"Ran away from your own familia out of fear?"
"Of course not!"
Hestia puffed out her chest proudly. "That's my Su Mo we're talking about—how could he ever do something like that?"
Hearing Hestia say this so confidently, Artemis finally relaxed. "If your child was willing to forgive you, then it seems like you chose the right person."
It genuinely warmed her heart to see her best friend find someone special. She was about to say more when Hestia shook her head with an even more smug expression.
"Nope~ You've guessed wrong again, Artemis!"
"Huh?" Artemis tilted her head slightly, clearly confused.
Could it be that Su Mo hadn't forgiven her after all? But if that were the case, Hestia wouldn't be radiating this much joy.
Catching the look of puzzlement on Artemis' face, Hestia's smile grew even more triumphant.
"Let me tell you, Artemis—my Su Mo has completely, wholeheartedly accepted my feelings! He even said, 'Ten thousand years? An eternity? As long as it's with you, I'm willing to stay by your side forever!'"
Just recalling those words made Hestia giddy all over again. Back then, when Su Mo had said that to her, she had nearly lost control of her emotions from sheer joy.
On the surface, she might've seemed composed and unaffected, but deep down, she had been absolutely over the moon. That happiness had been bubbling inside her all day, with no one to share it with—until Artemis showed up. Naturally, she couldn't hold it in any longer and poured everything out to her closest friend.
If she could, Hestia would've broadcast it to the entire world.
"You... What did you say?" Artemis nearly lost her composure in shock.
A human being, accepting such intense emotions from a goddess? Was it ignorance that made him fearless? Or had he truly prepared himself to face the consequences of loving a god?
Either way, it wasn't something an ordinary person could ever manage.
Just as Artemis was about to ask more about this extraordinary Su Mo, a knock came from the door.
Knock knock.
The sound of a key being inserted followed.
Creak...
The door opened slowly.
Hestia, still giddy and dazed, didn't react in time.
"Wait!" Artemis exclaimed in a panic.
But it was too late.
Su Mo, stepping inside, was greeted with a rather compromising sight—Hestia looking disheveled, and the moon goddess Artemis clad in light, revealing clothes, her fair skin glowing like moonlight.
"Thanks for the hospitality," Su Mo muttered and promptly shut the door.
Only after Artemis had quickly straightened her clothes did Su Mo re-enter the room.
"You didn't see anything just now, did you?" Artemis asked with a hint of murderous intent in her voice, her cheeks still tinged with crimson.
"Did something happen just now?" Su Mo replied with an innocent, puzzled look.
"Mm... good." Artemis tried her best to appear calm and composed.
"You're back, Su Mo~ Hee hee!" Hestia, unable to contain herself any longer, pounced into Su Mo's arms as soon as she saw him.
"Hestia, your fried potato balls..." Su Mo sighed at the sight of his goddess acting so undignified. He had half a mind to pinch her cheeks and wake her up properly—but recalling her heartfelt confession from earlier, he decided to let it slide.
Watching their interactions, Artemis forced herself to maintain a neutral expression. "Since you're back now, I'll leave Hestia in your care," she said. "Tell her we should catch up again sometime."
With that, she turned and walked away—no, more like fled the scene.
"Lady Artemis..." Su Mo watched the moon goddess's retreating figure with a thoughtful look.
In the world of DanMachi, Artemis's appearance was special. In the main story, by the time she was introduced, she had already died—devoured by the ancient monster Antares during a subjugation mission. Her divine power was absorbed into a magic stone, turning Antares from a mere monster into a threat capable of wielding godly power.
Among the abilities it inherited was the Moonlight Arrow—an arrow that only a pure, untouched goddess could release. It was one of the strongest weapons from the heavens, said to have the power to destroy entire worlds.
Although the crisis was eventually averted, Artemis had perished in the process and returned to the heavens for reincarnation. But divine reincarnation wasn't instant—it could take hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years.
Remembering all this, Su Mo knew he couldn't simply ignore Artemis, especially since she was Hestia's closest friend. But even more importantly—he might have an opportunity here.
An opportunity to seize the power of the moon goddess.
In DanMachi, while gods couldn't freely use their powers without being forcibly recalled to the heavens, this particular incident was an exception. After all, the one misusing divine power wasn't Artemis herself, but the monster Antares. Artemis had merely been the unfortunate victim.
No one would blame her for what happened. In fact, the gods likely felt indebted to her for sacrificing herself and helping avert a catastrophe.
If Su Mo could intervene in this event, perhaps he could reverse the outcome—perhaps even absorb the moon goddess's divine power for himself.
For Artemis, who normally couldn't use her powers anyway, such an arrangement might not be a loss. With proper communication, this could be worked out peacefully.
And if he succeeded in acquiring her divine power...
Then the Moonlight Form of Ultraman Tiga would no longer be a dream.
More importantly, Su Mo would gain the power to destroy the world with a single arrow—an authority far more terrifying than any he had wielded in the Campione! universe.
No matter how he looked at it, this was a win-win.
With that in mind, Su Mo stepped out the door and called after Artemis.
"What is it?" she asked, still flustered from the earlier incident. Normally, she might have let an arrow fly straight through his face—but this time, she knew it wasn't really his fault.
Seeing Su Mo suddenly call out to her, Artemis couldn't help but turn back, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"Goddess of the Moon, Artemis! I see unease in your features—misfortune may visit you tomorrow."
Su Mo struck the pose of a mystic prophet, his tone solemn. "If one day you find yourself trapped in utter despair, with no one to save you… remember my name! Su Mo. Just call out for me, and I promise—hope will come."
"???"
Artemis blinked, momentarily stunned.
As a deity, she naturally wasn't one to believe in superstition. She didn't think Su Mo was cursing her or anything like that, nor did she feel angry—but she still found it strange.
"Could it be… you possess prophetic abilities? Some sort of divination skill?" she asked, intrigued.
"You could say that," Su Mo nodded. "Just remember what I said."
In truth, among the abilities granted by his divine Authority of the [Eastern God of War], the Wind Avatar's power was particularly unique. As long as someone called out Su Mo's name, he would be able to sense it instantly—and teleport straight to them. If Artemis ever found herself in real danger and remembered to call his name, Su Mo wouldn't miss his cue.
"Alright. I'll remember."
Artemis gave a firm nod. As mentioned before, she was a serious goddess, one who always kept her word. Once she made a promise, she never forgot it.