in the fruits of romance...she won't repeat the same mistake...she wouldn't...she couldn't...

'Orion will never go through such a thing again...not because of me...not because of anything else...I'll make sure of it...'

Artemis' mind began to circulate around Bell and Bell only.

Bereft of proper guidance and a more pressing issue to take away her attention.

The goddess of the moon began to obsess herself even more with the vigilante.

'He so readily gave his life for mine...it wouldn't be fair...it wouldn't...be fair to him...for all his pain...for all his suffering...'

Artemis' eyes began to glow hazily in the darkness of her tent.

'If I didn't dedicate myself to him just as much...right?'

All that would seek to obstruct his happiness...without mercy...with absolute certainty...

'I will strike them all down...'

Artemis knew naught of the proper ways to love in the heat or romance...with no guide nor reference point to use...and not seeking out the counsel of her children in these affairs...she simply followed what her heart told her to do...her heart racked with guilt and confusion...the desire to protect her partner...had greatly distorted into something more...concerning.

'Don't worry Orion...your beloved Artemis...will always watch over you...so long as the moon flies high in the sky...so too...will my dedication to you hold true...'

But before the goddess could indulge more in her misguided love, her vision began to fade for a moment.

"?!-"

Artemis immediately began to regain her hold on her bearing...she had laid witness to a scenery, unlike her tent where she currently resided in.

"...a coincidence?...an intruder perhaps..."

Artemis immediately began releasing divine aura...her authority over hunting began to improve her capabilities many times over...her senses reaching their utmost limit so as to make sure if someone had intruded on their camp.

To see if they sought to harm her...perhaps her children...but if it were her Orion...

"...no intruders...a coincidence it is then..."

Sensing no hostiles in her nearby vicinity nor the aura of malice directed towards anyone she cared about, Artemis began to tone down on her divine aura...she quickly moved on from the event to focus on resting.

So long as it didn't hinder her or her loved ones...Artemis would simply move on to continue tending and caring for her Orion and her familia.

'Four hours of rest will be more than enough...should I perhaps cut it down to three?...'

The goddess was pushing her mortal body to the limits of its endurance. Though she felt discomfort...she simply pushed herself forward by recalling the memories of Bell's disfigured body...the guilt...the sadness...it strengthened her resolve...not that Bell wanted such a thing to happen.

'It's for Orion...for him...you can...sacrifice...'

Artemis' thoughts began to fade as she began to fall unconscious...but as she did...her link with Bell began to resonate. This was the moment the vigilante had waited for...he couldn't guide the goddess away from her path of self-destruction with his recovering body...and his words alone wouldn't suffice.

So he would simply bring the goddess to a place where he could act freely...his reality marble.

...

..

.

Artemis found herself in a foreign land...one she couldn't even begin to describe

"...where...am I?..."

The goddess began to look around the landscape she found herself in.

White and soft sand coursed through her senses. The grains fell perfectly through her fingers, but not sticking to her skin.

Swords...swords...and even more swords...weapons as far as the eye can see...but they didn't evoke a sense of fear within Artemis...they felt calming...as if she knew they could never point their edge towards her.

"..."

The sky...a brilliant night sky...the celestial bodies laid themselves bare in front of her eyes...a cosmos unraveling itself to bless the land with its grand splendor.

"That...sphere..."

A great black sphere surrounded by bands of light looked over the lands...paradoxically distinguishing itself despite being set against such dark colors.

Artemis felt no panic to find where she was...nor to find a way to leave...it was like...

"...home..."

"You like it? I never get tired of the scenery myself"

"-?!"

Artemis immediately turned her head to the source of the voice. A voice she engraved deeply into her heart.

"Gray..."

The goddess didn't know what to do...she was stunned still.

Her Orion...standing tall and proudly in front of her eyes...his voice not the raspy recovering tone he had over the past two weeks...his posture not trembling with each movement like he did as he sat on his wheelchair.

Artemis... couldn't be happier to see her Orion so well.

'How...I...you...'

The goddess began to be filled with numerous thoughts. Questions upon questions. Actions upon actions. This was everything she ever wanted...she wanted to see her Orion return to his previous proud self...before her mistakes...before...he had ever met her...before he pushed himself so far...for a bumbling fool such as herself.

"..."

She wanted to embrace him...she wanted to confess her feelings...she wanted to do so much...and yet...nothing came out.

"...you don't know what to do right?..."

Bell began to speak to the silent goddess...Artemis didn't know what was happening...but...she couldn't disagree.

"Yes...I... can't seem to...decide on anything..."

Artemis spoke her mind. The link that was held between herself and Bell made it abundantly clear that she trusted him immensely.

She gave up her arrow...an item that was forged alongside her inception into this world...she saw firsthand how far he was willing to go for her and her children...they bonded quite well in the short travels they had together...but...Artemis couldn't seem to decide on anything...on how to proceed with her Orion.

"Everything in the palm of your hand...but you can't seem to walk further down...we keep thinking about our ideals non-stop...about the attainment of what we think we want...but when we receive it...we often find ourselves...empty"

Bell spoke as he approached the goddess. Sincerity was clear in his tone. His eyes looked upon the goddess with neither the attitude of a hero who wanted to save...nor a person struck in admiration of who they were...but as a sympathizer.

Bell took her hands into his...and gazed directly into her eyes.

"Artemis...you don't love me..."

His hands gently held hers...the words reached the goddess...but they didn't seem to register

"...Orion...I do love you...I-"

But before Artemis could speak, Bell had cut her off once more.

"You're in love with the idea of me...but not who I am Artemis...I can feel your love...but you don't understand it well enough..."

Bell wasn't naive enough to believe a person can so easily fall in love in such a short amount of time.

Every person he has bonded with...every person he has come to admire...he developed bonds with them over the course of months...

His silent afternoon talks with Eina.

His rowdy dinnertime meals with Ryu and Syr.

His training and quaint home life with Lili.

His endless conversations under the veil of the night with Asfi.

Bell came to develop his bonds over time...not some haphazard development that came out of nowhere.

'My relationship with Hephaestus is similar to the one I have with Artemis at this moment...but Artemis is more of a special case...this goddess...is more broken than even Hephaestus'

Bell knew it all too well. The experiences he sympathized with as he traced the Orion arrow...the history of Artemis as a goddess.

She took her existence too seriously...drowning in her desire to maintain her image as a stoic and solitary paragon of chastity...that she isolated herself from everyone else.

Hundreds of years spent in solitude...never partaking in the joys of love...not just love of romance...but the love of a friend...love of a family...

The goddess of the moon knew naught of love...only the chilling cold of her arrow's tip...and the stinging pull of the bowstring on her fingertips.

'Training towards a goal she assumed as her own...nothing to drive her forward...except the meaning of her existence...if she wasn't working towards improving her skills as a huntress...then what worth remained with her then?'

Hollow ideals...chased not for their beauty...nor for their grandeur...but chased after for the sake of having something to chase towards.

'When Artemis descended...she began to slowly open up to the idea of love...seeing her children grow up...she began to cling onto them dearly...in her entire life as a goddess...her children were the only marks upon creation that she was truly proud of'

The idea of losing the huntresses she so dearly loved...it threatened to irreparably break her heart.

'She had nothing else but her arrow and her beloved children...forsake her arrow she could...forsake her children...was something she could never bring herself to accept'

They were the only meaning in Artemis' long life that she truly cherished...something she cultivated not as a goddess who followed her nature and authorities...but as an individual...who simply wished to see the struggling children grow up strong and able.

'Then...Artemis met me...'

Her familial love already brought her to the brink of collapse...romance was the droplet that let everything spill over.

'Exposed to so much...in so little time...the problems she hid away under the mask of being strong for others...the issues she was too afraid to face out of fear of what they might define her existence as...all those things...I sympathize with them all greatly...'

Bell recalled memories from long ago...

How he defined his entire worldview over the single pursuit he could proudly claim as his own...his love of reading...his obsessive attachment to the worlds he immerses himself in.

Bell recalled how he believed his self-sacrifice of isolation was nothing more than foolishly putting away his problems until they spilled over.

How he achieved what he wanted...being able to live in a world he so dearly loved...but upon receiving it...he didn't know what to do.

"Orion..."

Artemis called out to Bell...her hands trembling...but Bell simply spoke out in reply.

"Bell...call me by that name...and nothing else..."

Artemis widened her eyes as she began to see his mask and hood fade away.

White hair...sky blue eyes...he was handsome in every definition of the word.

The goddess didn't know what to do even more so now...another wish of hers had been granted...to get to know the man who captured her attention even more...beyond the mask he hid his true identity.

"..."

But once more...she didn't know where to go from there.

'I have all I wanted...love...my children...my Orion...but...why can I not move forward...'

Bell could only look upon the troubled deity with a softened gaze.

"Age doesn't equate to maturity Artemis...only experience equates to maturity...and to you who finds herself in a vibrant world you never knew was possible for yourself...do you not realize you're as experienced as a child right now?"

Hearing Bell compare herself to a child, Artemis couldn't help but brighten in embarrassment

"..."

But no words could come out of her mouth. Seeing the reactions of the goddess Bell couldn't help but think to himself about the scene.

'Is this what Grandpa Zeus saw in me all those years ago?...some person who barely left his room thinking he was the smartest in the room...I can only be thankful he's one of the more understanding versions of the lightning god'

Bell sat down on the sand, nudging Artemis along with him as he continued to hold her hands.

The silent goddess complied...like a child being guided by a teacher.

"I wouldn't dare to call myself wiser than a god...but I believe you're stubbornness to cling onto your title as a deity has done more harm to you than good Artemis..."

"So in this place...you're no longer a goddess...you're no longer the deity of the hunt...of the moon...nor of chastity...you're not the wielder of the greatest arrow in heaven...nor its greatest archer..."

"Not a long-lived divine existence...nor the head of a renowned familia who aid villages and towns who cannot help themselves..."

"You're now...simply Artemis...a girl who wishes to learn more about life...and I'm nothing more than Bell...a person who was just like you...and wishes to extend the gratitude that helped me along so much"

Artemis simply absorbed all of Bell's words...her attention was caught completely...not out of desperate emotion or misguided belief...but of genuine interest... in where the person in front of her will lead her.

"We have had quite the bumpy development...our souls are even linked now...but let's start over from the beginning...no more masks...no more hiding...just you and me...and who we truly are..."

Bell's azure skies reflected in Artemis' deep blue eyes...and hers on his...

"Don't think about time...nor about anything else...keep your eyes in mine..and let the world pass us by without worry"

"So Artemis...what do you want to do?..."

A choice...Artemis was now given a choice...not one that was expected of a goddess...nor one as a huntress, or any of her other titles...simply...as the individual beneath all of that.

'What...do I want?...'

Artemis thought deeply...she discarded everything...and spoke out.

"I want to get to understand you more Ori-...no...Bell...I want to understand who you are...Bell"

Seeing the young woman take the first step, Bell matched her reply immediately,

"So do I Artemis... let's take our time getting to know each other this time...alright?"

Artemis then replied with a bright smile.

"Yes... let's take all the time we need"

...

..

.

Time passed the pair in a blur...none of them knew the passing of the hour...of the minute...nor the second...they simply continued to talk and talk...never breaking contact...never breaking focus.

The progress both of them made in strengthening their bond wouldn't fail to the likes of Bell's other connections.

In the mental world, the two conversed. Their throats never parched. The passage of time never mattered. The field of swords served as the common ground that ignored the difference in status between them both.

Reincarnator? Goddess? They were simply two individuals. Laying themselves open to understanding.

The pair immersed themselves in the stories they told. They waited with bated breath. They laughed till they cried. They sympathized in sadness. They contemplated deeply.

The pictures they painted of each other in their hearts began to get clearer and clearer...the misguided love of Artemis...began to take proper shape.

"Haa..."

Artemis let out a heavy breath as laid upon the welcoming white sand...she once more gazed upon the sky of the land she found herself in.

'Reality marble...Unlimited Blade Works...the representation of a user's mind...taken form to the highest degree...this field of endless swords and limitless skies...this is what represents Bell...'

She took in the sights more clearly than ever before. The air she breathed in. The feeling of the sand against her skin. All of it...it all took on new meaning to her.

Bell was lying beside Artemis, gazing into the sky the same as her...they had both reached the end of everything they could ever talk about...though Bell omitted some parts for obvious reasons.

'I didn't tell her about my reincarnation...I'm sure she was able to sense it...but the look she had on her face when she did...I'm glad she was understanding of my secret...'

Bell reminisced on the passing moments they shared...he was happy...not just that Artemis was now set on the right path...but he was happy...that he had another person he could share so much with.

'She's quite the complex personality...something that wasn't explored much in any material in my past life...I don't even want to think about how she was able to reincarnate as the Hestia knife in Aedes Vesta...'

As Bell began to analyze who Artemis was as a person...the young woman intertwined her pinky with Bell's...hesitant as she did so...awkward...but sincere....

"..."

Bell turned his head towards Artemis...she was blushing profusely...but she turned her head towards Bell...her eyes matching his gaze.

'...she really is beautiful...'

Bell couldn't help but admire her more clearly...none of the guilt nor confusion remained in her expression...he was enchanted by her.

But Artemis broke the silence that lasted for a long time...her voice soft and soothing...

"I...don't know if I'm in love with you Bell..."

Bell's heart began to tighten in pain...he had been preparing himself for a possible rejection...but before he was about to start recording this moment as his second failure in love...Artemis continued. Cutting him off from his thoughts.

"I don't want to so wantonly decide something so important...but I'm sure...as time goes on...and as my feelings cultivate..."

Artemis turned her body. Getting closer to Bell, her breath mixing with his, her hand gently caressing his face.

"More than ever before...I'm sure...I will simply fall deeper and deeper in love with you, Bell..."

"..."

Bell couldn't speak...the roles had now been reversed...his heart began to synchronize with Artemis'...their link began to resonate...their breaths...their pulse...their being...their souls...they all matched with each other.

But as Bell began to fall more in tune with Artemis...the image of a red-haired beauty flashed in his mind...his face immediately tensed as he realized...what he did...

"..."

Artemis...could feel a faint trace of what Bell might've felt...and she simply laughed softly as she continued to look at him. Beckoning the vigilante to do the same.

"Your heart...it can never belong solely to me...nor is it ready to accept my love as this time... am I right?"

Artemis accurately guessed what Bell had felt...their conversations that ignored the passage of time allowed them both to more clearly understand each other.

"...yes...I'm sorry"

Bell could only accept responsibility for what he did...he felt horrible...he held the fragile heart of Artemis who was so young in love...and his grip threatened to break it apart...but Artemis continued to smile.

"I don't mind Bell...I don't mind if there are others..."

Bell was silent...he refused to simply jump in elation at what her statement meant...so he focused solely on Artemis and what she spoke.

"Im surely not the first one you have saved...and Im sure I won't be the last...your bravery...your willingness to sacrifice yourself...people can't help falling for you Bell"

"If I selfishly ask for you to be only mine...I know you will cease to become the person I adore so dearly...so...I'll simply ask for you to keep a place in your heart for me alone...a place I can claim as mine and mine alone...where we can speak of love under night's cover...a romance...a true romance of ten thousand years..."

Hearing Artemis be so understanding...Bell attempted to call out to her, but she simply embraced and moved closer to him.

"-?!"

Artemis now mounted Bell. Her face was directly above his...her figure blocked out the night sky in his eyes...she was the only thing he could see.

"When we wake from this dream...you'll be long gone, won't you? Traveling to another place, yes?"

Another arrow that struck clearly at Bell...he was indeed planning to leave after their stay in his reality marble ended.

"Yes...it may be a bit of a struggle...but Im sure Im capable of moving by myself..."

Bell regretfully confessed, but Artemis added another key detail he committed.

"To also escape from that goddess who is pursuing you as well...what a sinful man you are Bell~"

Bell became silent once more...

"I don't like how I can't keep secrets from you anymore..."

Bell grumbled, but Artemis simply laughed at his response.

"That mysterious nature is what drew me in the first place after all..."

Bell's annoyance was cut off when Artemis closed her face near Bell's...the distance...it was dangerous.

"Though I said I wouldn't mind sharing...I am a goddess at the end of the day...and we're quite selfish in nature..."

Artemis began to state her desire clearly.

"Bell...will you be my Orion? Maybe not now...maybe not in a year...but soon...when our paths cross once more...will you allow me to infatuate myself with you? From then on 'till forever more?"

"..."

Bell was shocked silent...but eventually readied a reply.

"Was that a proposal?... I was kinda hoping I would be the one to do it..."

But Artemis didn't falter.

"The stories you told of me...the women in your life are quite impressive...so I have to work hard to maintain my spot in your heart, don't I? Besides...don't you love a woman who knows what they want?..."

Bell refused to answer Artemis' accusations...his silence spoke volumes.

"Since you love that type of woman Bell...then I'll be taking this for myself-"

"?!-"

Artemis took Bell's lips. His first kiss would be hers.

"Haa...chu-"

The goddess took breaths in between each session, allowing herself to continue painting her mark on the person she loved dearly.

"..."

Bell simply accepted what has happened and began to give back to the passionate exchange of the goddess. They brought themselves to the absolute extent of their breath. Their heads became lightheaded as they continued.

Until it eventually came to a conclusion...the amount of time had passed unknown.

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

Bell was catching his breath...his heart was beating so loudly that it was like it wanted to burst forth from his chest.

"Artem...is..."

Bell looked towards the goddess...her hair was disheveled...her face was swollen red...her breath was visible...the outline of her lips...hot and moist...a clear liquid coating it.

"..."

The goddess then circled her tongue around her lips. Pausing for a moment, to relish the feeling...the taste of her beloved.

'Who knew...one of the virgin goddesses was so erotic...'

Seeing Bell in a daze, Artemis couldn't be more happier. She wasn't sure if what she did could be considered an expert seducing technique...it was more just her physical adeptness responding to her passion.

'...the dream is about to end...'

Artemis thought to herself as she began to see a hazy mist began to take over the world around her and Bell...before they left...she wanted to say something that would keep her image in his mind.

She approached his ear...and whispered.

"Hurry up and reach your goal, Orion...I'll be waiting...I wish...to try out more stuff with you~"

Registering what Artemis had said...Bell could only reply in pain.

"You're cruel Artemis..."

The goddess simply spoke back with a smile.

"You work best with a goal in mind do you not?~"

The world faded into white...and Bell opened his eyes...

"..."

'...better get moving...'

Bell began to pour small amounts of his mind into his magic circuits...empowering himself enough to begin moving like a regular person...

'Kh-...it still hurts a bit to speak...'

Struggling to empower his voice in his still recovering throat...Bell invoked his magic.

「Re...in...force...」

Bell slowly stood up from his wheelchair...taking a few moments to adjust himself back to the sensation of moving...he began to invoke his other magic...

'I won't be able to say goodbye to the huntresses...I would've liked to leave a kiss to Artemis in the real world...but I don't want to risk Freya or her familia catching that...'

Now was the ideal time for him to leave. He was familiar enough with the terrain to teleport somewhere the Freya familia won't expect him to be...and then he'll disguise himself under the veil of invisibility.

'See you soon Artemis familia...Elsos ruins finished...next stop...Altena'

「Tra...nsi...ent...」

Bell's body began to fade into the air and soon...he was gone.

The morning would come and the huntresses would begin to panic as they searched for Bell...Artemis awoke from her slumber after her familia began to inform her of what happened...but contrary to what they expected, Artemis simply smiled and told them not to worry about him any longer.

Instead to focus on returning back to Preblica...they would now set course to a new destination...to make sure they would all be able to be by Bell's side in the future...they can no longer limit themselves to the surface.

"Artemis familia...we will be heading to Orario"

Beyond the encampment of the Artemis familia, the Freya familia began to hurriedly prepare to track down Bell Cranel once more.

Freya stood silently over the horizon...the direction to the east...she could feel Bell was in that general direction.

The goddess took a brief moment to observe Artemis...she had her suspicions...but she deemed it too much of a hassle at the moment.

Her main priority was to track down Bell once more.

"No worries Odr...your beloved Freya will soon catch up to you once more..."

The goddess licked her lips in delight...she always did prefer the chase when it came to romance.

...

..

.

? ? ? ? ? ?

Waves crashing against the hull of a ship. The sound of seagulls crying out in the air. The flaps of the sail against the wind. The salty breeze was complimented by the warmth of the sun.

The orchestra of the seas.

"All passengers! We are approaching Altena! Ready your identification documents and luggage! We will be entering port soon!"

A captain who wore a prominent uniform shouted out to the large crowd with the assistance of a magic item.

A benefit of his occupation he had received for his years of loyalty of ferrying visitors to the magic nation.

???? ???? ???? ???? ????

The sounds of footsteps began to echo throughout the ship. Sailors prepared for docking at the port. Passengers began to busy themselves preparing their documents and luggage.

As they all tended to their own business, a certain elf notice a boy sleeping peacefully on one corner of the ship.

'It's that swordsman...'

The elf remembered the boy who was a passenger on the ship.

When a rogue monster found itself being able to invade the deck...where the sailors reacted slowly...the boy slew the monster with a single strike...his unique looks and eye-catching yellow sword were hard to forget on top of his strength and bravery.

'I should go wake him up...'

Though the elf was generally reserved like much of his race. He decided to wake up the human in a small form of repayment for what he did to calm the situation.

"Hey...kid...we're about to enter Altena..."

Though the elf's voice was soft, the human was able to pick up on it quickly.

Lifting his cloak off of his face, stood up, and stretched.

"For real?...thanks for waking me up mister!"

The elf was momentarily stunned. Elves were generally used to being surrounded by beauty, given that their race tended to be blessed with beautiful faces...but the boy in front of him stood on another level altogether.

Shining white hair. Clear blue eyes. Unblemished skin. A face that exuded youth and maturity at the same time.

The elf was able to break out of his stupor and immediately told the human that it was no problem. Walking away to tend to his matters.

"I'm finally here..."

Bell spoke as he looked from the railing of the ship. The kingdom of magic whose architecture which focused around light-colored stones allowed it to pop out from the surrounding waters.

"I'll be here for a while...I'm still recovering...so no battles for me for the moment"

Bell said as he touched one of his eyes. He had only been able to recover one of his eyes...the other required more time to heal.

It has been two months since he had left the Artemis familia.

He had stopped by briefly along different towns along his path to Altena, but this will be the place where he will spend a lot of his time.

Grasping the hilt of his sword based on the spirit Jupiter. Bell grinned in excitement at what awaited him.

"It's time for me to go back to school"

...

..

.

AN:

Thank you for reading the chapter!

Artemis arc is now officially over, and the Altena/Athena arc has now begun.

I won't be able to write chapters for a bit. National exams and classes are coming up for me. So I hope these 3 days of updates will keep you guys satisfied for a while.

I will post some side stories in the meantime before I write another 6k+ word chapter.

I will try experimenting with shorter-length chapters with my other fanfic, but not this one. This Danmachi fanfic will maintain its longer word count per chapter.

I realized that I surpassed the word count of some of the fanfics I read with 200+ chapters. So I wanna try it out HAHAHAH.

That will be all, thank you for reading, and I hope you look forward to the next chapter. Have a nice day!