"Lulune… please take Artemis with you, go to the others, warn them as well, and run as far away as you possibly can."
Judas slowly rose to his feet, the ground beneath him crunching softly as he stood.
The Arcanum within him pulsed faintly, steady and alive, as if echoing the final will entrusted to him.
To him, it felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
"Ah! Right… I'm on it!"
Knowing the gravity of the situation, Lulune instinctively saluted, her body trembling.
Just the sheer power radiating from Judas was enough to scare her senseless.
'He actually did it… the power of the gods…'
She knew a battle on a scale never before seen in the mortal world was about to take place.
And she was more than happy to get as far away as possible if she didn't want to get turned into meat paste just from the aftershocks of their battle.
Lulune hoisted Artemis, who was trapped inside the crystal, over her head and flew away using Talaria.
"Judas… good luck!"
She cried out, her figure fading into the distance.
Judas nodded but didn't look back, keeping his attention toward his opponent.
Across from him, Antares shifted.
The monster's singular eye locked onto him.
There was no more animal confusion, no more mindless hunger.
There was only refined killing intent.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
The forest stood still, as if the world itself was holding its breath in anticipation.
A bright bluish aura erupted from both of their bodies, radiating a pressure that caused the ground to quiver.
They gazed at each other for a moment, then…
Their figures vanished.
Judas tore through the treeline, a streak of azure lightning.
Antares let out a roar toward the direction Judas had run and immediately chased after him.
'I need to get as far away from here as possible.'
Judas thought as his figure blurred across the sky, flying over the forest at extreme speeds, moving farther and farther away from where Belle and the others were to ensure they wouldn't get caught up in his battle.
He clenched his fist as he felt the lingering warmth of Artemis' Arcanum settling within him.
Back when he and Antares had been sizing each other up, he realized that Antares had absorbed a much larger portion of Artemis' divine power.
'With the head start it had at the beginning, I'm not surprised… If I have thirty percent, then that bastard has seventy.'
Judas thought as he glanced back and saw Antares relentlessly pursuing him.
'Right now, Antares has somewhat grasped the power of Arcanum… compared to its last form, where it was slow and unfamiliar with its own strength… it has gained some proficiency in wielding it.'
They had long since left the Great Forest behind, and the Elsos Ruins could no longer be seen even at the horizon.
Judging that they were far enough away, Judas abruptly turned around and cocked his fist back.
'Let the divine energy flow through me and reinforce my body.'
A bluish aura surged across his body before gathering around his arm.
Meanwhile, Antares blurred forward with terrifying speed.
In the next instant...
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave erupted from the point where they collided, the force of their clash tearing through the surrounding landscape like a violent storm unleashed.
It wasn't just a sound... it was a physical wall of force that flattened the terrain for miles.
The atmosphere ignited, a blinding light blooming in the wasteland.
The explosion continued to spread outward endlessly, as though a nuclear bomb had detonated.
Even from far away, the impact could still be felt.
rumble
Back in the Elsos Ruins, dust fell from the ceiling as the temple trembled.
"The ground… there are constant tremors again…"
Belle muttered as she knelt on the ground, gripping a half-broken sword in her hand.
She looked ahead and saw one of the dragons with a massive hole blasted through its chest.
Before her eyes, its body slowly began dissolving into ash.
It was only through everyone pushing themselves beyond their limits and suffering countless injuries that they had managed to bring down this foe.
'But it's not over yet.'
Belle's grip tightened as she looked around.
Several of their allies lay unconscious nearby, their bodies battered and unmoving as a small group of healers worked frantically to stabilize them.
Among them, she spotted Liliruca collapsed on the ground, her face pale.
Belle shifted her gaze to the side and saw the others still fighting the remaining dragon in a desperate struggle.
'There's only one thing I can do…'
Ding...
The sound of a bell chiming echoed through the air as white sparkles of light gathered around her right hand.
It was her Argonaut skill, the ability that charged an attack worthy of a hero.
To use this skill, she needed to fix her heart on the image of a hero.
Usually, she thought of the stories her grandfather told her.
But today, the image was clearer. Sharper.
'Judas…'
Without hesitation, the image that filled her thoughts was Judas Spade.
Ding...
The light intensified.
The chimes grew louder.
As seconds passed, the ringing became impossible to ignore, echoing throughout the ancient stone halls until everyone present could hear it clearly.
"It's that skill…"
Hestia murmured, recognition flickering across her face.
The moment Asfi sensed the growing power behind Belle's attack, her sharp mind immediately calculated the best course of action to secure victory.
"Everyone! Hold that dragon back until Little Rookie finishes charging her attack!"
She shouted.
Everyone who could still move or fight nodded without hesitation.
"Hey! Mr. Crozzo, are you sure you can even swing that thing?"
Falgar called out, glancing toward Welf Crozzo, who was lifting a greatsword with labored breaths.
"Are you kidding me?"
Welf wiped sweat from his eyes, a fierce grin splitting his face.
"Just because I don't have my magic swords anymore doesn't mean you can look down on us blacksmiths, Mr. Falgar."
"Haha! Good, looks like I was worried for nothing."
Falgar laughed heartily, charging forward despite the blood matting his hair.
"Lante… everyone… change formation."
Rethusa commanded, and the members of the Artemis Familia shifted seamlessly, adjusting their tactics to buy as much time as possible.
"Thank you for trusting me… everyone."
Belle said quietly as she continued charging Argonaut.
She watched as everyone fought desperately despite their battered and exhausted bodies.
At that moment, it felt almost like the battle against the Black Goliath from the original story that never happened here was being recreated.
Belle wanted to jump in and fight alongside them.
But she restrained herself, knowing her role was here, patiently waiting until the right moment arrived.
She had to trust them… just as they were trusting her.
Before long, the sound of the bells grew louder and louder, echoing relentlessly throughout the ruins.
'Ten seconds…'
Belle thought as the light in her hand swelled until it became nearly blinding.
'Five seconds.'
She opened her eyes and locked onto the dragon ahead, slowly raising her arm.
'Three… two… one…'
As if sensing the danger, the dragon turned its massive head toward her.
Their gazes met.
And for the briefest moment…
The dragon flinched.
Belle's crimson eyes burned with such unwavering resolve that even the dragon was shaken.
Three minutes.
Argonaut's full charge was complete.
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