After I reassured Apollo and Selene that I was fine, the next day the hunting party assembled for the boar hunt departed for the forest where Artemis‘s boar had been appearing.
Just before departure, as always, I once again watched Peleus get thrown sky-high by Atalanta‘s wrestling throw rather than confess his feelings. They never change, but it‘s none of my concern, so I ignored it.
It might sound ruthless, but this is end-times Greece. Let your guard slip for a moment and you‘ll suffer. Kill a mating snake and be forced into a sex change, offend a god and be cursed or tortured endlessly, or in the worst case, die with no one to mourn you.
Humans and animals here are dangerous enough, but the gods are the most terrifying. Of course I can watch my own back… but what about the weaker ones who can‘t protect themselves? They‘ll be crushed without mercy.
I suppose I‘m something of a contradiction.
They say old habits die hard, and I‘ve carried my last-life habits into this one. I can‘t rest unless I intervene in injustice…
And I know it. Someday my interference might bring about my own ruin. But can I really stand by and watch the weak get exploited by the strong? Can I truly ignore it?
I‘ve never been omnipotent in any life, but I‘ve done what I could where I could. It may seem small compared to others, but this is who I‘ve always been. Am I going to die early in this life too, just like last time? Especially here, in end-times Greece? It feels almost inevitable…
"Iskios…?"
"I feel someone‘s gaze."
"A gaze?"
Before anyone could think further, I sensed a chilling stare drilled into me and stopped in my tracks. Jason, hearing my warning, scanned the area warily.
Others couldn‘t sense it, but I could. Just by sight I can usually guess who‘s looking and even discern their intent. This stare… was pure killing intent. A brutal, savage glare fueled by only one thought: to kill.
"Hey, Iskios! Don‘t tell me—!?"
"They‘re far off, but nearby."
At my words, every bird in the vicinity took flight, and small creatures scurried back into their nests in terror.
The hunting party froze, holding their breath. They sensed it too. The forest had fallen silent in an instant, animal sounds snuffed out. Some gripped their spears so tight their knuckles went white.
"West of here!!!"
I shouted, and every hunter turned westward, just in time to see tree after tree crash to the ground.
When even the nearest tree collapsed, a massive black boar burst forth. Those who saw it for the first time… especially Jason, stared at it as if their eyes would pop out.
Its body was two or three times the size of a human‘s, its hide etched with violet patterns like protective runes. Its eyes glowed gold, burning with a murderous intent.
—Directed squarely at me.
"Why me!!!?"
"Iskios—ugh!?"
I shoved Jason aside and leapt into the air, landing deftly on a branch above.
The Calydonian boar revealed before us was faster than I‘d imagined. It pawed the ground like an enraged bull, hot breath steaming from its nostrils as it readied its charge.
The moment I saw it, I understood 'pure killing intent' for the first time. In all my time here I‘d felt many stares, mostly aimed at my face. But this boar… it saw me first and charged to kill.
"Surround it!!!"
At Meleagros‘s command, the hunting party formed a circle around the beast, spears leveled and swords drawn. Archers notched arrows, ready to fire at a moment‘s notice.
At first, the boar did nothing but snort. It glared around, steam rising from its nostrils, and once more I felt its deadly glare aimed at me.
Why did it harbor such animosity toward me alone? To finish it off, I pulled a stone from my pouch and hurled it at the boar‘s head—only to freeze in surprise.
I had thrown that stone with all my strength toward its skull. Yet it bounced off its hide like hitting a wall, flying harmlessly away.
"Oh, right. This is the sacred beast of Artemis, isn‘t it?"
I‘d forgotten. This boar was sent by Artemis, furious at being slighted, to wreak havoc in Calydon.
A divine beast blessed by a goddess. No ordinary weapon could harm it. But it wasn‘t just its hide;
"It‘s fast!!!"
"It‘s broken through our line!!!"
We knew it would be strong, but its speed defied its size. Swift mobility, raw power, and a hide that deflected ranged attacks—this made it a nightmare to tackle.
But… if its hide repelled projectiles, then maybe its shadow was vulnerable. To provoke it further, I threw another stone, this time aiming to clip its side.
—The enraged boar now fixated on me as its prime target. Why?
"It‘s coming for Iskios!!!"
As I deliberately tossed the stone beside it, the boar‘s rage flared, and it charged straight at the tree where I sat.
The rest of the party hesitated, stunned by its terrifying speed, but Atalanta broke free, chasing after it. In no time, she vanished into the forest, leaving Jason and the others behind.
Bold as ever, Atalanta closed the distance on the run, nocked three arrows in quick succession—and all three clanged off its hide.
She had expected this hunt wouldn‘t be simple, but―
"Iskios!?"
…She didn‘t see me cornered against a rock face. I stood isolated, back pressed to the wall.
Atalanta must have seen me trapped. She surely thought I‘d find a way; my legs could have immobilized the beast, but instead I leaned against the stone, arms folded, calmly meeting the boar‘s charge with a mocking finger wag.
Fury crippled the beast. Just as its tusk was about to pierce my gut, I leapt into the air—an acrobatic twist that let its tusk miss me by mere skin.
I flipped over, and the boar barrelled into the rock wall where I‘d been standing.
Atalanta watched in slow motion as I dodged, and then saw my next move. With a flourish, I hurled the two swords strapped at my waist at the boar‘s shadow on the ground.
"Swords...?"
Atalanta didn‘t understand why I‘d thrown my blades to the ground until she saw the moment my feet touched earth again.
As the boar smashed against the rock, it froze in mid-stride, trapped as if bound by invisible chains.
At first, Atalanta was confused by my tossing my two beautiful blades. But I‘d thrown them to catch the beast‘s shadow before it could move—because the prey‘s shadow belongs to the hunter.
"The boar‘s shadow...!"
"Its hide might be divine, but what about its shadow?"
The steel of my swords sank into the boar‘s shadow, binding its limbs and sealing any movement. This technique, born of my power, was crafted for dealing with otherworldly foes.
Like an insect trapped in amber, the boar thrashed, powerless to move beyond the shadow‘s bounds. It could struggle, but its might was wasted. While Atalanta stared in awe, voices rose behind us.
The heroes who‘d joined the Calydonian boar hunt finally caught up. They arrived just as I was about to finish the job—but one of them couldn‘t stand idle.
"Look! Iskios has bound the boar!"
"Ha ha ha! As expected of Iskios. Leave the rest to us!"
They didn‘t understand my method, but seeing the beast trapped, they charged in anyway. Jason scowled in anger, but it was too late.
—Their reckless assault would be their undoing.