"Artemis of the Hunt, Apollo of Light, to the two divine beings... The arrow-written petition!"
The solemn chant of divine words echoed across the wilderness. Atalanta arched her back, her body stretching into an exaggerated curve. Two arrows—one gold, one silver—shot toward the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, the arrows reached their zenith and exploded, resonating with the celestial bodies above. A dense shower of light arrows plummeted like a meteor storm, the sound of flesh tearing echoing ceaselessly.
"Fear us!"
"Worship us!"
"Existences shining across the heavens, guiding stars!"
"We descend upon this place!"
"Hymn of the Twin Gods!"
The two figures who had earlier charged into the small boar herd let out intertwining battle cries before chanting in unison. They merged into two sweeping whirlwinds, their sharp blades cutting through the monster ranks, leaving a trail of severed limbs and arms. They slashed diagonally through the demonic formation, brutally dismembering the large Demon Boar that had burst out from the flank.
"What's falling? Ah, no, wait... Wait! Help! Help! I'm dying! I'm dying!"
Simultaneously, a terrified scream pierced the air from the squad approaching the gentle slope to rendezvous with Samael and the others.
There stood Jason, shield raised in one hand, leaping and bounding frantically through the hail of arrows and scattered corpses.
"Phew! That scared the hell out of me... Finally saved. But seriously... I really am no good on the front lines..."
The breathless, golden-haired youth, having narrowly avoided his comrades' pursuit, crouched down, gasping for air, his face a mix of relief and sarcastic complaint.
"Actually, given Atalanta's accuracy, if you hadn't run, nothing would've happened."
Samael paused briefly before patting Jason's shoulder with a resigned sigh, gesturing toward Circe and Caenis, who stood unscathed amidst the hail of arrows.
"What if she'd missed? I only have this one life!"
Jason whined, his face twisted in protest. He glanced nervously around before leaning close to Samael and muttering with a touch of paranoia.
"Bro, I'm telling you, I always feel like I'm just not compatible with women—especially heroines. Those tigresses' eyes are full of trouble. They always give me this vibe like they're itching to slaughter me on a whim.
No way, no way. Leaving my life in their hands is way too risky. Staying by your side is safer."
Samael twitched his lips and nodded helplessly, inwardly rolling his eyes.
"You can sense this kind of latent hostility about your future? Buddy, should I call that high alertness or just plain old cowardice?"
And seriously, you managed to dodge Atalanta's hail of arrows while running around like a madman? You didn't even get trampled by the pigs? You crossed the battlefield unscathed, made it right to me? How did you pull off such a minuscule stroke of Luck? Are you kidding me?
Faced with this "mood-setter" of a companion, Ancient Serpent's thoughts churned, leaving him speechless.
Of course, Samael merely muttered his complaint under his breath before pushing the chaotic thoughts aside. He lifted his gaze to survey the pockmarked battlefield strewn with corpses.
At that moment, thanks to the combined efforts of Atalanta and the two Sparta swordsmen, the two large Demon Boars that had charged out, along with their entire brood, were neatly dispatched to hell.
The two Sparta warriors followed behind, skillfully delivering finishing blows with their spears.
With each thrust and withdrawal of their blades—flesh peeling away, muffled groans from the barely dead, gushing blood, and fragments of entrails—the frail hunter beside them turned deathly pale, crouching to vomit.
Jason deftly retrieved a water skin from his backpack, about to approach and strike up a conversation to build connections. But with a quick glance, the blond youth instead beamed and offered the skin to Samael, signaling for him to take the job.
He had no intention of provoking the women who came to Calydon for the hunt.
This atmosphere-reader, who seemed to possess some premonition of potential danger, sensed faintly that this was absolutely a major hassle!
"Here, take a sip of water and rinse your mouth."
Seeing the frail figure nearly vomiting bile, Samael took the water skin and stepped forward helplessly, offering casual reassurance.
Yet the instant the Ancient Serpent drew near, a sharp whistling cut through the air. Two black-gold swords crossed and plunged into the ground before him.
"Stay away from her!"
With a tense snort, the two figures who had charged into the fray earlier retreated, positioning themselves between Samael and the frail figure before moving toward her.
Tsk. No good deed goes unpunished. I can drink it myself.
Samael stopped in his tracks, rolled his eyes, pulled the cork from the water skin, and took a long drink to rehydrate.
Huh? Honey... and lime?
Not bad, Jason. You know how to enjoy yourself.
The Ancient Serpent gave the golden-haired youth behind him an approving smile, then downed a few more gulps, feeling instantly refreshed.
Judging by their speech and movements, the proud pair of swordsmen were twin siblings.
The golden-haired female swordsman, an androgynous beauty, stepped forward first and patted the frail figure's back, her tone laced with light scolding.
"Sneaking in like this! Did you think the Calydon Hunt was a children's game?"
Her brother, the more composed blond swordsman, raised a hand to stop her reprimand. He gently lifted the weary figure, removed the helmet from the girl who had slipped into the ranks, and asked with concern.
"Are you alright, Helen?"
"Pfft!"
Samael, mid-drink, sprayed water all over Jason's face and turned around in shock.
Beneath the helmet was a delicate, pitifully beautiful face. Her golden hair flowed like fragrant wheat, and even her smallest gestures carried a natural, enchanting allure.
"Friend, your reaction seems... a bit odd."
"You look quite surprised."
The twin swordsmen frowned, their gazes locking onto Samael.
"Brother Castor, Sister Pollux, he saved me just now. He doesn't mean any harm."
After the golden-haired girl reassured her siblings, she stole a shy glance at Samael, her cheeks slightly flushed.
The twins eased their stance, offering a polite nod of gratitude.
"Drank too fast, choked a bit. You three go ahead and talk."
The Ancient Serpent gave a stiff smile, shook the water skin, and turned away. Without another word, he strode toward Atalanta and the others.
Damn it. Greece's most beautiful woman—the Spartan princess Helen?
It really is that nation-toppling enchantress!
And she called those two... Brother Castor... Sister Pollux...
Wait. Castor... Pollux... Gemini!
Damn! Aren't those the ones who founded Sparta's dual kingship? Meaning they're the current heirs to the Spartan throne—and Helen's twin siblings!
Whoa...
I remember now. It was me—no, Theseus—who abducted Helen from the Temple of Artemis, and those two twin gods who came to Athens to take her back!
Well, I'll be damned! What a tangled mess of fate.
No wonder the Sagittarius Saint and Gemini Saint have bad blood—the seeds of that grudge were planted back in the Age of Gods!
Hmm. Makes sense. Perfect sense.
Samael's mind spun wildly, his expression flickering through disbelief and exasperation.
Just as his thoughts began to drift into the clouds, his grip suddenly loosened. The water skin in his hand was snatched away by Atalanta, who tilted her head back and drank greedily.