"Ah..."
With a faint groan, Scáthach slowly opened her eyes.
She found herself in a completely unfamiliar place.
What met her gaze was a pale blue ceiling and a room of extreme futuristic minimalism.
The furniture and equipment around her, along with the floating holographic panels on the walls, were all things she couldn't begin to understand.
"Where... am I?"
Scáthach pressed her fingers to her forehead, gently rubbing it as her mind struggled to clear.
She remembered being in the Fifth Singularity, where she encountered a strange group piloting spaceships, using Gundams and Angeloids to beat up enemies.
Their leader, a girl with orange hair named Fujimaru Ritsuka, claimed to be from the Starsea Empire.
She had passionately invited Scáthach to join them, doing everything she could to form a contract and bring her to the Empire.
Scáthach had no real interest in these mysterious people, but when she heard there might be someone capable of granting her death, she reluctantly agreed.
And after that...
Her head began to ache.
A Heroic Spirit shouldn't experience sickness, yet her mind felt clouded and disoriented.
She sat up, turned her head, and froze.
Outside the window stretched the dark, infinite expanse of space. Distant stars shimmered far away.
Below, just a short distance away, a blue planet rotated slowly on its axis.
For some reason, though, the movement outside appeared to be happening in slow motion.
"I'm... in the sky?"
Scáthach was stunned.
"Mm? You're awake?"
Click—
With the sound of an automatic door sliding open, several Heroic Spirits entered the room.
Two Neros, Nightingale, and a red-haired dragon girl with horns.
Most of them were familiar faces from the Singularity; a few were strangers, but their presence made it clear they too were Heroic Spirits.
"What is this place...?"
"Mm, this is the Empire's flagship—Eternal Snowfall."
Nero answered succinctly.
"You were struck by severe mental and spiritual trauma during your battle with Nyaruko. Your spirit core was damaged, and you've been unconscious for three days."
"The Commander replenished your mana and ordered that you recover here."
"...?"
Scáthach closed her eyes, struggling to piece together her fragmented memories.
It took a moment, but she finally remembered what had happened.
"Psychic attack against a Heroic Spirit? Impossible..."
The Great Chaos Annihilation—she only recalled the name of Nyaruko's ultimate move.
Even before Nyaruko had truly attacked, her consciousness and mind had completely collapsed.
Damn it—what kind of god was that? Unlike anything she had ever faced.
Or perhaps... that was what a true god was supposed to be.
"Where is the Master? And why are we here?"
She asked again.
"Mm! Of course—it's because the Master is celebrating the Empire's glorious victory!"
Nero spread her arms proudly as she answered.
"The Master achieved a brilliant triumph in another universe, bringing back an entire army of Outer Gods. Fujimaru Ritsuka also resolved the Singularity crisis successfully."
"With such overwhelming victory, it's Imperial tradition to offer thunderous cheers in celebration! A whole month of festivities and jubilation!"
"..."
Jeanne Alter rolled her eyes.
"In simpler terms, we're throwing a party."
"?"
...
Inside the central hall of the Eternal Snowfall.
Nyaruko, Kuuko, and the rest of the Outer Gods, along with the newly arrived Heroic Spirits, were all visiting the Juggernaut for the first time.
The massive warship's scale left everyone awestruck.
It had taken them several days just to explore the ship's structure.
"Commander, Commander! I'm amazing, right?"
Nyaruko squeezed close to Setsuna, her ahoge curling into a heart shape as she pouted.
"You sure bullied the Master enough," Setsuna said, ruffling Nyaruko's hair.
Though Scáthach had slain many gods before, the Outer Gods were clearly far beyond her level.
Given that, the outcome wasn't surprising.
"Good day, Commander. What would you like to eat today?"
Wearing her chef uniform, Erina approached Setsuna's side.
She glanced at Nyaruko and Kuuko, then bent down with a gentle smile.
"Ah, are these our new companions? If there's anything you'd like to eat, you can tell me, alright?"
"As long as it's something that can be imagined, we can make it."
The chefs of Totsuki didn't care about who their guests were. Once someone sat at their table, they were a diner, nothing more, nothing less.
Their greatest pursuit was perfecting their culinary art and satisfying their guests' desires.
"Ohhh, you're the Commander's personal chef!"
Nyaruko's eyes lit up with excitement. Though the Angeloids were skilled cooks, they couldn't compare to the chefs who came straight out of a gourmet world.
It wasn't often she got to freeload off the Commander like this.
Resting her chin on her hand, she spoke with an expression of mysterious depth.
"I want shattered entrails, coagulated blood, writhing tentacles, godless eyes, twisted flora, shriveled limbs, a half-eaten brain, crimson fruits..."
"Let them tumble in the clash of red and white, and sink into the fusion of yellow and brown."
"That way, it'll be worthy of my identity as the Crawling Chaos—Nyarlathotep."
"???"
Erina was dumbfounded. She couldn't make sense of the bizarre way this Outer God described food.
Bonk—
"Speak normally."
Setsuna tapped Nyaruko lightly on the head.
"Tripe, blood tofu, squid tentacles, sheep eyeballs, tied kelp, marinated pork, blanched brains, tomatoes..."
"Make it a hot and mild double-sided hotpot, with sour plum juice and lemon slices. Thanks."
"..."
After settling Nyaruko, Kuuko, and the others down to feast to their hearts' content, Setsuna returned to his quarters.
He glanced at the holographic interface, skimming through several work reports. He had planned to organize the next operation—
But then he thought again. It was party time now. Serious work could wait.
Instead, he pondered whom to visit later.
"Hmm... Haven't dropped by Taihou in a while? Maybe bring along Shoukaku and Chen Hai too?..."
"Esdeath's good too—her ice magic's thrilling. Maybe throw in someone who plays with fire?..."
Just as he was lost in his mental list of combinations—
Knock, knock, knock—
"Master."
Scáthach entered, accompanied by several other Heroic Spirits.
"Oh, you're awake? Come, sit."
Setsuna gestured to a chair and looked at her.
"How are you feeling? Nyaruko hasn't had a proper fight in ages—she might've gone a bit overboard."
"...Mmm."
"I'm fine. She's far stronger than I imagined."
Scáthach sat to the side, hesitating for a moment.
"May I ask, Master... what exactly is that kind of power?"
She realized now that Nyaruko could have destroyed her easily. Their strengths weren't even on the same level.
But still, it was hard to grasp what sort of divine being Nyaruko truly was.
"Ahem. Simply put, not all gods are equal. The ones you killed before were probably small-fry gods."
"If you ever meet a real god, you might as well sit it out. Honestly, I'm not sure you could even beat Aqua."
Setsuna answered casually.
"..."
The master of the Land of Shadows sighed.
She felt an overwhelming sense of contrast and humiliation—once a slayer of gods, now reduced to being instantly defeated by a random girl.
"You're not still thinking about dying, are you?"
Setsuna asked with a faint smile.
"...No. I've merely grown tired of my past existence. I only wanted to find a warrior capable of ending me."
Scáthach shook her head.
She felt something strange stirring inside her.
Once, she had yearned for someone to kill her. Yet now, after meeting someone who truly could, her heart had shifted.
She couldn't stop wondering—how did I lose to that little girl?!
Maybe her spear technique wasn't refined enough, or perhaps it was simply the insurmountable difference in divine hierarchy.
Either way, it was a question without an answer.
"There are things far more terrifying than death, you know."
Setsuna flipped open an old tome and read a few lines aloud.
"For example—someone once tried to study the magic and authority of the Outer Gods. In the end, their mind regressed into nothingness, and their body twisted into a lump of flesh."
"Technically, Nyaruko could do that too—but she's smart enough not to mess with allies like that."
"..."
Scáthach was speechless.
"Forget it. A loss is a loss. I'll keep my promise."
"Master, do you have any orders for me?"
She turned toward Setsuna.
"Hm?"
Setsuna looked her over.
"Orders? Nothing special. Report back to Gudako and join up with Nero and the others in the Chaldea Heroic Spirit Unit."
"As for now..."
He studied his master for a moment.
Her sheer bodysuit of black silk and the smooth, glossy fabric of her short garment accentuated her figure perfectly—an outfit somehow more provocative than nudity itself.
"Do you need... mana replenishment?"
"???"
Scáthach looked at Setsuna in confusion.
She focused on her own body and sensed that the magic within her indeed carried something... unfamiliar.
"This?"
"When you fought Nyaruko, you used up too much energy. To help you recover faster, I infused you with some additional mana," Setsuna said calmly.
"Oh, thank you."
She realized that the mixture of energies—magic cube energy, Allspark essence, spiritual power, and other odd elements—felt strange but usable.
"However, if you want to recover even faster, or get stronger, there's a more efficient method of mana replenishment."
Setsuna cleared his throat.
"What?"
Scáthach asked instinctively.
She could feel the vast magic power hidden within Setsuna—many magnitudes greater than Gudako's.
"You should already know, right?"
Setsuna smiled faintly.
He couldn't help but praise Type-Moon's concept of mana replenishment—it was pure genius, absurd yet perfectly logical.
"???"
Scáthach froze for a moment.
Having lived for countless years, she was well-versed in the ways of magi, Masters, and Servants—so she quickly grasped the implication.
"Tch, Commander, are you doing this on purpose?!"
Jeanne Alter exclaimed in shock.
"You purposely had Nyaruko beat her half to death so you could use 'mana replenishment' as an excuse to trick more Heroic Spirits into bed?!"
"?"
"Don't twist my words."
Setsuna pinched her cheek lightly.
"It was the Master who challenged first."
"..."
Scáthach's expression twitched slightly; she had indeed thought of certain implications. Her gaze wandered briefly before she regained her composure, her voice now sharp.
"No—that's not right. You must have other methods, don't you?"
"Since you have gods among you, your mastery over magic should far surpass ordinary humans."
"Oh, we do have other ways. But this one's my favorite."
Setsuna answered frankly.
As the supreme ruler of the Starsea Empire, he naturally had the freedom to do as he pleased.
He casually pulled Jeanne Alter into his arms, his hand wrapping around her slender waist.
"Hey?"
"You... you shameless man..."
Jeanne Alter protested verbally, but she didn't actually resist.
After a token struggle, she turned her blushing face away.
"..."
Scáthach was momentarily stunned by Setsuna's bluntness.
Now she understood what Eternal Snowfall was really doing with those time-distortion systems out in space.
"Haa..."
After pondering for a while, the master of the Land of Shadows finally sighed.
"Master, matters like this should be discussed privately. Doing this in public is... a bit improper."
"It's fine. Two people are boring—more makes it interesting."
Setsuna's casual reply left Scáthach speechless for several seconds.
"???"
As she stood there, frozen in disbelief, Jeanne Alter—still sitting in Setsuna's lap—waved her hand dismissively.
"If you're not doing it, there are plenty of shipgirls and Heroic Spirits who will."
"Nero, you want in?"
"Umuu!!!"
Both Neros immediately squeezed their way over.
Though both had the same ahoge face, Nero clearly had a more... generous figure than the original Saber.
One on each side, Setsuna could feel the soft pressure against his arms.
"It's been ages since I came to the Starsea Empire with my Master, and he's never once made a move on me..."
"I thought perhaps my Master didn't like me..."
"Of course I like you all—but there are just too many of you," Setsuna said honestly.
Every time he went for a walk, he couldn't make it ten steps without being swarmed by shipgirls, Heroic Spirits, lolis, or others.
At night, his bedroom frequently refreshed with Taihou, Origami Tobiichi, Kurumi Tokisaki, and other 'bosses' waiting for him.
Realistically, spending time with each one individually was impossible.
"Umu, but you've got time now, don't you?"
Nero rubbed her head affectionately against his shoulder.
"Master, with so many Spirits and shipgirls around you, shouldn't you be fair?"
"Alright, alright."
Setsuna hugged the two Umuu twins close. Aside from the difference in their outfits, they were indistinguishable—even their ahoge curls matched perfectly.
"Ahem."
Jeanne Alter stood up briskly, gesturing toward Scáthach with a dismissive wave.
"Hey, I'm saying—either go back or join in, but don't just stand there in the way."
"Don't tell me you just want to watch first?"
"???"
"Ah?!"
The Queen of the Land of Shadows was momentarily shaken.
...
With temporal distortion active, Eternal Snowfall used its holographic dome to simulate day and night cycles.
Before long, the bridge had shifted into night mode.
The ship's interior quieted down gradually.
Even when a few shipgirls passed by, they only exchanged knowing smiles, jotting a quick note in their little notebooks—planning to steal the Commander away once the truce period began.
Setsuna looked down.
Scáthach lay face-down on the bed, her long violet hair scattered across her back, stray strands sticking to her skin with beads of sweat.
Her sheer black bodysuit was torn in just the right places, and under the faint starlight filtering through the dome, traces of excess mana shimmered around her body.
Setsuna exhaled softly, brushing a finger gently against her cheek.
Her crimson eyes fluttered open slightly, her voice low and lazy.
"Master, you're truly a terrible man."
Scáthach hadn't come here mentally prepared for this at all.
But neither Setsuna, the dragon witch beside her, nor the two Umuu twins had given her any chance to think.
"I never said I was a good man," Setsuna replied casually, leaning beside her.
"If we're counting bodies, you probably haven't even reached a fraction of mine."
Scáthach sensed the truth in his tone—only a battle-hardened commander could speak with such confidence.
"Oh, but you did just wipe out a few billion yourself."
"!?"
Setsuna smirked, and Scáthach shot him a glare.
"How can someone like you even be a Master..."
"Just kidding," he said, chuckling. "But... do you feel it? The change?"
"Ah... yes."
Scáthach nodded.
Even if she didn't want to admit it, the mana replenishment had an immediate effect.
She could feel new and strange energies flowing through her—her mana reserves fuller than ever before, her strength noticeably greater.
"The energy within you... it's complex, but vast."
"Mm."
Setsuna didn't deny it.
"If you come for mana replenishment regularly, you'll grow even stronger."
"Oh, and if possible, next time wear a swimsuit—I'll see if that increases your attack speed."
"Tch..."
"You treat Heroic Spirits like... what, buff stats?"
Scáthach huffed in resignation, though she had to admit—both theoretically and practically, what he said made sense.
With a soft grumble, she wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and turned her back to him.
"Alright, then. Rest for a bit."
Setsuna checked the holographic interface—messages were pouring in from shipgirls and Spirits alike.
Illustrious and her sisters invited him for tea, Jingwei wanted to spar in Taixuan Eminence, the Ahoge King asked him to dinner... and Origami had sent a simple note: "I'm with Nia and Kurumi."
"Oh, you're quite popular," Scáthach said, glancing at the flood of notifications.
"You seem pretty busy every day."
"No, most of these things... tend to end the same way," Setsuna said with a smirk, twirling a strand of her hair.
"Tired?"
"Ah, not really."
Scáthach shook her head. With her mana restored, she felt her strength returning.
"Good. In that case, we'll go for round two later."
Setsuna tapped a few names on the list.
"You haven't really met many shipgirls or Spirits yet, have you? Come on—you should spar with them."
"???"
—
—
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