Just as it had looked from outside, glimpsed through the countless hexagons that formed the barrier.
Inside was an overwhelmingly lush forest, a true paradise of nature.
"Well?" Morgan asked.
Scáthach, the one being addressed, pulled her crimson spear free from the monster as it gradually faded away. "You can feel it. The region inside the barrier... no, 'world' is the better word. This world rejects the concept of Human History."
"Exactly." Artoria walked over from the side, having just finished dealing with the monsters on the other end. "If this were an ordinary Servant, they'd likely be forced out the moment they manifested."
"It's probably imitating the characteristics of the British Lostbelt world," Scáthach said, looking at Morgan. "Britain wasn't born from your will or your beloved disciple's, but because it never established a proper Human History, it naturally repels Heroic Spirits tied to Human History."
"Fortunately, neither you nor Artoria are Servants," Morgan said with a small smile. "You could move freely in Britain, and you won't be affected here either." Her gaze shifted to the corpse that had not yet fully vanished. "That said, these monsters look oddly familiar."
Scáthach thought for a moment. "Humans from the Russian Lostbelt, most likely. The ones who had to become bestial to survive that brutal cold."
"Why would humans from another Lostbelt appear here?" Artoria crouched to examine the remains. "I didn't sense any intelligence during the fight. It was like battling pure animals…"
"No anger, no fear, not even a will to live," Shiomi's voice followed. "They felt like dependents being puppeteered at will."
Although the united god form was centered on Morgan, he could still project his words outward through thought.
"Beast's dependents, then." Scáthach's expression turned interested.
"Before we set out, I happened to hear Fou... in other words, Cath Palug, mention that Koyanskaya is a candidate," Shiomi continued. "Simply by existing, it prevents a candidate Beast from ascending into an Evil of Humanity. It probably won't ever obtain a complete form, all the way to the end."
"In that case, maybe we should bring that little one along too," Scáthach said with a smile. "There have been plenty of times it used Independent Manifestation to slip into a Singularity while pretending it had joined the Rayshift."
"No need," Shiomi replied. "Subjugating the Beast is only one of the reasons we came here. According to the astrology Kirschtaria carried out for us, the destination indicated by 'The Flying Bear Enters the Dream' is also here. Otherwise, we wouldn't have deliberately given up intercepting the Alien God in the Chinese Lostbelt."
For Shiomi, who had already become the god Tehom, that peculiar dream was not merely hinting that he would meet the legendary Taigong Wang in a Lostbelt, or in this special place.
Why Taigong Wang?
Why deliver the message through a dream like that?
Shiomi believed there had to be a deeper meaning behind it.
If he met Taigong Wang, he might obtain at least part of the answers he was looking for.
"This area is complex and extremely pristine. All sorts of Mana reactions are tangled together. It won't be easy to search," Artoria said, trying to reassure him. "Don't rush, Tenkei. Just like before, take it step by step and steadily expand the investigation."
"You're right," Shiomi said, agreeing.
At that moment, Scáthach was studying Morgan's current appearance.
"Is something bothering you, Master?" Shiomi asked.
"No, not really." Scáthach chuckled. "I just never had the chance to ask. Since we have a moment now... why is 'Morgan, the united god' wearing a wedding dress?"
Morgan blinked. "I don't know. I never thought about it."
"You never thought about it?" Shiomi muttered, sounding drained. "I always assumed it was your subconscious choosing."
"That's certainly possible," Morgan said, smiling as if she found the idea reasonable.
Then she lifted a hand and pressed it to her chest. "We'll undo the fusion, my husband. We can't maintain it for long, so we should release it for now. Otherwise, when we truly need it, we won't be able to use it."
Once the united god form was undone, Shiomi raised a hand to cover his mouth and nose.
"Feeling it directly, instead of sharing Morgan's five senses... this environment is far too primitive."
It was a special environment that denied Human History, but unlike the Fairy Kingdom, what existed here were only wild beasts, even Phantasmal Species, along with dependents Koyanskaya had scavenged from other Lostbelts.
Underneath the overpowering scent of vegetation that grew taller than a person, there was a stench that was hard to describe kindly.
He would need some time to get used to it.
"Really? It just smells like a primeval forest to me," Scáthach said, seeing nothing unusual.
Artoria considered it. "Perhaps Tenkei's senses are simply too sharp. Beyond the scent of plants and animals, maybe you're picking up something else?"
"It's the smell of Mana." Shiomi slowly lowered his hand. He was beginning to adjust to the scent.
The others watched as he pointed straight ahead.
"Another Mana signature is approaching. It doesn't feel like a Servant."
As soon as he said it, the ground began to tremble in rapid succession.
Heavy footfalls pounded through the earth, the vibrations unmistakable. Something massive was running toward them.
Moments later, the source of the tremors burst out from the depths of the forest, and all of them were taken aback.
"Jotunheim giants?" Shiomi frowned.
Before Chaldea had formally engaged the Lostbelts, the seven of them had already been active for more than three months. Koyanskaya would have had plenty of time to take whatever she wanted from them during that period.
"So Koyanskaya selected suitable lifeforms from various Lostbelts and turned them into dependents to sustain this world?" Scáthach watched the three giants approaching with clear hostility. "Skadi isn't here, so we'll clean up her backyard for her."
"No, Master. You just fought. Take a moment to rest. I'll handle this," Shiomi said.
Morgan's lips curved slightly. "My husband, are you perhaps—"
"Whether Koyanskaya has noticed our arrival, or Taigong Wang has already manifested here, I'm going to use this opportunity to make my presence known." Shiomi slowly rose into the air and extended his hand toward the charging giants. "Let's make this a little more spectacular. Brace yourselves for the shockwave."
A gale erupted without warning, whipping through the forest and forcing the three Jotun giants to a grinding halt.
"No need to hold back. Go on," Scáthach called out with a laugh, brushing her hair behind her ear.
Under their watchful eyes, Shiomi began his counterattack.