Hunted by Characters I Drew!!

On the battlefield, Artemis stood frozen, her small mouth slightly agape as she watched the unfolding events. She seemed at a loss for words. Nearby, the adventurer who had been pierced by Antares's stinger moments ago touched her chest in disbelief, lost in thought.

"Is that man... really human?"

Meanwhile, Antares, regaining its composure, shifted its target. With a sharp hiss, it swung its massive pincers straight toward the two goddesses.

Two goddesses! Antares thought with malicious glee. If I devour them and absorb their divine power, can I defeat this human?

"Ah!"

"Watch out!"

Hestia shut her eyes tightly as the massive pincers hurtled toward them. Artemis, however, moved instinctively, shielding Hestia with her body like an older sister protecting her younger sibling. Though Hestia was technically older, her childlike demeanor made her feel far younger.

"Artemis-sama!"

"My lord!"

"Hestia-sama!"

The adventurers around them shouted in terror, their faces pale. They knew that even a goddess would be helpless against Antares's pincers—it would mean being sliced in half without hope of survival.

But then, a calm voice cut through the tension.

"Don't ignore me, you oversized ant."

It was Alexander.

A golden flash of light followed his words.

The light blazed as Alexander's sword sliced cleanly through Antares's pincers. The once indestructible claws fell to the ground, severed.

Alexander spun the golden sword casually in his hand, then turned to Hestia and Artemis with a calm expression.

"Could you please lead the others out of here?" he asked. "This ruin... won't be standing much longer."

"Won't be standing?"

Hestia blinked in confusion, her gaze flitting between Alexander and the glowing sword in his hand. Then, her eyes widened with realization.

"Artemis, we need to go! Now!"

Without waiting for an answer, Hestia grabbed Artemis's hand and began running toward safety. Though Artemis' children were confused, they instinctively followed their fleeing goddess.

As they ran, Artemis glanced back over her shoulder. Her eyes were drawn to Alexander, standing alone against the monstrous Antares. He raised his sword high, and with a powerful shout, he called out a phrase that echoed through the ruins:

"Noble Phantasm Release!"

Golden light burst forth from the sword, illuminating the dark ruins. The radiance was so bright and overwhelming that it seemed capable of banishing all fear.

"What... what kind of sword is that?" Artemis murmured, her voice filled with awe. "The magic power it's emitting is unbelievable!"

Still captivated by the scene, Artemis lagged behind. Hestia, growing anxious, tugged on her arm.

"Stop gawking and move! If that sword strikes, this entire place will be flattened!"

"What? Could it be... is that sword a divine weapon forged by the gods?" Artemis asked, wide-eyed.

Before Hestia could respond, Alexander's voice echoed once more:

"EX—CALIBUR!"

A brilliant explosion followed. Golden light surged outward as Alexander unleashed the full power of the Sword of Promised Victory. The sheer intensity of the attack obliterated the ruins in an instant.

As the light faded, nothing remained of the once-imposing Antares. Its body had been reduced to ash, scattered to the wind.

Outside the ruins, Artemis and her children stood in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the golden beam that stretched skyward.

"This power... it rivals that of the gods," Artemis whispered. "Even in the heavens, there are few deities capable of such destruction. Perhaps only the most powerful gods could achieve something like this."

She gazed at Alexander, awestruck. For someone to wield such divine power in the mortal realm, where gods themselves were forbidden from using their full might, was beyond extraordinary.

As the final rays of light faded, the ruins disappeared completely, leaving only Alexander standing in the center, his golden sword glowing faintly in his hand.

"Alexander! You're amazing!"

Hestia cried out, running toward him. She leapt into his arms, clinging to him like a koala. Alexander chuckled softly, patting her head.

Meanwhile, Artemis watched from a distance, her expression tinged with envy.

After everything that had happened, Artemis no longer regarded Alexander as an ordinary mortal. Instead, she viewed him as an equal, someone worthy of standing beside gods.

"Alexander," she said softly, bowing her head. "Thank you... for saving us."