While everything was unfolding in the Underworld, no one realized that far away in Greece, a battle between gods had already reached its end.
Artemis stood tall amid the ruins of her otherself's divine domain, Auburn hair stirring in the faint breeze as she gazed down coldly at her other self — beaten, bloodied, and barely clinging to consciousness.
"I'll ask one last time," Artemis said, her voice calm but edged with frost. "Will you submit and join the Hunt… or will you die?"
The other Artemis glared up at her, defiant even through the pain. She spat at her counterpart's feet and hissed, "I'll never be someone's servant — not even for another me."
Artemis's expression hardened, the faintest trace of disappointment flickering across her face before vanishing entirely. "So be it."
With the speed of a viper, she seized her other self by the throat. Light flared — pure and silver — as the weaker Artemis's body began to dissolve, her consciousness fading into nothingness while her divine essence was absorbed into the victor's being. When it was over, the stronger Artemis exhaled slowly, the glow fading from her eyes.
"It's a shame," she murmured to herself, gazing at the empty space where her double had stood. "But there can only be one Goddess Artemis in this multiverse. I only hope the other versions of me will see reason."
As she mused aloud, her phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen and answered. "This is Artemis."
Tet's voice came through the line, playful but direct. "Hey, Artemis. Hestia and I are handling something on our own right now, but there's a world I need dealt with — and I'm not waiting for my apostles to get strong enough to do it and The Horsemen can't inflict the kind of punishment I want, so I was hoping you'd take care of it."
Artemis tilted her head, her tone cool but curious. "I wasn't really doing anything at the moment anyway, so sure — why not?"
"Great," Tet said, satisfaction evident in his voice. "Sending you the details now."
The call ended, and a notification appeared on her phone. As Artemis read through the information, her silver eyes blazed with barely contained fury.
"You should have told me about this place earlier, Lord Tet," she growled, divine energy radiating from her in shimmering waves. "I will gladly take this world to task."
In the next instant, she vanished in a brilliant flash of silver light — leaving only silence and the faint scent of moonlight behind.
Jeanne and Georg acted first. Georg activated Dimension Lost, trapping Summer and Tai in an artificial dimension before stepping out to confront them.
Summer folded her arms and gave a tired sigh. "Oh, look, Tai—children who don't know any better. What are the odds?"
Tai rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Geez, babe, Raven's right. You really did get an edge to you."
Summer's sweet smile didn't reach her eyes as she replied, "I don't know what you mean, dear. Now, take care of the girl while I have a word with the young man about kidnapping people who were minding their own business."
Tai sighed, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward. "Yes, dear."
Jeanne frowned, gripping her weapon tightly. "Wait, shouldn't you be fighting us together to improve your chances?"
Tai chuckled, his tone amused but confident. "No, kid. The truth is, my wife can take you both easily. She's just being nice and letting you salvage a little pride first."
Jeanne scowled. "Fine. Be arrogant, then—but don't whine too much when you're beaten!"
She charged at him, her boots kicking up sparks against the ground. Tai smirked and, in the blink of an eye, drove a devastating punch into her gut. The air rushed from Jeanne's lungs, her eyes wide with shock as she stumbled backward, gasping.
After regaining her breath, she glared at him. "What—how!?"
Tai straightened, his tone calm but firm. "Thanks to the training I've had since coming to this world, I'm at the peak of what people call Ultimate Class—or, as Summer would say, I'm strong enough to destroy an entire country single-handedly. The Yokai of Kyoto were kind enough to teach me Touki. It's similar enough to Aura that I picked it up pretty quick."
To prove his point, golden energy flared around him, wrapping his body in a blazing aura that crackled with power.
"I held back with that blow," Tai said seriously. "So I'll ask once—surrender. I don't want to kill a kid if I don't gotta."
Jeanne growled, pushing herself back to her feet. "I'm not done yet!" she shouted, activating her Sacred Gear. A massive metal dragon materialized beside her, roaring as it loomed over them.
Tai exhaled slowly, rolling his neck. "So be it." He settled into his stance, ready to fight.
---
Meanwhile, Cao Cao and Heracles walked boldly toward Yasaka, who sat calmly in her outer garden, sipping tea beneath the shade of a cherry blossom tree.
Cao Cao smirked, spinning his spear lazily in his hand. "Well, if it isn't the great Yokai leader. You gonna surrender, or are we doing this the fun way?"
Yasaka set her cup down with deliberate grace, her golden eyes steady. "While I'd love to face you myself, I feel it would be a disservice to my guests. They've been so eager for your arrival, after all."
Cao Cao frowned. "Guests? What guests?"
Before he could finish, two birds—a crow and a raven—descended from above, landing beside Yasaka. In an instant, they transformed into a man and a woman.
"More Yokai?" Cao Cao muttered in disbelief.
Raven smirked. "Nah. Pretty sure we're human."
Qrow gave a half-apologetic grin as he reached behind his back and drew his weapon. "Sorry about this, kids, but we're gonna have to ask you to surrender peacefully."
"And if we don't?" Cao Cao challenged.
Raven's smile widened, sharp and dangerous. "Then you die. Obviously."
Heracles barked out a laugh. "Hah! Big talk from a frail little woman at that!"
Qrow's eyes widened, and he subtly stepped a few feet back from his sister. "Oh, you shouldn't have said that…" he muttered.
Raven's expression turned almost sweet—the kind of smile that spelled doom. A massive blue skeletal arm erupted from behind her and slammed into Heracles, launching him skyward with bone-crushing force.
In a flash, Raven vanished, chasing after him faster than the eye could see.
"Well," Qrow said dryly, watching Heracles disappear over the horizon, "he's dead."
Cao Cao stood frozen, his confidence fading as he watched Raven ruthlessly pummel Heracles into the ground, not even bothering to draw her odachi. He made a move to rush forward—only to feel a cold blade hook under his chin.
A massive scythe's edge glinted against his throat as Qrow smirked. "I don't think so. You've got me to deal with."
Cao Cao gritted his teeth, summoning his spear. "Very well, then. Let's go. But just know—while you're wasting time with us, Yasaka's daughter will already be in our custody."
Yasaka's composure faltered, worry flashing in her eyes—until Qrow chuckled darkly.
"She might've been," he said, "if we didn't see that coming, you idiot. See, you didn't even know about me and Raven, so there's no way you knew about the kid's bodyguard."
Yasaka let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness she has protection."
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell could you possibly have that could take on Siegfried?"
Meanwhile, in the palace courtyard, the guards lay scattered and unconscious across the stone path. Kunou was slowly backing away, trembling as Siegfried closed in on her with his sword drawn.
"It's okay, kid," he said with a mocking smile. "I'm gonna take you to your mommy."
Kunou's golden eyes filled with fear as she shut them tight, clutching the small charm Summer had given her. The charm shattered in her hands with a flash of golden light, enveloping her in a brilliant glow. She felt herself stumble backward into someone's arms—soft, warm, and radiating power.
A playful, alluring voice rang out behind her.
"Mikon~ Attacking an innocent little kitsune? Do today's so-called heroes have no shame?"
Kunou blinked her eyes open just as a towering inferno erupted where Siegfried stood, scorching the ground and forcing him to leap backward, his armor singed by the flames.
When the fire cleared, Kunou turned around and saw the woman who had caught her. She was breathtaking—peach-colored hair tied into twin tails that swayed with every movement. On top of her head sat two orange fox ears, and behind her, a fluffy orange tail swished lazily. Her golden eyes gleamed with mischief, though her smile didn't quite reach them. She wore a blue kimono that left her shoulders bare and opened at the sides of her hips, paired with blue stockings, black sandals, and a ribbon tied neatly in her hair.
In one hand, she held paper talismans inscribed with ancient runes, and floating near her shoulder was an ornate blue-and-gold mirror that shimmered with magic.
Siegfried scowled, tightening his grip on his blade. "Who the hell are you!?"
The woman tilted her head, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "No need for you to know. You won't be around long enough for it to matter."
With an angry growl, Siegfried lunged at them, his sword flashing in the light. The woman swiftly pulled Kunou behind her, her expression turning cold and focused. She flicked her wrist, tossing one of her talismans forward—it exploded into a massive shard of ice, slamming into Siegfried. He sliced through it with brute strength and pressed forward, thrusting his sword at her—only for the blade to clang harmlessly against the floating mirror, which had moved on its own to intercept the blow.
The woman's lips curved slightly as she threw another talisman, summoning a raging cyclone that engulfed Siegfried and hurled him high into the air. He crashed back down with a thunderous impact, dust and debris scattering across the courtyard.
All around the woman and Kunou, several massive shrine gates materialized in a circle, glowing with mystical energy. The woman began to spin gracefully, her kimono sleeves fluttering as she flung talismans through each gate in perfect rhythm. Once she finished the ritual, the ground between the gates split open, revealing a gaping pit that pulsed with an eerie, purple light.
Siegfried froze mid-step, panic flickering in his eyes. He didn't know what kind of magic it was—but his instincts screamed at him to stay away. As the ground beneath him crumbled, he barely managed to grab the edge, his knuckles whitening as he dangled above the abyss.
He glared up at the woman, his voice shaking between anger and fear. "Who are you!?"
She looked down at him, her expression emotionless but her tone sharp and commanding. "Fine, I'll tell you. I am Tamamo no Mae—and that," she said, pointing at the pit below him, "is the hell you're about to fall into."
With one swift motion, she kicked him off the edge. Siegfried's scream echoed as he plummeted into the light, and the pit sealed shut as if it had never existed. The shrine gates vanished soon after, leaving the courtyard eerily quiet once more.
Kunou peeked out from behind Tamamo, her small voice trembling with awe. "A-are you really… Tamamo no Mae?"
Tamamo turned to her, and this time, her smile softened into something genuine. "Why yes, I am, little one." She pressed her hands together and tilted her head playfully. "You're not scared of me, are you?"
Kunou shook her head quickly, her tails flicking nervously. "No! You seem really nice… and cool!"
Tamamo giggled, her laughter light and melodic. "Only to people that I like, dear one." Her tone softened again, warm and inviting. "Now, what do you say I make us something to eat while we wait for your mother?"
Kunou's face lit up with excitement, and she nodded eagerly. "Okay!"
Smiling, Tamamo gently guided her toward the palace, her foxtail swaying lazily behind her as the two disappeared inside.