Chapter 44. Good Thing It's This Moon Goddess, Not the One from Space!
The outskirts of the forest surrounding the Elsos Ruins.
As the massive wyvern slowly descended into a forest clearing, the sun had already set, leaving only a streak of purplish-red sunset on the horizon.
"Blegh..."
The moment they landed, the Goddess Hestia leaned against a tree trunk, letting out a sound that was extremely un-Goddess-like. "I'm done for... I feel like my stomach is turning inside out..."
"Are you alright, Lady Hestia?" Even though it was Lili's first time on a wyvern, as a hardworking supporter, her adaptability was clearly much stronger than that of this shut-in Goddess.
"Hmph, truly useless."
Artemis hopped lightly off the dragon's back, not even a corner of her skirt ruffled. She looked at Hestia with a flash of disdain in her eyes (though they were best friends, mutual snark was their daily routine).
"You can't handle a flight of this level? It seems your life in Genkai world has been far too easy."
"Sh-shut up!" Hestia retorted weakly. "I'm... responsible for the mental labor!"
"Alright, alright, everyone take a rest first." Shirou Emiya jumped down from the wyvern and caught Ais as she came down last.
"Thank you." Ais's face turned slightly red. Although she didn't actually need help given her physical stats, this was the "Hero's" privilege.
"Let's camp here tonight." Shirou scanned the surroundings. This place was still some distance from the center of the ruins; the mana concentration was moderate, and there wasn't much of a monster presence. It was a perfect spot for an "outdoor cookout."
"Camping?!" Hestia, who had been motion-sick, revived instantly with stars in her eyes. "Does that mean... Shirou-kun is going to cook?!"
"Of course." Shirou rolled up his sleeves, revealing that smile that struck fear into the hearts of countless ingredients. "Since we're out on a trip, how can we just eat dry rations? That would be a profanation of the word 'adventure'."
Half an hour later. The once quiet forest clearing had turned into a bustling... kitchen.
"Trace—On."
Mana flowed through Shirou's hands. Not for battle, but for—[Project: Multi-functional BBQ Grill], [Project: Stainless Steel Soup Pot], [Project: Auto-rotating Rotisserie].
Watching this pile of high-end kitchenware appear out of thin air, Hermes, who was responsible for gathering firewood, couldn't help but comment: "Hey now, little brother Emiya, is that how you use your mana? Mages would cry if they saw this, you know?"
"A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he is to do his job well." Shirou skillfully processed several "Forest Boars" and "Great-horned Deer" he had hunted along the way. His knife skills were god-like; the thickness of every slice of meat was precise to the micron level.
"Today's menu is [Special Wild Game BBQ] paired with [Rich Mushroom Stew]."
"Oooooh!!!" The three girls (plus one Goddess) cheered in unison.
Sizzle—!
the moment the marinated meat skewers hit the grill, the sound of fat dripping onto the charcoal was like the most beautiful movement in the world. The rich aroma of meat mixed with special spices (brought from Orario) instantly filled the entire forest.
"Smells so good..." Ais crouched by the grill, her golden eyes fixed on the skewers turning golden-brown, her mouth practically watering. If a monster dared to jump out and interrupt now, she would absolutely slash it into an atomic state.
"Is it ready yet, Orion?" Artemis leaned in too, sniffing without a hint of Goddess-like decorum. "This is my first time smelling something like this... is this the food of Genkai?"
"One more minute." Shirou sprinkled on a handful of cumin and chili flakes. "This is the step where the soul is injected."
"Alright! Let's eat!"
With Shirou's command, a war known as "The Battle for Food" broke out.
"This one's mine!"
"Cheating! Hestia, you already ate two skewers!"
"I'm a Goddess! I need to replenish my Divine Power!"
"I'm a Goddess too! And I'm Orion's Goddess!"
Watching the two Goddesses go at it over a few skewers of grilled meat, while Ais silently activated her "Wind King Barrier" to accelerate her meat-snatching, and Lili used her small size to slip through the gaps—Shirou, the grill master, and Hermes, the wine pourer, exchanged a look and shared a knowing, bitter smile between men.
"Truly... peaceful." Hermes took a sip of wine, looking at the moon in the sky. "It would be nice if this peace could last forever."
"Yeah." Shirou flipped the meat, his gaze turning deep. "As long as we solve that 'trouble,' it will continue."
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Late at night. Everyone, having eaten and drunk their fill, had crawled into their tents (also projected by Shirou, of course). Everyone except two.
Shirou Emiya sat by the campfire, guarding the last of the embers. Opposite him, Artemis sat hugging her knees, quietly watching him.
"Can't sleep, Goddess-sama?" Shirou broke the silence.
"Just call me Artemis." The Goddess shook her head, her silver hair shimmering under the moonlight.
"Gods don't need sleep. And... I wanted to look at you a little longer."
"..." Shirou scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Um... about that 'Orion' name..."
"Do you not like it?" Artemis's gaze dimmed slightly, looking like an abandoned puppy.
"No, it's not that I don't like it." Shirou sighed. "It's just... I'm not that person after all. I'm Shirou Emiya, an ordinary human."
"I know," Artemis said softly. "The real Orion... has been gone for a long time."
She looked up at the constellation of Orion twinkling in the night sky.
"It's a... very sad story. I killed him with my own hands."
"Eh?" Shirou froze.
"Because of a certain God's conspiracy, I was deceived." Artemis's voice was calm but carried endless regret.
"With my arrow, I pierced the chest of the one I loved most. To maintain so-called 'purity' and 'vows,' I lost the only person who could understand me.
From then on, I vowed never to feel love again. Until... ten thousand years later, I met you, the one chosen by that spear."
Artemis stood up and walked to Shirou. She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. Her hand was cold, just like moonlight.
"Your soul is very similar to his. Pure, persistent, even a bit... foolishly self-sacrificing.
So, when that spear chose you, I knew... this time, I don't want to miss it again.
Even if..." A crystal tear rolled down the corner of the Goddess's eye. "Even if the ending this time is still 'death'."
Shirou went silent. He looked at the Goddess before him. Though she was only a thought-form, though her main body had been swallowed by a monster, this emotion—this regret and love spanning ten thousand years—was real.
"I won't let you die."
Shirou spoke suddenly. He took Artemis's hand, fire burning in his amber eyes.
"I might not be Orion, but I have my own 'vows.' As an 'Ally of Justice,' I absolutely will not let a tragedy repeat itself.
That monster called Antares..." Shirou pointed north, toward the ruins radiating an ominous aura.
"I will use my sword... no, I'll use your spear to blow it away completely. And I'll bring you back... whole."
Artemis was stunned. She looked at the boy before her. He was clearly just a mortal, and he clearly knew he was facing a God-slaying monster capable of destroying the world. Yet he said it so naturally, with such confidence.
"Pfft." The Goddess suddenly laughed. It was the most beautiful smile Shirou had ever seen.
"As expected... you really are my Orion."
Artemis leaned down and kissed Shirou gently on the forehead. It wasn't lust, but a blessing. The highest protection from the Moon Goddess.
"Thank you, Shirou Emiya. The moon tonight... is truly beautiful."
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Just at this tender (and sweet) moment.
Snap! A sound of a breaking branch came from the nearby bushes.
"Who's there?!" Shirou and Artemis turned their heads simultaneously.
They saw three heads stacked like a totem pole hiding behind the bushes. On the bottom was Hestia, in the middle was Lili, and on top was Ais.
Upon being discovered, the three waved stiffly.
"Um... we just came out to use the bathroom..." Hestia's eyes wandered.
"Just passing through, purely passing through." Lili hid her notebook (for recording materials) behind her back.
"...Moon watching." Ais pointed at the sky expressionlessly.
"..." Shirou covered his face.
These guys—they'd been eavesdropping the whole time! Why didn't my Love/Battlefield radar go off?! Was it because the atmosphere just now was too good?!
"Since everyone's awake, don't go back to sleep!" Hermes jumped down from a tree, holding a wine bottle. "Perfect timing, how about we have a 'Pajama Party' to discuss tomorrow's battle plan?"
"REJECTED!" Everyone except Hermes shouted in unison.
Though they had a bit of a row, everyone slept soundly that night. Except for Shirou. He touched the kiss-mark on his forehead and looked at the [Arrow of Orion] in his hand.
"..."
He closed his eyes, and the image of the massive, God-devouring scorpion monster surfaced in his mind.
"The old me definitely couldn't have done it. But now..."
[Unlimited Blade Works]. [Uchide no Kozuchi (Level Boost)]. And... this Divine Construct capable of piercing the stars.
"Antares."
Dawn broke. The first rays of sunlight entered the forest. The expedition team packed their gear and took the final step toward the unknown Elsos Ruins...
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