The Triumphant Artemis
Artemis was born a god; she had no need for such mortal trifles as sleep or sustenance. Yet, because her body had been twisted by the hands of Dianes, and because the pleasure and rage that scorched her flesh each day haunted her like phantom pains, she had no choice but to succumb to sleep.
To a virgin goddess who had spent thousands of years loathing men and refusing even to meet their gaze, the pleasure and debauchery governed by Aphrodite were far too intense. That face, which she could never forget, and the dull, throbbing pleasure that welled up every time she scoured the world for his weaknesses, had driven her to the brink of madness.
Had she not bathed in the sacred springs to restore her strength, she would have withered away in an instant or chosen to fade into nothingness.
Of course, that did not mean her sleep was peaceful. If anything, she would wake up drenched in cold sweat, chased by the nightmares of that day as if by a demon. It was in the midst of this that she realized the curse weakened when she bathed and purified herself in the sacred springs. Under the pretext of performing her divine duties, she had left the sealed Olympus, abandoned even her hunters, and spent her days wandering the springs and rivers across Greece to soothe her body.
"Mmm..."
How long had it been since she had woken up feeling this refreshed? Feeling her body light and her mind clear, as if heavy shackles had been cast off, Artemis let out a satisfied sigh.
'Why do I feel so light for a change?'
It was like... yes. It was like the first time she had laid her body down in her own temple after returning to Olympus, having slain the Python that had tormented her for so long. She felt as light as she had when she first drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep, buoyed by the joy of having achieved her first great feat and severed an old grudge.
'I haven't felt this comfortable since I was taken by Master Dianes.'
It was absurd for the Moon Goddess to sleep at night, but unless it was a moonlit night when her divine power was at its peak, she had to endure the curse that Master Dianes had carved into her...
She flinched.
What had she just called him?
Master?
Dianes, that lawless, impious wretch who deserved to be torn apart—what had she just...?
The sleepiness vanished in an instant as she realized the thought that had crossed her mind so naturally, and the way she had accepted it without question.
"Gasp!"
"Oh, you're awake?"
As she jolted up in surprise, he was watching her. He had long hair like the night, similar to her own, and two eyes that sparkled deeper and darker than the night itself. Even though he was the object of her hatred, he was a beautiful man whose flaws were impossible to find. Dianes was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the temple in a strange posture.
"Mas... hup!"
Startled by the word "Master" that had naturally tried to slip out at the sight of him, Artemis covered her mouth with both hands.
"Mas... what?"
"N-nothing at all!"
It didn't seem like "nothing"... Dianes tilted his head and frowned. But why was it? Seeing him like that, it felt as if something warm was filling her chest.
'Heh...'
His black hair flowed like the Milky Way, and his face, full of innocent curiosity, stood in stark contrast to his immense divine presence.
'He certainly is handsome, I'll give him that.'
No wonder Aphrodite clung to Ares and showered him with praise, and why even Ares would nod and concede so quietly. Furthermore, his martial arts were so highly acclaimed by Ares and Athena that they were already looking forward to their next sparring session. If, by any chance, he had sworn an oath of purity, she would have gladly accepted him and allowed him to join her in the hunt.
'Ah...!'
As she saw his face, the memories became vivid, and the last vestiges of sleep vanished.
Last night, until the full moon of Selene raced across the sky and set in the distance, Master—no, Dianes—had teased and toyed with her again and again.
He had stroked her breasts, tickled her ears, whispered to her as if she were precious, and traced his fingers over her stomach and legs. Every time, Artemis had used all her might to endure the pleasure of the flesh that had betrayed her.
'And I, I definitely...'
"Ugh!"
'Why, why is this happening?'
She had never felt this way before, but every time she slowly replayed the memories of last night, her head throbbed. Yet, even amidst that headache, there was a moment she could never forget.
It was her victory, watching Dianes’s face twist as the full moon vanished beyond the sea, and her triumph in enduring the torture until the very end, even while bound tight and exhausted.
"Are you still not fully awake?"
"D-don't come any closer!?"
Was it the result of her victory? For some reason, his voice didn't sound hateful like it used to; it even sounded pleasant, and Artemis scrambled to put distance between them.
"Y-you saw it, didn't you! M... ahem! No matter how much you try to toy with me using your strange sorcery, you cannot defeat Artemis!"
Yes, that must be it. It was because she had shown that the Goddess of Olympus would never be broken by such an arrogant and wicked man, and because she had grasped his life in her hands through the wager sworn to the Styx, that her body felt so light.
Though she hated to admit it, this impious man was a worthy opponent, capable of rivaling the great serpent Python. How many times had she been shocked by his divine presence, which she had witnessed while chasing the crescent moon—a presence that could truly contend with the gods of Olympus? She had been lured into an impious wager by such an opponent, but she had endured hellish pain and seized his life line once. It was a feat worth celebrating.
That was why—that was why her face was burning like this!
"....!"
'H-hmph! Yes, he must be shocked. Just like the arrogant heroes of old. He must finally realize how lofty a god of Olympus truly is!'
Watching Dianes, whose face was twisted in shock and disbelief, Artemis stood up on her two legs and looked down at him haughtily.
'Yes, this is it. This is the rightful place.'
Humans look up; gods look down. This was the natural order.
'B-but...'
The hellish pleasure that had stirred her womb just by looking at him—no, just by thinking of him—had vanished, so there was no longer any reason to avoid his gaze. It was certain that the River Styx had declared her victory and lifted the lawless curse it had placed upon her.
'But why is my heart racing so much?'
-Thump, thump, thump!
At first, she thought it was excitement from the anger and the sense of victory. But it was something different.
'This feeling again...!'
Before, her body would flush just by seeing him, but her mind would be filled with rage. Was her heart broken? Seeing him again, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
-Gulp!
A warm, happy feeling filled her heart, along with a sense of security, as if she could rely on him at any time. Just looking at him made her chest ache, and she had to grit her teeth and steady her mind, wanting to throw herself into his arms.
'D-did that bastard use some other trick?!'
But the River Styx wouldn't have let a defeated Dianes use his hands on her after she had already won, would it? Perhaps he had even deceived the Styx and was using some underhanded tactic on her...
"...Tsk, are you feeling triumphant just because you won once, as if you've already got my life in your hands?"
"?!"
...She thought he might have.
"Yes, I was too arrogant. But have you forgotten that there are still eleven wagers left?"
His expression, with his teeth gritted, and the face with which he glared at her while trying to raise his voice, were completely twisted. If he had used some trick, there was no way she would have missed it, even if he were acting. But the feeling of warmth in her chest just from looking at him...
'..Pull yourself together!'
Yes, she had finally achieved victory after such a grueling time, so her mind must still be dazed from the aftermath.
'Besides, no matter how bizarre the tricks he uses, he couldn't possibly use them on Artemis twice.'
With her heart racing in direct opposition to her throbbing head, Artemis forced herself to be convinced, straightened her back, and faced Dianes.
"W-with this, the first wager is my, my victory! You know that as well, Master... ahem! You know that, don't you?"
"Ahem, yes, I swore to the Styx, so I have no choice but to concede. But do not forget. Only one full moon has passed. In the end, when all twelve nights are over, you will come to me of your own accord and beg me to hold you!"
"...N-never!"
Perhaps it was because she had spent such a difficult time lately. Her body didn't seem to be back to normal yet.
'I must return to Olympus quickly and recover my strength!'
-Whoosh!
As Artemis drew upon her divine power, the power that responded to her will and the strength of the Olympian constellations slowly enveloped her.
'It worked...!'
She had struggled because it hadn't been easy to use her authority due to the curse Dianes had carved into her. Confident in her liberation, Artemis felt the power flowing as easily as it had before.
"Though the oath of the Styx is solemn, the Styx is also an ancient goddess who protected Olympus. She must have seen your lawlessness and stripped away your tricks with her own power!"
"...That..."
Seeing Dianes’s face twist in a mess, as if her guess had been correct, Artemis once again savored the sense of victory filling her chest.
-Thump! Thump!
'It's because I won, it's the joy of victory!'
Convincing herself of this, Artemis began to teleport to Olympus.
With that final warning to the sinner, Artemis vanished from the spot.
"....Pfft. Hahahaha! Did the drug work too well?"
She was completely unaware that the Heavenly Demon of Reversal, who had been looking straight into her heart, was laughing at her to his heart's content.