The bright moonlight hung high in the sky, casting its dazzling glow over the entire earth.
Humanity across the world could only watch helplessly as the arrow of the bow descended.
Many people stood in confusion, unaware of what was happening, while others sensed the impending danger and began to flee.
But most were gripped by despair.
Even the adventurers in Orario were kneeling on the ground, overwhelmed by the power emanating from the descending arrow.
A deep fear settled in everyone's hearts.
They knelt, hands clasped together, heads bowed, eyes tightly shut, praying silently.
"God, save us!"
Similar prayers echoed from different places, but no gods appeared to answer.
They all silently observed the arrow's descent from the heavens.
Just when it seemed certain that they would perish under this attack, something unexpected happened.
"Look! What's that?"
A shout from somewhere broke the tension, drawing everyone's attention.
Humans lifted their heads to see a tiny figure standing in the path of the arrow.
At first, it was hard to notice—almost invisible.
"What is it?"
"It looks like a person!"
"Could it be a god coming to our aid?"
"It must be! The gods haven't abandoned their children; we're saved!"
In the face of despair, people tend to place their hopes in the strong.
What they probably didn't realize was that it wasn't a god, but a human—albeit an extraordinarily powerful one—who stood in the arrow's path.
Yami had appeared in the trajectory of the Moon Bow Arrow.
The power of the "Moon Goddess" Artemis was formidable, to say the least.
Yet, perhaps because it hadn't fully manifested, the divine power, while immense, wasn't as overwhelming as expected.
At least, it was within Yami's ability to handle.
He had no worry at all and decided to face it head-on.
After all, his body was protected by Avalon, and his soul, having nearly reached immortality, was unlikely to be destroyed by the Moon Arrow.
Yami was confident that he could neutralize Antares's attack.
"The power of the moon?"
"Then let's see how it compares to the power of the sun!"
Yami's eyes flashed as a terrifying power surged from his body.
A dazzling light erupted from him, illuminating the world that had been enveloped in darkness.
Another golden orb suddenly rose into the sky.
It was the sun!
"The sun has appeared! Did Lord Apollo intervene?"
Some adventurers in Orario, recalling the existence of Apollo, felt a renewed spark of hope.
In that moment, countless humans felt a profound affection for this god they had never met.
This was something Yami hadn't anticipated.
But right now, he didn't have time to worry about anything else.
Under the full force of the "sun's grace," the environment underwent drastic changes, turning night into day in an instant.
This was the first time Yami had fully unleashed this power.
Only through experiencing it firsthand could he truly understand its terror.
"So this is the power to rival the gods?"
"This power is even more terrifying than I imagined! I'm stronger than ever, and anyone who stands in my way will be obliterated!"
Whether it was the power's influence or not, Yami felt a surge of arrogance.
But he didn't forget the task at hand.
The Moon Bow Arrow was now directly in front of him.
As it closed in, he charged forward to meet it head-on.
Finally, the two forces—one gold, one silver—collided fiercely in the sky. The resulting explosion of light was so intense that no one could keep their eyes open.
No one could witness the final outcome.
After a while, the light subsided, like a receding tide.
The blinding brilliance was gone.
As the stimulation faded, everyone opened their eyes and looked skyward.
The 'moon' that had been hanging high in the sky had completely vanished, as had the figure radiating with the sun's light.
It was as if neither had ever been there.
"Is it… over?"
"It seems so. The moon is gone!"
"Did we survive?"
The realization of having lived through the catastrophe brought a wave of relief to humanity.
After a moment of stunned silence, someone was the first to regain their senses.
"Apollo! Apollo!! Apollo!!!"
With the leader's cry, others followed suit, and the earth-shattering chant echoed throughout Orario.
The gods who heard this chant displayed amused expressions.
"These children are so naive. Do they really think Apollo would sacrifice everything in the lower world and act out of selflessness?"
"Yes, they're too innocent!"
"Should we reveal the truth?"
"No need. Oraunos will handle it. Let's just enjoy this rare sight. It seems a new hero has emerged in the lower world!"
"I wonder whose child it is!"
The gods gathered, discussing and speculating, their excitement unaffected by the adventurers' cheers.
Meanwhile, in the ruins of the Great Tree Sea, the terrifying battle fluctuations had completely ceased.
Goddess Artemis, gazing at the dissipating Moon Bow in the sky, let out a sigh of relief before collapsing weakly to the ground.
In that moment, a strong arm suddenly reached out, catching her.
"Now is not the time to rest, Goddess Artemis."
"Once everything is over, we'll rest properly."