"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Deep in the forests of Calydon, one of Meleagros‘s uncles—having dared to provoke Iskios—let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the trees.
The man was all brawn and no brains. Watching him collapse in tears and wet himself like a frightened child, Iskios spat to one side, his anger rising further.
Kneeling on the ground, the red-mohawked man‘s eyes brimmed with tears—and not only that, his pants were soaked.
"Don‘t think you‘re some beast wearing human skin!"
"W-what… what did you do to me—!?"
Though he was on his knees, the red-mohawk couldn‘t so much as reach out to Iskios. His most prized possession—his manhood—felt numb. Worse, it had sprayed his own trousers and the forest floor with urine.
Before him stood Iskios, cloak wrapped around his body, his face hidden behind a strange stone mask. When Iskios delivered his verdict, the red-mohawk‘s world shattered.
"Relax. I won‘t kill you. But as you can see, I‘ve ended your life as a man."
Iskios could touch the shadow of anyone he deemed less than human. A shadow mirrored the self in this world. Because Iskios considered this Mohican less than human, he pressed his foot down hard on the shadow at the man‘s groin—forever robbing him of his virility and his control over his bladder.
"From now on, you‘ll never call yourself a ’man‘ again."
"N-noooo!!! Aaaaaargh!!!"
The red-mohawk howled in grief, while the other hunters watched in frozen silence. Some stared, some offered silent condolences—none dared intervene.
Meleagros, knowing his uncle was both pathetic and lowborn, felt anger until he saw the man‘s life as a man torn apart before him. Then even he found himself offering sympathy.
Peleus and Jason alike went pale as they witnessed Iskios employ such a terrifying technique against the red-mohawk. Instinctively they clutched at their groins, shielding themselves with both hands.
By all appearances, Iskios had done nothing extraordinary. He bent down, lifted the Mohican, and stomped on his shadow cast by the groin with a single, powerful kick.
"I hope you learn to be a ’proper human‘ for the rest of your life."
"E-eek!!!"
Broken in spirit and overcome by shame and fear, the red-mohawk fled, stumbling into the underbrush. Even Meleagros‘s second uncle, terrified, covered himself and ran.
Those who‘d joined the boar hunt alongside them—who had planned to finish off the trapped beast—could only tremble in terror at Iskios‘s presence.
"…What are you gaping at?"
"N-nothing at all!!!"
After the hunt ended, the king threw a feast in celebration. But most of the warriors sat under a heavy pall, eating in silence while casting fearful glances at Iskios. When he spoke, they turned ghostly white and covered their loins.
Almost every man in the boar hunt associated Iskios with ’fear.‘ A few exceptions remained: Theseus, who‘d missed the hunt from a hangover; Jason and Peleus, long-standing companions of Iskios; and Nestor and Atalanta, who knew his true nature.
Even they had flinched at first, but when Jason and Peleus remembered it was simply Iskios, their fear ebbed away. Especially Jason, who knew that Iskios despised prejudice and valued ’humanity‘ above all.
Jason and the others relaxed, fetched food for the journey back to Iolcos, and prepared to depart the next day—until Iskios dropped a bombshell.
"What!? You‘re… traveling!?"
Boarded on a ship loaded with grain from Calydon, Iskios announced the very next morning that he would set out on a journey. Jason and the others froze mid-step, staring in disbelief.
They‘d all assumed he‘d return to Iolcos with them—but Iskios replied in a flat tone:
"Well, it‘s technically a vacation. I have some things I need to think about…"
"Think about things!?"
"A few things. I want to travel alone for about a year."
He‘d applied for leave. Jason paused, weighing the enormity of the absence. Without Iskios, they‘d lose a pillar of strength—but then Jason reasoned that, thanks to Iskios‘s deeds, they‘d secured ample food and seeds, and the food crisis in Iolcos had been solved. Jason had risen to the throne through Iskios‘s help.
Despite the void Iskios would leave, Jason steeled himself. With a haughty tone he said,
"Hmph! Do as you please! But you better keep up your end of the bargain for that year you‘re gone! Got it!?"
"Then I‘ll see you in a year, Jason. I hope the kingdom runs smoothly without me."
Waving to Jason, Iskios turned quietly and departed Calydon.
--Those unworthy of life have no right to live beyond today.--
The reason I told Jason I‘d travel was the boar hunt in Calydon. I needed time to think.
I truly hate homosexuality. And on top of that, I hate this terminal, end-of-days Greece. I hate having my peaceful life disturbed. Yet my life always seemed to attract the very events I despised most.
─No matter how much you struggle, unwanted events will come. And each time, my instincts flare up, forcing me to intervene.
"Phew… this air is nice."
Leaving Calydon, I took to an unpaved road toward a forest where game and water might be found. My provisions were nearly depleted; I needed to forage.
There‘s so much I don‘t know about this world. Even after the Argo expedition and the Calydon hunt, a century‘s end Greece still baffles me. So I decided to leave Iolcos and experience this world for myself.
They say, if you can‘t avoid it, enjoy it. But in this wretched Greece, there‘s nothing worth enjoying. Since childhood I‘ve been threatened by gay men, my purity nearly defiled by licentious gods—protecting Jason and the others was all I knew.
"Anyway… it‘s been a long time since I‘ve been truly alone."
I used to fidget when alone, but for this one-year leave, I intended to savor my solitude.
The kids had grown, Jason was king, and once I returned to Iolcos, I‘d teach virtue to the most outstanding student before retiring quietly.
Oh—and I haven‘t visited Master Chiron in ages. When I finish everything, I should bring him a gift…
Lost in thought as I walked through the woods, a vulgar laugh snapped my mood in half.
"Ah… beasts, of course…"
Did end-times Greece ever leave me alone? I turned toward the laughter and vanished into shadow to investigate.
Peering from concealment, my expression fell. I still hoped never to see them again, but here they were: centaurs.
Like a symbol of this age‘s decay, they all had dreadful Mohawks in various colors and lengths. They stood over a fallen woman—her bow snapped beside her—snickering obscenely.
"Well, I knew it would be like this."
Broken bow, tears in her brown-ponytail eyes, and centaurs sneering at her—my mission was clear.
First, hidden in shadow, I magnetized their leg-shadows together. The centaurs stumbled and collapsed in a tangled heap.
"What… what is this!? Our legs… our legs are stuck!"
"Krrk… I… I can‘t pull them apart!"
"Ah! My arm too…!"
Next, I adhered the third centaur‘s arm-shadow to the fallen one‘s hip, forcing them into an absurd posture—one that made my skin crawl.
I didn‘t care. These centaurs were less than beasts—bullies who preyed on the weak had no right to live today.
Using my shadow again, I melded them like clay into a single, mindless form. I even sealed their mouths—while they could breathe, they couldn‘t speak.
"Reflect on your disgraceful selves for the rest of your lives…"
"""U-uuuuugh!? Uuuugh!?"""
When I finally stepped from shadow, the centaurs could only glare helplessly, furious yet immobile.
With them neutralized, I approached the brown-haired girl. Tears glistened in her eyes, but for some reason my heart didn‘t flutter.
She was as beautiful as Atalanta, yet unlike the fierce huntress, this girl looked mature, almost lady-like.
"Are you all right?" I asked.
"Y-yes… th-thank you…"
She was grateful, bowing her head repeatedly. But that hollow look… what had she endured? Why had she armed herself when centaurs would hunt her?
"I‘m Iskios. I started wandering here since yesterday. And you?"
"Ca-Callisto… is my name…"
"Callisto… nice name—huh?"
…That name rang a distant bell. Though my memories of a past life were fading in this end-times Greece, I clung to everything I knew of Greek myth.
Callisto… a huntress… a woman… wait a moment. No way—
As the thought formed, I let out a curse under my breath:
"This is insane."
…Even leaving Iolcos couldn‘t grant me peace. Because mere hours later, I‘d gotten entangled in something else.
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