Whoosh—
Space twisted, and Murasame was pulled out of the air and straight into Setsuna's arms.
Although they were inside the bath, the clothes she wore were initially unaffected. Her extremely long detached sleeves and green hair sank directly into the water.
Not a single droplet clung to her body. The little blade was normally unaffected by the material world. The sole exception was Setsuna.
"Wah!—"
Setsuna abruptly pulled her into his embrace, causing half her body to come into direct contact with both him and the water. The dark, short kimono she wore became soaked and clung tightly to her body.
"Oh. You're not wearing anything underneath?"
Setsuna glanced down. The fabric had become half-transparent.
"These clothes are all formed from spiritual energy! I don't need to bathe or change clothes, so why would I need to wear anything underneath?!"
Murasame flushed deeply and bit Setsuna's hand.
"Let me go! I won't interrupt you anymore! Aaaaah—"
Jibril stared in confusion at the energetic little girl.
Setsuna himself did not particularly mind. Two was just right.
"Guess what we're about to do?"
"Huh?"
The little blade froze, not expecting him to ask so directly. Her face instantly turned scarlet.
"I-I have lived for more than five hundred years, you know... I still know this much!"
"It's just... It's just... Uh, reproduction!"
She finally forced the word out.
"Pfft—"
Setsuna laughed. He had only wanted to tease the little blade.
"This is mana replenishment. Don't you want to join us?"
"Huh?"
Murasame blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"In Chaldea, there are spiritual beings whose mode of existence is similar to yours. They're called Heroic Spirits."
"Heroic Spirits likewise rely on magical energy to manifest and fight. They need to periodically replenish their mana through intimate interactions with their Masters."
"And the most efficient method... is this. If you replenish some mana too, maybe you'll become stronger?"
"Whaaaat?!—"
The little blade looked deeply suspicious. Everything Setsuna was describing sounded increasingly bizarre.
Yet she vaguely remembered seeing something similar in the information she had read before.
"Really?"
Gudako, beside them, nodded vigorously several times.
"It's true. I swear. If you don't believe me, I can call Jeanne d'Arc and Jeanne Alter over too."
"Huh?!"
Murasame remained half-convinced.
"Besides, you're my sword spirit. Isn't it only natural for us to interact intimately?"
Setsuna pulled the little blade back into his arms when she tried to escape.
"You've been watching for this long. Don't you want to try it yourself?"
"Wah—"
"M-Master, don't, don't, don't! I-I want to..."
While Murasame was still struggling...
"I love you, Aya."
Setsuna gently smoothed her hair and spoke softly.
"!"
Her entire body trembled as though an electric current had passed through her.
More than five hundred years ago, after sacrificing herself and becoming the sword spirit of Murasame-maru, the only name she had left was "Murasame."
No one should have known that name. Not even the Tomotake family.
"M-Master, how... how do you know?..."
Murasame asked in a trembling voice.
"Of course I know. You were sacrificed as the human pillar that became Murasame-maru. You've spent centuries protecting Hoori all alone. I regret that I didn't meet you sooner."
Setsuna gently patted the girl in his arms.
"You've worked hard."
"You did well. Hoori and the Tomotake family survived until today because of you. From this moment onward, your duty is over. I'll help you protect this place."
"We have plenty of time ahead of us. I can take you farther away and show you scenery you've never seen before."
"Mm..."
Murasame, who had still been resisting a little, immediately relaxed. Tears welled in her eyes.
Over the past several centuries, she had watched the people around her grow old and die one after another.
She had no one she could truly call family and no one she could call a friend.
Now, for the first time, she had finally met someone who could touch her, feed her, and give her warmth.
She did not want to lose that feeling.
"Master, but... I don't age and I can't die. One day, you'll... you'll..."
Murasame murmured hesitantly.
"Are you trying to give me the lifespan argument?"
Setsuna smiled and pinched her cheek.
"Coincidentally, I'm the same. The Starsea Empire freed itself from the threat of aging, sickness, and death long ago. Eternity is simply a matter of course for us."
"Ah!"
Murasame raised her head, her eyes lighting up.
If an ordinary person heard of a nation capable of granting immortality, their first reaction would usually be to investigate its secrets and see whether they could benefit from it themselves.
Murasame simply felt genuine happiness.
At last, someone could accompany her through the endless passage of time and would not abandon her to remain alone again.
"I... I...!!!"
"Master, you have to stay with me forever!"
She threw herself tightly into his arms.
"Mm."
Every touch between them felt so real that she felt as though she were actually alive, rather than merely a homeless ghost drifting through the world.
A soft, delicate sensation touched her lips.
Rustle—
Her soaked clothes slipped away layer by layer and sank to the bottom of the hot spring.
"Master, I... I don't really understand this..."
Murasame whispered.
"I'll teach you. Jibril can teach you too."
Setsuna rubbed her head.
Jibril had long since prepared herself.
She enveloped little Setsuna with her enormous assets.
Although she had no prior experience either, the Flügel's physical advantages were simply too overwhelming, enough to compensate for any lack of technique or experience.
Just lowering his eyes and looking at that enormous pair was already a pleasure in itself for Setsuna.
In terms of beauty, Jibril also lost to no one. Her rainbow-colored hair spread across the water while a halo composed of geometric patterns floated above her head.
As the halo moved up and down, Murasame, a native from several centuries ago who had never witnessed anything like this before, stared dumbfounded.
"Huh? So you have to do it like that..."
"Wait!"
She lowered her head and looked at herself. Completely flat, with nothing obstructing her view of her own feet.
"No way! How am I supposed to do that?!"
The little blade looked at Jibril, then looked at herself, and immediately developed a profound inferiority complex about her body.
What was this supposed to be? Did heaven give you women bodies like that specifically so you could use them for this?!
"It's fine. Flat ones are cute too."
Setsuna pulled Murasame into his arms.
He snapped his fingers.
Whoosh—
A barrier enveloped the surroundings, completely cutting off all perception from the outside world.
"Hm?"
Not far away, Ariel and Shiro both froze.
"Am I imagining things? I could've sworn I heard some strange noises."
"Is this place haunted? No, that can't be right. Wasn't the cursed god already destroyed?..."
...
Three hours later.
"Haaah—"
"The hot springs here are really nice. Thanks for having us."
Himeko stretched before rising from the hot spring.
She smoothed out her wet hair, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and entered the changing room. There, she leisurely dried herself off and then dried her hair.
Shiro was also slowly tending to her beautiful white hair. Having obtained a human body for the first time, she cared greatly about her appearance and cherished it deeply.
Ah, now this is human life!! It's so much better than eating bugs in the Great Labyrinth every single day!!
I can go shopping, eat delicious food, and even soak in hot springs... Long live Hoori Town! Long live the Commander!! Long live the Starsea Empire!
Shiro cheered countless times inside her mind, yet her expressionless face only managed to produce a few words.
"Fun... Very fun!... Thank you."
"I'm glad you like it. This is the best hot spring in Hoori, and it's expensive. Normally, even I can't bear to come here."
Mako helped Yoshino tie up her hair and get dressed.
Once everyone had finished getting ready, they happened to run into Setsuna, Jibril, Murasame, and the others emerging from the passage leading to the other bathing area.
"Mm..."
Setsuna looked thoroughly refreshed in both body and mind. Throwing a party inside a hot spring really did have its own special appeal.
Big had its advantages, and small had its advantages too.
Jibril and Murasame both had rosy complexions as they followed some distance behind him.
Yoshino looked surprised.
"Lady Murasame, why are you together with the Commander?..."
From the way they looked, even an idiot could tell something had happened.
"Mm..."
The little blade thought about it, then touched her slightly bulging stomach.
"Mana replenishment! It was mana replenishment!! Master was helping me replenish my mana!!"
"Uh, I really do feel a little stronger, but it wasn't as dramatic as he said? Is my true body simply too weak?"
"Mana replenishment?"
Yoshino Tomotake had no idea what that meant, but it sounded impressive.
Jeanne Alter, Jeanne d'Arc, and several other Heroic Spirits traveling with them immediately struggled to keep straight faces.
"Master, lying is shameful. You seriously wouldn't even spare someone this small?!"
Jeanne Alter clicked her tongue.
She crouched down and patted Murasame's head.
"Did the Commander bully you?"
"Come on. Murasame-maru was created at least five or six hundred years ago. Her actual age is probably about the same as the two of you. What's the problem?"
Setsuna knocked Jeanne Alter lightly on the head.
"Exactly, exactly!—"
Gudako crossed her arms and nodded repeatedly.
"For lolis who aren't old enough, we use biotechnology to turn them into young women, then emphasize their outward appearance. That way, either their looks or their age will always be reasonable."
"Commander, you're truly a supreme master of the loli domain."