Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 356- The Whole Night Sky

A while later after Cirrus had left.

"Hm…" Callisto opens her eyes.

"ALCIDES!!! ALCIDES!! COME BACK!!!!!"

"!?" Her eyes were shot wide open. "Dad!!" Callisto sat straight up.

She looked to see Circe next to White Night.

"Aunty Circe!! Where is Dad!!"

Circe turned to see Callisto, worried.

"Callisto! Hold on a second, I am—"

"Hey, you!" shouted Nox, still stuck as White Night. "Come here!! If you wanna go get you old man!!"

"Nox!!" Circe looked back to Nox. "You can’t—"

"Do you want your old man to die!!"

"!?" Callisto quickly got up. "What do you mean!? Aunty Circe!! I saw Dad with that fire on him!"

Callisto looked at Circe with great concern.

"…I…" Circe made a painful expression. "Please stay here. You are—"

"He is going to go die off alone somewhere with Vesta!! Come here so we can get his dumbass!!"

She looked at Circe, and she quickly ran towards White Night.

"Callisto, no!!" Circe got up to block Callisto. "Your father told me to take care of you. Do not leave or pick up Nox!!"

"And Cirrus told me to watch over his girl, so move, Circe!!" Nox shouted.

"Move aunty!! I wanna go to my dad!!" She pushed her aside and grabbed Nox. "!?"

Flash!!

A bright light covers them both.

"I, Candidus Nox, Aspect of the White Night, offer an accord with you, daughter of my master, my contractor! I shall look after you in place of your father!! Do you accept this condition!!"

"I-I accept!!"

"Then the pact is forged!!"

"!?"

Callisto could feel a part of her click with Nox as if she were the last piece of the puzzle she never knew needed to be filled.

"Now, let me take over for now."

"W-what are—!?"

She is pulled away as another person takes control of her body. Callisto’s hair turned pure white, with topaz eyes to match Nyx’s.

"Leave it to me!! I’ll teach you how to move while I absorb the mana from the air! (No god shall touch the night; I dance upon the stars.) [White Night]!!" A pure light covered her, allowing her to travel quickly. "Now to get my wings!! Hmm!!" Nox tried to turn into a bird, but nothing happened. "What!? Why can’t I turn into an owl?"

"Maybe because you’re in Callisto’s body and also because your contract isn’t finalized!!" Circe shouted, getting up and dusting off the dirt. "Callisto, if you can hear me, if you push me again, I swear to Hecate that you will be in serious trouble!"

"Dammit!! Fuck it!!" She returned to the spear, and Callisto’s features returned to normal. "Alright. Let’s see if this—Flash!!" She turned into an owl.

‘There!! Finally!!’ She then grew bigger.

"Ugh!!" Callisto said, feeling a sense of motion sickness.

‘Come on, get the fuck on!’ Nox shouted as a large owl. ‘I’ll go ahead and start refilling your mana!’

Nox glowed, and magic from the air began to be absorbed.

"Ooh! You can do that!!" Callisto said, impressed, as she also glowed faintly white. "Also, don’t do that again!!" And angry. "Sorry, Aunty Circe, for pushing you!" she said earnestly.

‘Be impressed and angry later. Get on, we’re leaving now.’

"Callisto, please! Stay here!! I know you love your father, but he doesn’t want you to see this!!" Circe tried to plead with Callisto.

"I want to see him!! I want to be there for him!! Nox!!" Callisto jumped on Nox’s back, and they flew off as a white light covered them.

Circe watched as they left, soaring through the sky.

"…Hecton, Fafnir. Are you guys doing okay?" She turned to see them coming out of the shadows, beaten and battered, with various cuts and injuries everywhere.

"We will… Be okay." Hecton spoke softly.

"Master has… gone on his last journey," Fafnir said with teary eyes.

"Will you two be okay? You know when he…"

"Our existence is similar to that of you, Lady Circe," Hecton said. "Our essence is in his children; so long as they are alive, we can live on."

"How interesting. Let me heal you two up a bit."

"Why did you not use your barrier?" Fafnir asked. "To stop them, I mean."

"Maybe I wanted them to leave." She said it with a wry smile as tears fell from her face. "Maybe… I wanted Cirrus to not leave without family around. Maybe I was hoping... hoping he can escape death."

Nox flew as fast as she could and with as much mana as Callisto had left to spare.

"Can’t you go faster!!" Callisto shouted.

‘It’s not my fault you have such little mana reserves!! Besides, I am absorbing mana from the air, so it’s kind of hard to do two things that require attention!’

"I’m a level 3!!"

‘Hah! You're what? 10? Your father was a level 6 when he was that age!!’

"What!? He was not level 6! And I am 11 years old!!"

‘So? You’re a literal demigod! Artemis is your fucking mom! What’s your excuse?’

"I—Shut up! Dad and Mom—Oh, mom is... not Fom." She came to grips with her heritage. "My mom... is Mooma. Artemis, she is... my mom, my actual… ah." She understood why Artemis doted on her so much. "It all makes sense!!"

‘Hm… I guess you didn’t know. Well, I don’t want you to get your mind down. So sit tight.’

"Hey..." Callisto spoke softly. "Why did you yell out, Alcides? Is that what you called my Dad? Like a nickname?"

'Sure. Something like that. Only those close to him call him that. A closeness you who have not known it are not allowed to call him that.'

"I am his favorite! I'm sure if I—"

'No!!' Nox's shout rang in Callisto's head. 'That is a special name for him. Even if you are his kid, he did not let you know. Only me, Circe, Hecton, Fafnir, Ai, Artemis, and... hm? Say, Who are your other sibling's mothers? Or are they adopted?'

"Well, Auberon's mom is named Malion, and Alise's mom's name is—"

'Ryuu Lion?'

"Yeah! How did you know?"

'... No fucking shot!! Her!? That goddamn justice-brained elf!? E-even Malion!? I mean, I could see why with her curves, but Ryuu!? Her!? I... I will have to ask your father why he took her as his wife.'

"?" Callisto didn't know what to ask or say. "Uh, was Liom not on good terms with Dad?"

'Uhh... not exactly. They were more like good friends. They were never so affectionate with one another. When he met her, he was rather getting close to Ai. In fact, during that time, Ryuu was more focused on justice and keeping the city safe. Boy, did she crack. Twice, in fact!'

"Oh..." Callisto's mind went to the Kaios Desert. "What do you mean by cracked?"

'... It is not my pain to tell. Know that it was painful for her.'

Callisto thought to herself.

'Maybe Dad saw a kindred soul in her? One who shared a similar pain?'

When they arrived at the coastline, they could see that the sea had turned pure black. The sea now had a gold lining to it, Cirrus’ ichor.

‘I’ll go south, and you go north! Think of me to speak to me telepathically. Got it!’

"Got it!" Callisto shouted, jumping down. "(Bless me, mother.)! " The aura Callisto was putting off changes into something completely different. "[Artemis Agnós]!!!"

Pika! Pika!

Pika! Pika!

Pika! Pika!

The aura condensed into the Artemis Familia’s emblem; it glowed in a soft white glow that was just like the moon. The light of the emblem bathed Callisto, forming a pure white armor similar to her father’s Cretan armor but with light-plated armor that has fur underneath, a crescent moon on the center of the breastplate, and a bear’s helmet adorned on her head. Her cape reached down to her knees with a stainless sheen of white. Underneath it, the night sky.

Without her necklace her father crafted for her and her knowledge of her own heritage, Callisto truly began to shine and grow unbeknownst to her.

"I am coming, Dad!!!!" She shouted, running off at incredible speeds.

'A demigod, huh?’ Nox thought as she went to look for footprints. 'Is it me or the armor but did she grow taller?'

In most part due to her father holding her that she was bathed in Elpis' flame.

Callisto ran and ran.

Huff!!!

Huff!!!

Huff!!!

She desperately looked at the whole coastline to eventually find a pair of footprints with flora growing out from them with a long, dragged line.

"!?" She quickly stopped running and looked to see them go into the sea. "Nox!! I found tracks!!" She aimed her fingers at the sky. "(Aim, Fire) [Agrotera Vélos]!!!" From her fingers, she shot out an arrow of light high into the air.

Pew~!!

A bright star shoots up into the sky.

‘I am on my way!!’

Callisto could see a white light far off in the distance, quickly approaching her. Callisto looked out into the sea, and she could see a blue light deep in the sea.

"Dad… DAD!!!" As she took a step to run towards him, she heard something from the trees. "!?"

She focused on the sound to hear trees falling over in quick succession.

Fwhoosh!!

Callisto could only see a golden blur followed by a powerful blast of wind.

FWHOOSH!!!!

"Guh!" She braced herself against the wind as she looked at a golden streak run across the water.

Following it were four more.

Fwhoosh!!

Fwhoosh!!

Fwhoosh!!

Fwhoosh!!

One was Ai and Bete in their Beastification, Ai was dyed red while running across the sea, and Bete was covered in wind while also running on water. The other two were Ais and Bell.

In Bell’s arms was a large tree that he had ripped out.

"Go!! Go!!" Bell shouted, throwing the tree.

Ais jumped onto it as it landed in the water.

"Bell!! Hurry!!" Ais shouted.

Bell got on.

Splash!

"Go!!!"

"(Awaken, Tempest)!!!" She shouted, holding her arms out.

Whoosh!!!

She and Bell blasted through the sea on the log.

From the trees, several more adventures and even Xeno came out and quickly ran towards the sea.

"Go! Go!!!" Shouted Artemis. "Allen is taking the lead!!!"

Several adventurers dove into the sea to go after Cirrus.

"Mom!" Callisto said, surprised, as her armor faded.

Artemis walks up to her daughter, finally able to truly be and call Callisto her daughter without worry.

"Everything is going to be okay, sweetie," Artemis said gently, holding her child. "We are gonna get dad and—"

BWOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!

From the sea, a pillar of blue flame shot into the heavens, creating a clear night sky.

A massive wave impedes those running after him.

"No… No. Please..." Artemis falls to her knees. "Cirrus… Please no!!"

She could feel the arcanum of the flame slowly disappearing back into heaven.

Then, as the flame disappears, the black sea begins to reflect the night sky above. Soon, the two started to blend and become one with one another.

"Oooh." Said many.

It was a wondrous and awe-inspiring spectacle. The boundary that separated the sea from the sky was no more, and so was the hero separated from the world.

Then the rain came in.

Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~

Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~

Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~

Droplets from the night sky rain down upon the earth.

"… Dad."

The rain drenches Callisto, masking her tears as she shouts from the coast.

"DAD!!!"

Her eyes spiraled at the realization of that pillar of flame. A deep, piercing, unbearable grief fills the fallen hero’s daughter.

"DADDY!!!!"

Watching her father leave the world and her and many others behind.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" She howled at the sea and stars that they return him. "DADDY COME BACK!!!" Her only thought was to give chase, to follow him into heaven and bring him back herself.

She ran before she felt the heaviness of her body.

"!?" Several things ran through Callisto's head at this moment. She thought her own heart gave out from grief, her body stopping her for her good, or maybe it was her body quitting on her to ensure that Cirrus wasn't fully gone in her mind, to let a slight possibility of him live, to give herself some room for hope. But sadly it was none of that.

Artemis quickly hugged her from behind. She sealed her Falna. Artemis could and would not let her own daughter, the child of the one she gave her heart to, the last piece of him that was made from their love.

"DAD!!! DAD!!!" She tried to break free, but her mother held her firm.

"I’M RIGHT HERE CALLISTO!! I’M RIGHT HERE!!" Artemis shouted, tears staining her face. "PLEASE DON’T LEAVE!!!"

Even Callisto’s strength without Falna was nothing to scoff at, she easily has the strength of at least three grown men. Artemis, however, held her with all of her strength, which only a protective and grief-stricken mother could exert.

"UGH!" Callisto reached out, trying to claw her way to the sea to get her father. "UGH!!" But Artemis will never let go of her daughter. "AAHHHHHH!!!!" Callisto cried out as she slumped to the ground, her energy quickly sapped from the tears running down her face.

Artemis turns her around and stuffs her into her chest. She holds her daughter close, wiping her tears and embracing her daughter as warmly as she possibly can in the situation.

"I’m here." She stroked her hair and back. "I’m here…"

"UGH!! DAD!!! DAAAAD!!!" She screams into her mothers chest, staining her clothes in snot and tears.

Artemis gently moves her hands to raise up Callisto's head. She could see Callisto’s eyes spiral like her father's. Pain shoots through Artemis' heart. She can imagine how much pain Callisto must be in for her eyes to spiral like her late father.

"I am here, Callisto," Artemis said, holding back her tears as much as she could, but like a leaking dam, some got through as hard as she tried to be Callisto's rock. "I am here for you. Always."

"Hic! Hic!"

Callisto hugs her mom tightly; Artemis does the same, holding Callisto within her chest, gently stroking her hair and back again.

The two remained on the beach, crying in each other’s arms, in one another’s comfort from the passing of the one they both loved so dearly.

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