Barbara was a girl who appeared fragile on the outside, yet harbored unyielding strength within.
Her pure, flawless soul made her a perfect candidate for Orion.
Yet, even so, she would still only ever be Barbara—the cleric of prayer, who, despite wanting to heal hearts with her singing, still loved spicy drinks, lacked confidence, wasn't skilled with weapons… yet, with all her little flaws and everyday worries, could still bring smiles to those around her.
At this moment…
"But 'we' will save you."
"Because 'salvation' is something you must accomplish yourself."
As the thought transmitted, in the first second…
"BOOM~"
Arrow of Orion struck Antares, and the magic circle of sacred letters began to expand.
But Antares directly resisted with divine power.
It was clear that Artemis herself was doing her final bit to resist this "forced extraction."
Yet, the strength of a single Arrow of Orion was no longer sufficient to destroy the fully transformed ancient monster before them.
So…
[Fate Determined—]
Mona, having just spent most of her mana teleporting the others nearby, used the small portion she recovered to position herself above Antares' head.
As she unleashed her Elemental Burst, the next strike was ready. The tiny bubbles would shatter—though the original bubble's binding effect didn't affect Antares, the Stellaris Phantasm bonus would immediately apply:
Duration: 4 seconds.
Damage Boost: 42%
At this moment, Antares was essentially afflicted with a "Vulnerable" effect from Mona.
And as the countdown began…
Antares—already sensing something amiss—suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of danger, threatening its very life.
Because…
Both Mona, who had just released her burst, and Ningguang, remaining on the ground, had left the battlefield.
And they both wielded Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers.
Yes, Ningguang had even temporarily removed. Her awakened consciousness was present, specifically for this moment.
At the same time…
"Prepare to rescue her (the goddess)."
"Understood!"
The Twin Stars unfurled their wind wings, and behind them appeared Xiao, who replaced Mona and Ningguang for activating the Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers' special effects. His teleportation ability ensured precise positioning.
Renjiro's "self squad" was always a unified whole. He didn't care about trivialities like who looked the coolest delivering the finishing blow.
Even if the Twin Stars were only executing the rescue…
Even if he himself stayed hidden in the safest rear position like a timid turtle…
As long as the plan succeeded, everything was worth it.
To ensure Artemis' rescue while defeating Antares, Renjiro had prepared fourfold. The rescue plan wasn't as comprehensive as the assault plan, but it was the best he could manage.
Do all one can, leave the rest to fate.
Yet…
"Fate is sealed!"
The law of victory had been fully established the instant Mona arrived.
Next…
"ROAR~"
Antares, who had been relatively still until now, suddenly let out a panicked roar for the first time.
The shrill sound was unlike any beast's bellow or raptor's screech—it resembled two sheets of metal scraping together, sending teeth on edge.
"Yaka ma shi (so noisy)!!!"
Renjiro had calculated the timing.
During the 4-second Vulnerable effect from Stellaris Phantasm, enhanced by Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers, the power of Arrow of Orion had multiplied several times.
The dark-gold shuttle expanded the sacred-letter circle from its tip with every "heartbeat."
Finally…
"BOOM~"
The shockwave was earth-shattering.
The shuttle, unable to withstand the recoil, completely disintegrated.
Barbara, exhausted, revealed the golden form of Arrow of Orion in her hands—transformed from dull gray to radiant gold.
It was a Golden Arrow.
As its true form as a divine weapon manifested, Antares' upper body was pierced through, its weak point—the magic stone—mostly shattered. Even Artemis inside felt the impact.
Barbara had subtly altered the arrow's trajectory at the last moment. Though inexperienced with weapons, she had given her utmost effort at the critical moment.
The goddess' heavily injured body seemed to punish her for past inadvertent errors…
Yet more than half of her body had been freed.
Suddenly…
"Kakak~"
The god-devouring monster defied logic.
Antares, which should have died after the magic stone's destruction, acted as if freezing water and ice, attempting to immobilize the Moon Goddess again.
This was why Artemis understood she could not be "saved."
"No… I must—"
"Shut up!"
The Twin Stars, anticipating this critical situation, had already flown to either side of the rapidly repairing magic stones.
Somewhere in this world, perhaps, a young boy dreamed of a hero.
Because heroes…
No matter the monster, they would subjugate it.
They would bring smiles to more and more people.
They would not allow a "tragic heroine" to exist.
Heroes were glamorous, powerful, and admired.
Thus, heroes naturally wield humanity's strongest weapon: Greed.
Fueled by this ambition, the Twin Stars' brief shout seemed to say: "Even gods, don't be too despicable."
Slaves dead because of you?
Mortals suffering because of you?
Yes, even unintentionally, you are guilty.
Being guilty means feeling pain for it, and you must atone. Not die and wait for rebirth centuries later, abandoning responsibility.
"To live is your duty, your redemption."
Silently, this reached the goddess' heart.
But in the current predicament, she could see no hope.
Suddenly…
"Here…"
In shocked eyes, a third figure appeared—a form not much larger than a baby, one Renjiro did not wish to reveal.
In its tiny hand, hope resided.
She approached, softly whispering a few words:
"…Open your mouth, ah~"
At the same moment…
"ROAR~"
Antares, struggling for one final movement…
"PUF~"
Its bloodshot single eye was pierced by a spear.
Immediately, a massive wind-elemental spear sprouted directly from the pupil.
Renjiro had foreseen this. Xiao's presence ensured that hope would be transmitted without interference.
The young adept had entered Elemental Burst: Nuo Dance of Evil Conquering and, even after landing the blow, planned to ram further into Antares with Elemental Skill: Lemniscatic Wind Cycling, wreaking havoc and slaughter.
Renjiro considered using Xiao's teleportation or Mona's mass teleport to rescue Artemis directly. But the risk was too high.
Given a viable plan, he chose the more reliable course of action:
"PUF~"
The same sound of piercing steel.
Unlike the previous attack on Antares, this time… the Twin Stars were godslaying.
Lumine, wielding a sword, pierced Artemis' chest.
Aether's sword struck the connection between her body and the magic stone.
Though it appeared as though they were dismembering the Moon Goddess, this was the true salvation.
After this flurry of attacks…
"Wooo~"
No longer the teeth-grinding metallic screech. Instead, a sound like a giant whale's lament.
Antares—the Antares—had its weak point completely destroyed.
Its mountain-like body collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Witnessing all this…
"Phew~"
Renjiro, back in Orario, exhaled deeply.
He smiled, "Just as planned."
"All the indicators have been met."
=============
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
140+ advance chapters available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria