"Mmm…"
Shiomi opened his eyes to find Morgan's azure gaze smiling warmly down at him.
He was lying on a stretch of lush green grass, his head resting on Morgan's thigh as she sat beside him with one knee drawn up.
"Did you sleep well, my husband?" Morgan asked softly.
"How long was I out?"
"About an hour."
The reply came from Scáthach, who was emerging from a nearby pool. Water droplets gathered on her spotless body, forming thin streams that traced their way down her flawless skin.
"That's quite a while," Shiomi said as he sat up.
They were in the forested eastern sector of the Interstellar City. After finishing their battle with Demeter, they had moved in this direction.
There was no point in staying among the ruins. They posed no real threat to Zeus there.
Only by clearly showing their intent to continue destroying the Interstellar City could they force the Olympian gods to take further action.
"Why is my master taking a bath…" Shiomi began to complain, then noticed that Morgan was only loosely wrapped in a cloak, otherwise unclothed, with faint traces of moisture still clinging to her.
Only then did Shiomi remember that when he'd fallen asleep earlier, his head had been resting on her thigh.
The grass beneath them was covered by nothing more than a large, soft blanket.
"Thanks to my dear disciple, I'm covered in sand and dust," Scáthach said, brushing her hair back. "On the battlefield, appearances hardly matter. But now that we're recovering our strength, why not take this chance to cleanse ourselves and be ready for whatever comes next? Don't you agree, my beloved disciple?"
"That does make sense…" Shiomi hadn't meant to criticize her at all. "What I meant was… we weren't discovered, were we?"
Morgan smiled. "With my husband here, deceiving an all-knowing, all-powerful chief god is hardly difficult. If you're still uneasy, you can check for yourself right now."
"That's a relief," Shiomi said, letting out a breath.
Just as Morgan said, their concealment had gone smoothly. Olympus had lost track of them.
After leaving the western sector of the Interstellar City, Shiomi had deliberately used familiars to lead their trail into the urban area before cutting it off completely.
After that, the three of them slipped quietly into the eastern forest to rest.
The battle with Demeter had taken a heavy toll on Shiomi.
He hadn't fought merely to defeat her, but with the intent to kill a god. That required overwhelming power. Otherwise, the outcome would be the same as before, letting Demeter escape unharmed.
Once they were hidden, Shiomi finally allowed himself to sleep.
"Why don't you wash as well?" Scáthach said as she sat down, reaching out to loosen his collar. "You're filthy. You look like you rolled around in mud and sand."
"…Yeah. I probably should," Shiomi said after a brief pause.
The conditions were right, after all.
He stood up, removed his clothes, and jumped into the crystal-clear pool, rinsing away the grime and dust clinging to his body.
"By the way, where do you think Artoria and the others are now?" Morgan asked.
"I honestly can't say," Shiomi replied, running a hand through his wet hair. "I only left guiding ravens behind so they could avoid our route and minimize contact with Olympus's forces. And considering how Zeus was able to summon lightning to intercept us almost the moment we arrived…"
"You mean the advance team made up of Proper Human History Servants may already be wiped out?" Scáthach asked.
"Maybe wiped out. Maybe there are still some survivors," Shiomi said, shaking his head. "Contacting Sakura's group recklessly right now would only cause trouble for the Special Operations Unit. Once they're noticed and become Zeus's primary target, our own movements will be restricted as well."
"So your plan is to deal with the Interstellar City below and its remaining forces first, then contact Storm Border and the Special Operations Unit?" Morgan asked.
Shiomi nodded. "At least for now, that's the safest approach. This isn't a Lostbelt. We can't afford to lose even a single person…"
Even if everyone else in Chaldea were to fall in battle, it wouldn't threaten the foundation itself. But Shiomi simply couldn't accept that outcome.
That was why he had to stay on the front lines at all times, drawing the enemy's most dangerous firepower onto himself.
And then, crushing it all.
"How does it feel?" Scáthach suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Shiomi was pulled out of his thoughts by his teacher's voice. Floating on the surface of the water, he looked over at her in confusion.
Morgan wore the same puzzled expression. Clearly, neither of them understood where Scáthach's abrupt question was coming from.
"How does it feel to become a god?" Scáthach asked again.
Shiomi paused for a moment, then shook his head. "It's hard to put into words. It's a complicated feeling. Honestly, I can't even say for sure how far I've gone at this point. But when I face enemies whose depths I can't fully grasp, I still have enough confidence."
"I see." Scáthach smiled faintly, a trace of melancholy in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I've taught many disciples, including ones with demigod blood like Cú Chulainn. But someone like you, who transformed from human to god while still alive… you're the first. I can't give you any truly useful advice. I'm sorry about that."
"Then should we find a chance to test it?" Shiomi asked. "Master, you're capable of slaying gods. If that power puts extra pressure on me, maybe I could—"
"There's no need," Morgan cut in, rejecting the idea. "To my husband as he is now, we're all somewhat lacking as opponents. Only an enemy who can truly force you to fight at full strength would be enough for you."
Shiomi scratched his head. "Alright. I was just throwing it out there."
"But compared to power, there's something else I want to confirm," Scáthach said, fixing her gaze on Shiomi's eyes. "That's why Morgan and I deliberately took a bath and waited for you here."
"…Yeah," Shiomi replied quietly. He'd already guessed.
Then he saw his teacher sitting casually with her legs parted, while Morgan slipped off her cloak.
An unmistakable invitation.
A test of the human desires still within him.
It was something Shiomi had always feared losing. And yet, in his current situation, it was something he had no choice but to face head-on, to accept as part of the path he could and should walk.
"There's no need to make it that obvious," he said. "Even though things are busy right now, taking a little time off… honestly, even if my wife and my teacher hadn't said anything, I'd still be taking advantage of the moment."
He rose from the water, walked back to the blanket, and sat down. Taking both of their hands, he pulled them into his arms, feeling the warmth of their bodies against his.
"It turns out my understanding of gods was far too narrow," Shiomi said softly. "After all… in every mythology across the world, there are always gods who embody desire."