AN: Hey guys, Spartan719 here and I'm back with an all-new chapter for Garo. I've decided to adapt the movie since I need to re-watch Season 2 to work out some things and I wanted to update Wolf's Den for a long time. So, without further delay, I give you the first part of the adapted Arrow of Orion movie.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything here, save for OCs.

Chapter 13: Artemis

Within a ruined city in a faraway forest, bodies were littering the ground with blood splattered everywhere. These bodies were adorning Makai Order attire, but they were mostly female with the occasional male here and there.

Soon, another body dropped down as an unseen giant dark monster roaring throughout the area.

Only two people were barely alive. One was female with medium long reddish-brown hair with matching eyes and a dark outfit. Another was an armored Makai Knight. Like all knights, he is based on a wolf. But this one is a dark shade of grey/red, mainly around the torso, and the head is black with red horns, fins/fur decoration pointed back, and teeth, with red eyes. The torso armor has red highlights and the shoulders are curved upwards with red on the circular edges. And like most, there's that on the arms, with the fingers red, and legs where the knees are red, and three spikes on either sides of the back legs each. He's carrying a red longsword with one hand with ease.

This was the Shining Shadow Knight; Roze.

Roze and the girl were breathing heavily as the Horror started approaching them.

"Get…out…of here…" The girl let out. "I'll…hold it…off…as long as I can!" She winced at the last part of the sentence as her left hand was pressed firmly against a bleeding wound on her torso.

"But if I go-!"

"That's an order! If one of us can make it out with this, we can still end this threat!" The girl said as she looked down to a certain wrapped item on the ground.

Roze picked up the item and clenched it before looking at the girl, who had a hand pressed on a wound located on her abdomen.

"I should be the one to stay! I'm a Makai Knight-!"

"You're the one that can get farther! I…probably won't last to morning even if I did escape. Now, go!" The girl ordered as the armored knight reluctantly nodded as he ran away with the Priestess standing up.

She roared as she charged at the monster. Roze just ran as fast as he can, doing his best to ignore his comrade's screams of fear by reinforcing a single thought in his head.

'My Lady, everyone…I swear I'll make this right!'

When there is light, shadows lurk and fear reigns. Yet by the blade of knights, mankind was given hope.

(Play Savior In The Dark by JAM Project)

[Yuke kaze no gotoku. Sadame no kenshi yo, yami ni magirete.] The song starts with the camera zooming in a dark background before Garo slashed the screen. The scene soon changed to a silhouetted Bell in a combat position.

[Nani yue tatakau no ka? Sore wa ken ni kike.] Garo spends some time doing poses before the camera changes to Bell, without his coat, practicing with two giant pendulums in a training room underneath the church that he lives in.

[Seigi da to ka ai nado ore wa oi-kakenai] The camera soon changes to a white background where Garo and the axe-wielding Makai Knight, Giga, were fighting together.

[Yami ni umare…Yami ni shinobi…Yami wo kiri-saku.] Several demonic hands reach for the light but only to see Garo get in between them and cutting down the hands.

[Haruka na inishie kara uketsuida simei da kara.] The camera sees the wicked smile of a hooded figure before seeing Horrors and Dungeon monsters. The camera soon changes to Garo doing various things such as writing a rune with his sword and fighting a Horror.

[Yuke kaze no gotoku. Makai no kenshi yo] A Horror blasts a dark fire ball but Garo shook off the attack before using his Blazing Armament mode. The camera soon changes to Garo riding Goten and Bell transforming into Garo.

[Tamashoo we kometa. Ikari no yaiba tataki-tsukete. Jidai ni kagayake!] The camera switches between Bell and Garo. Garo was dealing with Horrors while Bell was dealing with Dungeon monsters. The two soon did the same poses, switching in and out.

[GARO!] The camera soon changes view to see the title of the story.

(At Hestia Familia HQ the next following morning)

Welf was breathing heavily as he charged at Bell. The two were clashing Soul Metal swords against each other with Bell trying to teach Welf how to sword fight like a Makai Knight. It has been a bit tough, but Bell felt like the redhead was getting into it and was making progress.

"Come on, I thought you trained before we've met." Bell said as he then kicked Welf back before the pendulum blades flew in from each side. Bell dodged the ones on his side with little effort while Welf barely rolled out of the way.

Before he can get up, he saw the Garoken about a few centimeters away from his face.

"A Horror is a sentient monster. When it sees an opportunity to kill you, it will not hesitate to use it to finish you off." Bell said as he then sheathed his sword and offered Welf a hand up.

Welf smiled as he took it before being pulled up to his feet.

"Sorry, if I'm not as fast as you are."

"You're already worthy enough to wear armor. There's nothing you need to prove to me. You just need to keep training." Bell explained as he smiled back.

It's been a couple of weeks since the Cinder incident and things have been relatively quiet, especially regarding Soran and Amber. Obviously, that didn't sit well with the Order, but they had no effective means of tracking the two so they just have to play it safe for now while Lili and Welf have been focused on their training. Bell was teaching Welf swordplay for a Makai Knight, which has been going smoothly for the most part. Lana has been teaching Lili more spells, adding a slightly wider arsenal and Lili has made it a pet project to find ways to enhance Silver.

Surprisingly enough, Silver seemed to have been taking a liking to Lili every time he gets summoned by her. It was pretty much like a pet towards Lili.

Bell then looked at the clock nearby and saw that it was about time to leave for the Dungeon.

"Alright, guess that's about it for now." Bell said as Welf placed his sword away. "We should head over to meet Lili at the entrance."

"Got it. I just need to take care of some things before set off so I'll meet you there." Welf said as he left the old church, getting Bell's nod of acknowledgement along the way.

Bell took his breakfast from Hestia, said his farewells, and was soon off on his way. The white-haired Makai Knight was taking his time with his stroll, enjoying the casual sights of the city and the people. Within a few moments, he was right in front of the Guild building where he saw Eina coming out carrying a crate.

"Morning, Eina!" Bell greeted as Eina took notice of him.

"Good morning, Bell! Are you off to the Dungeon?"

"Yeah, my Party is probably already waiting for me. I just need to get my assignment from you or am I just doing the daily grind?"

Eina then moved one arm and pulled out a red envelope from her pocket before giving it to Bell.

"A Hunt inside the Dungeon? Been a while since I got one of those." Bell said before smiling. "But this is good since I can use this as an opportunity to teach Welf about hunting Horrors."

"And hopefully, it's a lot easier than what happened with Cinder." Zaruba commented as Bell then looked at the crate, which had some decorations sticking out of it.

"While I can't publicly share all the details, I can tell you that you need to start looking around the 7th Floor." Eina commented.

"Got it. By the way, what's the box for?"

"Oh this? Well, the New Moon Festival is tonight and everyone at the Guild is helping to set it up. Will you be attending tonight?" Eina asked.

Bell thought about it and while he does have a duty to uphold as a Makai Knight, he never did experience Orario night life as much as he wanted. Bell was honestly on the fence about it, the more that he thought about it.

"I'll think about it. If it's in my patrol route, I could spend a couple hours there. Anyways, you seem busy so I won't keep you." Bell said as he waved goodbye and walked off to the Dungeon entrance.

Bell met up with Welf and Lili, the latter greeting good morning to the young man.

"So, what are our orders for today?" Welf asked with anticipation, causing Bell to pull out a certain red envelope.

"A certain kind of hunt." Bell replied as he and the others looked at the Dungeon entrance. "Well, let's get going!"

(With Hermes)

"I have to admit; out of all the things that were to happen today, meeting you was certainly now what I expected." The blonde god said as he was talking to a young man with long black hair and silver streaks. He had gray eyes and adorned a gray duster with matching spaulders and fur lining around the collar area.

The two were sharing a booth at the Hostess of Fertility and while Hermes was happily eating, his visitor didn't even take a bite.

"But, is what you said true? The Familia-."

"Yeah." The stranger confirmed. "I know it's presumptuous to ask after you've given us so much already but; My Lady and I need to find someone worthy. For all my strength, that alone is not enough despite my wish to right the wrongs."

Hermes finished sipping his drink before looking at the man with a serious expression.

"If the situation is that dire, then perhaps it would be better if you addressed the situation with Shiroishi instead of me. She is the Watchdog of the city, while I am just a depowered god whose Familia isn't even in the city now thanks to what happened."

"That's what I wanted to do. But My Lady's pride will not stand for it. She wants to find a champion on her own. I am duty and honor bound to see through to her wishes to the end." The stranger said as he then bowed in respect. "Please Hermes, you have the proper connections to make the contest happen and My Lady-."

Hermes raised his hand, gesturing the young man to stop him in his tracks.

"Alright, alright, I get it." Hermes smiled. "I'll talk to the Guild and have everything set up. Usually, I don't mind doing shady activities especially behind the backs of others, but if it involves the Makai…You better hope that you and your Goddess's plan works, Jin."

"So, do I…" Jin replied. "So, if we're going to hold this test, who would an ideal candidate?"

Hermes's face went back to its usual calm smirk as he relaxed in his seat and continued eating.

"Well, I do have one person in mind."

"Hm?"

"I know it's been a while since you've been in this city, but are you aware that the Golden Knight Garo operates here?" Hermes asked, surprising Jin.

However, before they could continue the conversation, a blue-haired woman approached the table and smiled as she had heard everything.

(Meanwhile in the Dungeon)

"Now is the time for feeding, my pets!" A deranged Adventurer said as he sent a pack Horrified Al-mi'raj after the Makai party.

Bell and Welf were doing their best to dodge their attacks, but their enhanced speed made them a hard target to track. A few of them even got past them and were now heading towards Lili.

"Lili, they're coming at you!" Bell warned as Lili quickly used her Madou Brush and painted a rune.

"Silver!" Lili quickly summoned, allowing the Makai Beast to immediately get in front of her. He roared at the monsters as he summoned bladed tendrils from his back, immediately surprising and piercing the Horrified Dungeon Monsters. They soon exploded/dissipated into small clouds of darkness.

For Welf, the redhead seemed pleased to see Silver's upgrades put to proper use. Meanwhile, another Horror rabbit tried to pounce on him. Welf was snapped back into the present before using his free hand to grab his steel sword, using it as a makeshift shield. The monster landed face first into the metal, dropping to the ground a bit dazed. Welf used the opportunity to his advantage by quickly stabbing it with his Soul Metal blade, allowing it to dissipate into darkness.

For Bell, he was simply only dodging his Horrified Al-mi'raj's attacks before the latter started to breath fire at him. Bell rolled out of the way before rushing at the beast, stabbing it in the chest as a result. When the monster dissipated away, Bell and his team looked at the deranged Adventurer and pointed his sword at him.

"You're next, Horror."

"Y-You…you killed all my lovelies! Unforgivable! I'll make you pay! I'll make you ALL pay!" The deranged Adventurer swore as he then started growing in size, his elven facade fading away in the process.

Soon he had grown into a monstrosity. He had two extra arms sprouting from his back before all four arms summoned weapons. The right hand equipped with a sword, the left hand had an axe, the upper right arm had a hammer, and the upper left had a spear. His skin was dark grey as onyx, his limbs and joints are akin to that of a porcelain doll, a long dark red scarf, and lastly, his face consisted of a singly dark red eyes with razor sharp teeth beneath them.

"Horror Atrix." Goruba analyzed. "He's the Horror that's been breeding Horrified Dungeon Monsters to prey on Parties and the like."

"He's not as strong as the lost Horror that you lot fought, but don't take him lightly." Zaruba advised.

"Got it." Bell acknowledged as he and Welf then charged at the Horror.

Atrix roared as he charged back at them, attempting to use its sword and spear arms. The Makai Knights dodged the attack and tried to slash the body, only for the swords to be blocked by the hammer and axe. Atrix quickly readied his sword and spear arms as Lili took notice.

"Silver, stop him!" Lili commanded and Silver charged before rolling up into a razor-sharp ball. He landed onto Atrix's chest and started spinning rapidly against it, spilling blood before Atrix used the two arms he was readying to throw Silver off.

Bell and Welf leaped back before any of Atrix's blood can reach them. Bell and Welf looked at each other and nodded as they raised their swords, summoned their armors, and became Garo and Zanga.

Both knights charged as Atrix roared, using his hammer to whack Garo out of the way. Zanga narrowly avoids the hammer before blocking the spear. Garo quickly got back on his feet as he charged at Atrix's back.

Atrix noticed as he blocked the attack with his sword before Silver got up close again and slashed the Horror a few times with conjured bladed tendrils. The monster was about smash the Makai Beast with his axe before Garo noticed this. He took out his dagger with his free hand before throwing it, cutting the arm off.

Atrix screamed in pain as his remaining arms then loosened, causing both Makai Knights to gain the upper hand by cutting off the sword and spear arms. With only the hammer arm left, Atrix started pounding the ground, causing tremors around the area. The three Makai members stumbled from the minor earthquakes as the Horror tried to escape in the chaos.

Garo noticed this and quickly aimed an open palm at the escaping Horror.

"Firebolt!"

A blast of green fire emerged from the hand and landed a direct hit with Atrix, causing him to slow down a bit.

"Firebolt!"

This time Atrix blocked it with his hammer before Garo sent more at him, causing the former to whack the fireballs away. Garo smirked as Atrix then noticed Zanga right above him with his sword readied. Before the Horror could do anything, Zanga landed on his feet before rushing at the monster. The knight then plunged his sword deep into the monster's chest.

Atrix moaned in pain as he got on his knees, coughing up blood before Zanga removed his sword. The Makai Knight then finished him off with a swift decapitation, allowing the Horror to explode and dissipate into darkness. Zanga caught up to Garo before the two dismissed their armors with Lili petting Silver.

"You did a good job today!" Lili smiled, getting some purrs out of the beast.

"Well, I suppose that settles it for today. We should check back in with the Guild and Order soon." Bell said before Lili remembered something.

"Oh, I just remembered! Are you gonna be going to the festival tonight, Bell?" Lili asked as Bell lightly scratched his cheek in contemplation.

"W-Well, I haven't really decided. I told Eina I would probably check it out if it's in my patrol route." Bell replied before Welf patted him on the back.

"Come on, man! It's been quiet for the past few nights! Surely, you can stop for one to enjoy your hard work." Welf insisted, sounding very lax.

"I don't know…" Bell said as he then looked at Zaruba. "What do you think?"

"Well, it is only one night…" The ring replied, much to Bell's surprise.

"Fine, only for a couple of hours though."

Unknown to them, Soran and Amber were watching the three from afar.

"I thought you were gonna be making a move soon." Amber remarked while Soran looked back at his partner.

"And I thought you said you were going to find the second key and Alison." Soran replied back. Ever since Alison assisted her son, the two Horrors have been trying to track her down to cut off loose ends. Unfortunately for them, that didn't pan out the way they've hoped. She covered her tracks well, almost as if she was never there to begin with.

"But we can confirm that she survived that night. Truth be known, I have always wanted to see her reaction in this form." Amber remarked, looking at her own hand while Soran scoffed at the idea a bit.

"I guess we'll see for ourselves soon. The festival is tonight, correct?" Soran asked, which Amber nodded. "Perfect, we'll break into the Guild to look for information on Zeus survivors."

Amber nodded in acknowledgment as she and Soran left before anyone can notice them.

(Later at night with Bell)

Bell and Hestia were in awe of their surroundings, which consisted of small lantern string lights, stalls selling a variety of goods, and a large amount of people enjoying their time at the festival.

"Neither of you have been to the New Moon Festival before, huh?" Lili asked.

Bell nodded as he hasn't been in Orario for long. At least, compared to Lili and Welf while Hestia only looked curious.

"New Moon Festival?"

"Yeah, it's a holiday we've been celebrating since before the gods descended." Lili explained.

"I'm pretty sure people pray to the moon for safety against evil monsters…I think." Welf added, sounding less reliable than Lili.

"How ironic." Zaruba remarked as he, Goruba, and Bell are aware that the moon, at certain states, can amplify the strength of Horrors. But, they weren't gonna say anything about that as that would ruin the mood.

"Hey Bell, look! Let's get some fried squid!" Hestia said, pointing at the stall before dragging Bell by the arm and herself to it.

"W-Wait, Lady Hestia! Please don't pull me like that!" Bell said as he ordered Hestia and himself a couple of sticks.

As they were eating, Welf patted Bell on the back.

"What did we tell you? Worth the visit?" Welf asked with a smile on his face as Bell finished his stick.

"Well, it's a lot more pleasant than my usual night patrol route. I'll give you that." Bell replied. "I doubt we're going to see find much Horror activity around these parts though."

Horrors are hunters and while they do consume their prey at this time of day, they're not as stupid or reckless to attack during a festival of this size unless they were powerful enough.

"In that case, what about we try a Takoyaki stand I've noticed a bit earlier?" Welf asked and before any of the others can reply, they heard a very familiar voice.

"Come on, come all! Those far away, feast your ears now! Those who are near, feast your eyes as well!"

"Isn't that…?" Hestia started, stating what everyone else was thinking.

The group decided to investigate as they walked towards the voice to see a huge crowd of people gathered around a stage. Bell and the others moved through them to get a better look. There, they see Hermes in a formal outfit and next to him was a spear impaled in crystalline rock.

"And finally, those confident in their physical strength, come forward!" Hermes insisted with a wide smile on his face. "Come! Who is the mighty hero to remove the spear?"

"What kind of scheme is Hermes up to now…?" Hestia wondered. Despite being a god in service to the Makai Order, Hermes has always been a loose cannon especially with his shady dealings here and there.

"Only the chosen one will be able to pull the legendary spear from this stone. The goddess of chastity will surely bless the one who claims it. On top of that, we're inviting the winner on a luxurious trip around the world! Pre-authorized by the Guild, of course!" Hermes said, showing off the written slip itself as proof of its legitimacy.

"Something about this seems off." Welf remarked as a luxury vacation sounds too good to be true.

"Doesn't that sound fun, though? You should go for it, Bell!" Hestia remarked as Bell thought about it. While the competition itself seemed harmless, the prize isn't really something that Bell needs due to his duties.

"I can give it a whirl, sure. But, if it's all the same with you, I'll just hand the prize to whoever comes in second." Bell replied, shocking the people around him.

"You're seriously gonna throw something like that aside?" Lili asked.

"People in our 'certain' line of work don't take vacation or day offs. At least, not as far as I know. Besides, we have our hands full with what's going on with Soran and Amber. We haven't heard from them in weeks and I'd rather have the opportunity to investigate than leave things be." Bell then smiled. "That said, I'm fine with just playing the game and giving the prize out if I win." He repeated.

"Good enough for me."

"Shall we give it a try, Miss Aiz?" A female voice next to them said, getting Bell's attention.

Bell turned and saw Aiz next to a female elf. Outside of the signature Elven ears, she had long golden hair tied in a ponytail and round dark blue eyes. She was wearing a rosette pink cape on top of a white shirt and pink corset dress with a purple bow hanging around the collar. This was one of the second-class Adventurers from the Loki Familia; Lefiya Viridis.

"Wallenwhatsit!" Hestia recognized.

"Goddess Hestia and Bell Cranel!" Lefiya recognized with a stern and competitive look on her face. For a long time, Lefiya has been trying to win Aiz's acknowledgement and respect. So, when Bell has suddenly sparked the Sword Princess's interest, Lefiya obviously saw that as a problem. In her mind, Bell is her rival…even though he had no idea who she is.

"Come on, Bell! We can't lose to them on our Familia's honor!" Hestia said as she was dragging Bell by the arm towards the contest while Lefiya did the same with Aiz.

"Come on, Miss Aiz! We can't afford the same to them!" Lefiya insisted, much to the two's dismay.

Bell and Aiz were soon in line with Hestia and Lefiya cheering them in the crowd. Bell looked at Aiz before chuckling.

"Those two really are prideful, huh?"

"I suppose. They are endearing though."

"Yeah." Bell nodded as he remembered the last time the two saw each other. "By the way Aiz…have you thought about Soran a lot since we've encountered him back in the Dungeon? Please be honest with me." Bell asked, whispering the last part.

"…I'd be lying if I said I haven't." Aiz admitted as another Adventurer failed the test to pull out the spear.

"He mentioned your mother, right?" Bell whispered. "Did you think he really…?"

"His reply was all the confirmation I needed." Aiz answered as Soran's answer played in their heads.

"M-My mother…you're responsible for what happened."

"I am. That experiment yielded mixed results."

"He answered as if her death meant nothing…that it was a failure for a twisted experiment." Aiz said as she clenched her fists in anger. "I can never forgive that!" She said with venom in her voice. Bell was about to console her before noticing that the Adventurer in front of her failed and left the stage.

"Well now…looks like it's time for the Sword Princess to show off her true strength!" Hermes remarked as he saw that Aiz was next.

Aiz quickly regained her composure as she stepped up onto the stage before looking at Bell.

"After this competition is over, Bell…let's talk in private." Aiz said in her normal volume, earning a lot of attention from the crowds. Most of the women (save for Hestia, Lili, and Lefiya) seemed to cheer for that sentence while jealous men gave Bell death glares.

The white-haired teen just tried to laugh it off as he blushed a little from the embarrassment.

"How straightforward." Zaruba remarked.

The Sword Princess looked at the spear and took a deep breath before gripping the weapon with both hands.

"Come on, Miss Aiz! You got this!" Lefiya cheered on as Aiz attempted to pull the weapon out. Even though she would not show it, she was honestly having a very hard time pulling out the weapon. After a short while, Aiz lets go of the weapon before looking at Lefiya and the crowd.

"No, I cannot lift it." Aiz plainly stated, much to everyone's shock especially Lefiya.

"N-No way, not even at Level 6…" Lefiya remarked as Hestia just chuckled at Lefiya's shock, much to the elf's annoyance. "W-Well, if the rumors are true, then there is no way that someone without a Level can possibly do it."

"Only one way to tell."

Bell looked at the spear and took a deep breath as he grasped the weapon with both hands.

"Here goes nothing…"

Unknown to everyone, except Hermes, small blue runic inscriptions appeared on the spear before Bell managed to pull the weapon out, breaking the blue crystals that was holding it. Bell and everyone seemed shocked before the latter started celebrating especially Hestia.

"Good job, Bell." Aiz said as she clapped her hands, being a good sport.

"Never thought he'd be able to do it."

"See that?" Lili gloated in front of an annoyed Lefiya.

"N-No way!"

Hermes just looked intrigued before smiling and approaching Bell, shaking the young man's free hand.

"Well done! Let's hear it for our champion!" Hermes exclaimed, getting a roar of applause for Bell while Hestia ran up to him and hugged him.

"I knew you could do it, Bell! I knew it!" Hestia said as Bell hugged back.

"Thanks…" Bell said as Hermes approached him.

"Well done, now about your trip…"

"Wait, about that-." Bell started before Hermes interrupted him.

"Not now, it's time to meet the goddess who will be sponsoring your trip." Hermes said as Jin appeared in the crowd standing behind a young lady. She had green eyes, long blue hair with two long bangs, two strands on the sides, and a partly braided tail in the back.

She wore a white and pale blue outfit, long brown boots with a light brown design, a belt which was holding a white piece of cloth, hold bracelets, and various gold hair accessories.

Hestia's smile grew wider as she lets go of Bell.

"Artemis! What are you doing here?" Hestia asked, pleasantly surprised by her fellow goddess's sudden appearance.

"You know her, Lady Hestia?" Bell asked, getting a nod as an answer.

"Yeah, we used to be super close back in Heaven!" Hestia said as she ran for Artemis, trying to get a hug out of her.

Artemis smiled as she ran…past Hestia, causing the latter to hug Jin by mistake.

"…Please get off." Jin plainly stated as Hestia slowly complied before watching Artemis hug Bell.

"I've finally found you! My Orion!" Artemis said with a blush and a content smile. Bell blushed back a bit before looking at a shocked Hestia.

"W-W-WHAT THE-!?" Hestia started as she screamed at the stunned crowd.

From a nearby rooftop, Soran was watching everything unfold while Amber was getting the old roster from the Guild. Soran was studying Artemis's appearance and something felt off about her. Something wasn't right about this and he didn't know why.

"I'm back." Soran's thoughts were cut off when he saw his partner holding a rolled-up scroll with a look of pride on her face. "As requested, one Zeus Familia roster."

Amber offered the scroll before Soran took it and was about to open it before being stopped.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's a long list. Best to read it somewhere private." Amber remarked before looking down at the event happening. "So, did anything interesting happen? Because I heard a scream from a certain kid goddess."

Soran chuckled at the insult a bit before looking at Amber.

"Something like that. We may also have a small problem." Soran said as he eyed Artemis. Amber followed his gaze and gotten the same feeling that Soran had upon examining Artemis.

Aiz, sensing that something was off, looked at up at the roof where the two Horrors were, only to find nothing.

(Later at Hestia Familia HQ)

"What the heck was that, Artemis!?" Hestia questioned as she and Bell were facing Artemis, who had Jin right by her side.

"I'm sorry, I just got so happy."

"Sorry about what!?" Hestia then looked at Bell, prompting the latter to take a step back and raising his arms a little in a surrender pose.

"D-Don't look at me! I've never met her before in my life, I swear!" Bell replied before looking at Zaruba. "Zaruba, is there any chance that she refers to any of my ancestors; the previous Golden Knights!?"

Bell then pointed Zaruba towards Artemis before the Madou Ring examined her for a few seconds.

"Can't say that I have; no. Though, your ancestors have worked with those of her Famillia before in the past. Specifically, your grandfather."

Bell nodded at the information.

"Though, she is certainly acting odd compared to how members of her Familia described her." Zaruba remarked, catching a few others offguard save for Hermes and Jin.

"What do you mean?"

"Artemis is one of Heaven's maiden goddesses. She's the patron of purity and protector of chastity." Hestia answered. "While her Familia is part of the Makai Order like mine, the only reason she has males in her Familia is because only Makai Knights can seal Horrors."

"And even then, our man-to-woman ratio is heavily outweighed." Jin explained as he then bowed. "Forgive my interrupt, my name is Jin. I am one of the few Makai Knights to serve in the Artemis Familia."

"Nice to meet you!" Bell greeted before Lili thought of something.

"So why would a goddess in service of the Makai Order be a sponsor to a trip?" She asked as it did raise a couple of other eyebrows. Every god whose Familia is in the Makai Order knows that they're work is never done. Hardly anyone has ever had a trip outside of business. The only time they could ever relax was only if someone was critically injured and needed rest for the injuries.

"Well, you see…that was a bit of a lie." Hermes admitted. "Truthfully, there is a powerful Horror that appeared outside of Orario."

"Outside of Orario?"

Everyone was surprised since Artemis didn't just report this to Shiroishi and made the Hunt official. They could've sent a couple more Familias to deal with the matter.

"Yes, Artemis and her Familia discovered it. It turned out to be quite the foe." Hermes explained while Jin scoffed at that explanation.

"That's putting it mildly." Jin replied, getting everyone's attention. "Truth is, we suffered heavy losses. Not many of us left, so we've decided to head back to Orario and see if we can rally any Makai members to our hunt."

"If that's the case, why didn't you just approach the Watchdog of the city and explain your situation?" Welf asked as he crossed his arms. "You went through a lot of effort to have a fake competition set up with a fake prize."

"I wanted to as well, but…" Jin looked at Artemis. "These are My Lady's wishes."

Artemis then approached Bell with the spear in her hand and offered it to him.

"Please, we've been searching all over for you, Orion." Artemis requested.

Bell looked at her and noticed the expression of desperation on her face.

"My name is Bell Cranel-."

"No, you're Orion. Our only hope." Artemis emphasized as Bell examined the spear. He wished he could deduce this as a Makai tool or weapon, but no. Bell held many items like that, but this spear…it was special and there aren't many like it.

"And like your weapons, it too judges the soul of character. But mine searches for one whose heart is pure; innocent. That's why you could be the one to wield it. Please…" She then placed a hand on his cheek, surprising him and worrying Hestia. "I need that pure soul on this journey."

"I, uh…" Bell lightly took her hand away, much to Artemis's surprise. "I need to think about this."

He then stepped outside with Hestia following after him. She walked out and saw Bell sitting on a rock thinking to himself.

"Bell, you're not going to do it?" Hestia asked.

"I never said that. It's just…this is a big job she's asking of me." Bell replied. "If an entire Familia can be crippled just as harshly as Jin described, what chance do we have? I'm not trying to sound pessimistic, I just…I just think this is too much on our plate compared to the other Familias."

"I know it sounds bad, Bell. But I think we should help." Hestia said as she sat right next to him. "We know how serious of a threat that Horrors are, even Artemis. She wouldn't approach us if she didn't think we were up for it."

"Surprised how your personality can make a complete 180." Zaruba remarked, causing Hestia to scoff in response.

"Despite what just happened…I still consider Artemis a good friend. It would be wrong to just leave her." Hestia admitted.

Bell sighed before looking at his goddess with his bright smile.

"Alright, we'll accept her hunt. But I still need someone to cover my patrol route until we get back."

"If Hermes can cover that event, he can cover for us." Hestia replied before Bell sensed a presence nearby and it wasn't a friendly one.

Bell looked behind to see a trident raised and about to come down on them. Bell pushed Hestia out of the way before throwing himself back to get a good look at his attacker. The attacker was in black armor with red glowing outlines, resembling a knight. But on his helmet was a single red eye, which seemed to be focused on Bell.

Bell took out his blade as the knight charged at him, swinging his trident rapidly. Bell dodged all of the assault attempts as he charged, managing to land a slash across the armor. However, it only seemed like a small slash before the knight kicked Bell back into a wall. The knight was readying his trident for a deadly thrust before Bell regained his focus and quickly moved out of the way. Bell looked back at the knight, who had just removed his trident out of the wall.

"Who are you!?" Bell questioned as he pointed Garoken at him. Just then, everyone else came out and noticed the scene. Jin noticed the knight and immediately had an angered look on his face while Artemis just glared at the unknown assailant.

"Antares!" Jin recognized as he pulled out his sword and tried to charge into the battle before another one of those knights appeared, but this one held a sword and shield this time. That particular knight wasted no time in attacking Jin before Bell looked at the others.

"Welf! Lili! Get everyone somewhere safe!" Bell said as the two nodded. Bell then looked at Hestia, who just gotten up. "Lady Hestia, go with them!"

"But-!"

"NOW!"

Hestia relented and nodded as she and the others went back into the church and shut the door as Jin looked at Bell with a slight smile.

"I've always been curious how strong you are, considering your young age. Now's a good chance to show me what you got."

"I'll be sure not to disappoint you." Bell assured, causing Jin's small smile to widen just a little.

Bell nodded as the two knights looked at them before they grabbed each other. Both Makai Knights were confused before the Horror minions' armor flew off and scattered around them as creatures soon merged into one being. It grew in size as the eyes merged into one singular eye before the armor pieces latched on. The new being resembled a giant dark and red knight wielding a giant maul. It roared at them while Bell and Jin raised their swords. Bell created his circle of light while Jin made two in an hourglass pattern, one circle on the top and the other on the bottom before they moved and merged at the waist.

The two became Garo and Roze respectfully before charging at the Antares monster from the sides. Roze managed to slash him before being grabbed by the Horror's free hand.

"You will die like the rest-!" Antares was then cut off by Garo slicing off the arm, freeing Roze. The steel and red Makai Knight then took his revenge by slashing Antares multiple times in the chest before the two jumped back as Antares swung his mace down, creating a huge impact on the floor.

Antares stared at the two Makai Knights before firing a laser from his eye. Garo blocked the beam with his sword before Roze jumped onto Garo's shoulders before jumping off again and stabbing Antares deep in the throat.

"I look forward to doing this with your main body." Roze stated as he then decapitated Antares before jumping off the body and Antares exploding into darkness.

Roze just stared at the scene while Garo noticed something else.

"How come its' darkness hasn't been absorbed by your blade?" Garo asked as he reverted back to Bell.

"Because that wasn't the real Horror." Roze explained as he too reverted back before everyone rushed to join them.

Hestia immediately hugged Bell.

"Thank goodness! Are you okay!?" Hestia asked, getting Bell to nod.

"I've been through worse." Bell said before looking at Jin and Artemis. "What do you two mean that wasn't the real Horror?"

"Horror Antares." Artemis started. "The Horror that my Familia was hunting before he…anyways, one of his abilities is to spawn Avatars. They are but mere puppets to the monster. And what's worse is that there's no limit to the amount that he can summon. Worst case scenario; probably a whole army."

"He must've sent a couple to track us when we escaped." Jin continued. "When we escaped from the monster, a few of the Priestesses sacrificed themselves to form a reinforced seal to ensure Antares doesn't escape. However, it is weakening which is why he is able to send Avatars after us as opposed to a direct approach."

Artemis approached Bell once again with the spear in her hand.

"Please Orion, we need your aid to end this threat." Artemis pleaded as she presented the spear to the white-haired Makai Knight.

Bell scratched the back of his head a bit with a slightly nervous expression on his face. Even though he was a bit uncomfortable about the situation, he was a Makai Knight with a sworn duty to slay Horrors like Antares. And he could understand why they didn't report this to the Order since this was an urgent matter. He had no choice, but to say…

"I'll do it." Bell said, placing a hand on the spear. "When do we leave?"

"In a couple of hours. We do have arrangements to make." Jin replied before looking at Artemis.

Artemis nodded back as she looked at Bell.

"Meet us at atop the city walls near the main gate." Artemis instructed as she, Jin, and Hermes left the area.

Bell looked at Lili and Welf.

"Even though you two are part of my Party, I can't force you all to come to something so dangerous-."

"What? Are you an idiot or something?" Welf asked, cutting off Bell. "You stood up for us in the past when it came to training, wandering in the Dungeon, and dealing with Cinder. Why shouldn't we do the same for you now?"

"You saved my life multiple times, even before I became a Makai Priestess-in-training. I'm not going to abandon you here and now like I had in the past." Lili added, sounding just as resolute as Welf.

"You guys…" Bell smiled as he pulled them in for a quick group hug before breaking it up. He was so happy to have friends like them. "Alright, if you guys have some last-minute things you need to get down, go do them now. Lady Hestia and I will meet you guys at the spot."

The two nodded and left the area before Bell approached Hestia.

"Sorry, that I'm going to have to be leaving for a few days-."

Hestia then shook her head.

"Oh no, I'm coming too!"

"Eh?" Bell responded.

"You heard me; I'm coming!"

"B-But, this will be dangerous! We're talking about a Horror Hunt that wiped out a majority of a Familia! I can't risk putting you in harm's way." Bell tried to reason with the small goddess, but it didn't look like the latter was having any.

"Which is why I can't leave you alone!" Hestia said as she clenched her fists. "Please, I know I don't offer much compared to everyone else. But I promise to do everything in my power to help! I can't leave you and Artemis alone! I owe you guys too much!"

Bell was taken aback by Hestia's plea as he had enough beginning from Artemis moments ago. The difference is that the young man knows how stubborn Hestia can be, especially since she was willing to travel into the Dungeon just for him. He had no idea whether to be flattered or a bit alarmed considering the danger she has put herself into.

Ultimately, he knew he couldn't say no to Hestia because even had he tried to; she would've found a way to follow. Better to keep an eye on her than leave her to her own devices.

"Alright, I guess it would be best for Artemis to have an old friend with her on a quest like this." Bell replied, getting a big hug from the short goddess.

"Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret this!" Hestia said as she broke the hug. "I'm gonna go get supplies ready!"

She then ran back into the church as Bell heard Zaruba chuckle a bit.

"You really can't say no to her, can you?"

"Not my first choice. But I know her and it would be smarter to keep an eye on her from the start than for her to be meandering in the wild unsupervised. This has just been a weird night for me…" He then noticed something to the right. "And I think it's about to get even weirder…"

(With Soran and Amber)

Soran and Amber was on a nearby rooftop, having heard the entire conversation before moving to a dark alleyway.

"You've heard of Antares?" Amber asked.

Soran shook his head.

"This may be an unexpected development, but a welcome one." Soran smirked as he seemed to be thinking out loud.

"What if he fails?"

"It wouldn't be a total loss, but then…" Soran said as he had an idea. "Amber, I'm going to have to ask you to look over things here and in the Dungeon for now."

"Hm?"

"As insurance, I'm going to keep a close eye on the boy during his journey. Hell, I might even have to save him if he's in a pinch."

Amber looked playfully surprised.

"Oh, that's a first. A Horror willingly protecting a human?" Amber asked. "If he does die on this quest, why not collect the key and Eye from his corpse?"

"If it hadn't been for the last time we've fought, I would've wholeheartedly agreed but…" Soran then thought back to how Bell used the Eye to predict his and Amber's movements. "I have other plans for him. And they require him to be alive."

"I see. I won't demand to know what your plans are. I'm content enough to know you have them. Very well, I'll hold down the fort here and in the Dungeon." Amber said as she approached her partner and gently caressed his cheek. "While you get to go on your little adventure. Doesn't that bring back good memories?"

"From a previous life."

"You ever miss the person you were back then?"

"Don't ask stupid questions." Soran replied as he stepped away from Amber. "I'll be back soon." He said as he walked onto the streets of the city.

(A couple of hours later)

Artemis, Hermes, and Jin were now atop the city wall near the entrance watching the sun slowly rise before hearing some footsteps come this way. They soon saw Lili and Welf approach them with the latter wearing a small sack.

"What's that you got there?"

"Just some emergency supplies and tools to maintain my steel sword." Welf explained as Jin raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you need a steel sword?"

"It's just a preference." Welf admitted, trying to hide his disdain for magic swords.

"And I just got things cleared up with Master Lana. She has given me permission to leave for the hunt. Said this could be a good learning opportunity."

"Alright, then I guess that leaves only Bell and Hestia unaccounted for." Hermes noted as everyone soon started to hear footsteps. They turned to the source of the sound to see Bell and Hestia with the former wearing a small backpack full of basic supplied.

"Sorry, we weren't late, were we?" Bell asked.

"No, you guys are right on time." Hermes smiled.

"So, how far are these ruins you've mentioned?"

"By foot or carriage, about a month to and back."

"A month!?" Hestia, Lili, and Welf exclaimed while Bell just looked simply surprised. He suspected the ruins were far since the Makai Order hasn't heard about Antares yet, but he didn't think they would be that far.

"Well, you don't have to worry about the long travel though. I have managed to secure us with the fastest transport available." Hermes said as four smaller sized dragons flew down and landed on the bridge next to the group.

One of the dragons had a rider and allowed him to dismount before everyone else recognized him.

"Ganesha!"

"Yes! It is I; Ganesha!" The god happily announced.

"I took the liberty of informing Ganesha. He'll lend us a few dragons to ride over to the ruins and inform the Makai Order of the situation." Hermes explained, relieving the others that this won't be an off-the-grid mission.

"Yes, these are some of the fastest beasts I've raised since hatched!" Ganesha boasted as one of the dragons sniffed Lili and happily licked her.

"Oh! Stop it! Stop it! That tickles! Hahaha!" Lili laughed as the dragon continued licking her while Welf chuckled a little.

"Watch out. Be glad that Silver is not here to see this. He'll get jealous." Welf joked as Ganesha laughed again at his beast's antics.

"Yup, these guys are friendly, obedient, and fast. They should be able to get you to the ruins within 10 days." Ganesha explained as Bell petted another one of the beasts, who purred in response.

Hestia looked around and counted the amount of dragons present, which was four. There were 7 of them.

"Hey, I couldn't help but notice that we're short a few dragons." Hestia told Ganesha, causing him to laugh a bit while scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry, but these guys are the only ones that I can gather in such a short time." He replied before Hestia realized something about their predicament.

"That means that most of us are going to have share, right?" Hestia asked with a small blush and wide smile on her face as she imagines riding with Bell. It would be like something out of a fairy tale.

Unfortunately for her, within the next few moments after Bell placed on his goggles and got on his, Artemis quickly followed and was seated with her back against Bell's chest.

"…Eh?" Hestia got out as everyone else got on a dragon with Hermes riding alone and Welf and Lili being together.

"Uh, Lady Hestia?" Jin was trying to snap the small goddess out of her thoughts, but her brain was still processing to no avail. He gently grabbed her by the arm before taking her to his dragon and mounting up.

"WHAT THE HECK!?" Hestia got out as the dragons started hovering upwards towards the sky with Ganesha waving goodbye.

"Safe travels!" The god let out. Before the dragons could fly out, Bell couldn't help but glimpse at a certain blonde girl watching while lightly waving her arm goodbye with a small smile on her face.

Bell sighed as he thought back to an earlier conversation.

'Aiz…'

(A couple of hours ago)

"And I think it's about to get weirder…" Bell noted as he looked off to the side. "Come on out, Aiz!"

Said girl took a few steps out of cover and approached Bell.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"It wasn't that far off, considering how you told me that you wanted to see me in private." Bell remarked.

"How can anyone forget that?" Zaruba commented.

"And given how you didn't say a set date and time, I'm going to have to assume you meant ASAP." Bell deduced as Aiz nodded. "So, how much of that did you hear?"

"Everything." Aiz replied. "It would appear that we're not gonna have that lengthy conversion that I had hoped for."

"We can still talk for a bit." Bell assured as he said on nearby stool in front of the window of the church and gestured Aiz to sit on the one next to her.

The older girl complied as Bell smiled at her.

"I assume you still want to talk about Soran?"

"…I want to know more about fighting Horrors."

Bell looked surprised for a moment and could tell by Aiz's expression that she was serious.

"There's nothing that I can tell you about outside of retreating or finding ways to stun them." Bell replied as he thought back to the only reason why Aiz would be interested in something like this. "It's because of your mother, isn't it?"

Aiz didn't say anything, but nodded.

"It's one of the reasons I became an Adventurer in the first place."

"What…were you told about your mother's death?" Bell asked.

"All I know was that she died on the same Floor as the One-Eyed Black Dragon." Aiz explained, unknowingly referring to Kallig. "I thought that either a monster or the dragon itself killed her, but no…it was that Horror. I need to get stronger and-."

"You can't kill a Horror. Not permanently. Even we Makai Knights; the ones that can engage directly with Horrors, are only able to seal Horrors and send them back to the Makai."

"So…" Aiz started as the realization saddened her.

"It is impossible to kill Soran and I don't want to help you for the sake of revenge." Bell said, remembering Ryuu's past and how much despair it brought to the elf. He would rather save Aiz from that pain than help her seek it.

"…Then I'm sorry for wasting your time." Aiz said as she got up and was about to leave, but Bell grabbed her by the wrist. Surprised, the blonde girl looked back to see the white-haired boy with a smile on his face.

"But I never said I won't help you…for the sake of justice." Bell said confidently.

"Y-You mean it?"

"Of course, we're friends, right?"

Aiz's surprised face turned into a smiling one as she nodded.

"Right!" Aiz said as she felt something in her chest, but chose to ignore it as she concluded that it must've been something she ate. "I should head back before Lefiya and Lady Loki get suspicious. But I'll be sure to make it there when you depart. Safe journeys, Bell. I'll make sure to talk with you more when you get back."

Bell nodded as he lets go of Aiz's wrist and allowed her to walk out of his sight before he went back into the church to help Hestia pack up.

(Present)

Bell looked back at Aiz and smiled as he waved back before the latter left shortly after.

"Is something wrong, Orion?" Artemis asked, snapping Bell out of his thoughts.

"I-It's nothing." Bell replied. "It's just that…I've never been so high up before and not in my armor. Kinda makes me nervous."

Artemis then pressed her ear against Bell's chest, making him blush. He was thankful that Hermes wasn't looking back at him otherwise, he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"I can hear your heartbeat fast. Is this what you mean?" Artemis asked innocently with a smile. Before Bell can reply, the two can hear Hestia screaming from Jin's dragon.

"You better watch it, Artemis! Bell is my family, you know!" Hestia argues as Jin was trying to calm her down.

"E-Easy! Don't move too much or you're gonna fall!" Jin warned before he heard a female chuckle. He looked at his finger to see his Madou Ring. The outline is circular shaped with a gap at the top, and it has a face and a jewel in between/above the lower half which acts like an eye. "Alva?"

"At least, it won't be a boring trip." The ring replied in a low tone so Hestia couldn't hear her as she looked over to Artemis. "She seems quite lively about this."

"She deserves to be, given the past few days." Jin smiled as he looked at his goddess before Welf and Lili's dragon flew up to Hermes's. "Even though we are part of the Makai Order, we are still Adventurers as well. So, we might as well enjoy this journey while it lasts."

"So, where are the ruins?" Welf asked.

"Across from the continent, far, far away from Orario. Hidden within a sea of trees known as Ersos." Hermes explained as Jin and Artemis cringed a little at the name as it dug up bad memories.

"You didn't bring anyone from your Familia, Lord Hermes?"

"They're already there, trying to ensure that Antares still stays within the ruins. Though, given how 2 Avatars managed to follow us up to the city, my group must be getting worn out." Hermes then chuckled at how Asfi is going to punch him for handing out this kind of work.

"And I fear it could only get worse from here, which means we're going to have to act soon." Jin said, remembering the onslaught of his Familia.

Unknown to the group, Soran was watching the dragons flew with a stern expression on his face.

"And to think, I might have to save the Golden Knight from trouble…once more." Soran said as he followed their trail.

(Meanwhile in the ruins of Ersos)

Several Antares Avatars, in the forms of knights and scorpions, were patrolling the area. While the Hermes Familia and weakening seal has made it hard for most of them to escape, they were at least able to establish a foothold inside the ruins. Besides with the number of Avatars being produced, it'll only be a matter of time before they can overwhelm the Hermes Familia and properly escape. Antares just had to be patient and he was in no rush.

One of the knights soon found a female corpse that belonged to the Artemis Familia. While the Avatar can consume this corpse and the rest, it would virtually be pointless as the main body would be freed.

Instead, Antares had a theory it wanted to try. The Avatar dissembled itself into pieces before latching onto the corpse as armor. The corpse shook for a few moments before opening its eyes. The corpse screamed as if it could feel pain again. As more of the disassembled monster latched it, it rearranged itself to resemble more like armor with the signature eye in the center chestpiece.

The corpse stopped screaming as red glowing veins appeared throughout the body before her eyes changed to a red glowing color. She sat up and looked at her hands, clenching them before standing up.

"What an…unexpected development." She remarked before smiling to herself and picked up the Madou Brush nearby. Searching through the corpse's memories, Antares managed to use a simple lightning spell with the Madou Brush.

Growing more curious, Antares had another Avatar disassemble itself into makeshift armor pieces before latching onto a nearby male body this time. The body shook as it was being possessed before it opened its eyes, revealing the same dark red glow.

The male corpse tried to pick up the Soul Metal blade nearby, but couldn't.

"It was worth a shot…" The male corpse said as his memories of swordsmanship will have to suffice.

The rest of the Avatars then took the time to start searching through the whole area, finding and possessing more corpses. It was only a matter of time before Antares raised the entire Familia back from the dead as its puppet. Antares started to look forward to the reunion between his new puppets and the two survivors of the last battle.

AN: And there it is! The first part of my adaptation for Arrow of Orion. I decided to just make this an arc as opposed to one long document. I also wanted to get this document out earlier, but…it's been crazy the past few weeks, you know? Not just for me, but everyone. I really hope that this outbreak can end soon. I'm all for staying indoors, but not for something like this.

Anyways, please review or send PMs for questions, comments, or concerns. Don't be afraid to review this chapter, send questions, or look at my other fics. Alright, I'm done; goodnight. Hope you all stay safe and healthy!