Drake glanced at the returning Morpheus, flanked by two women, and said to Mash and Ritsuka Fujimaru, "Your buddy's quite something, picking up two more lovers. And they seem really close."
Mash and Ritsuka looked over, spotting the pair beside Morpheus... one youthful, the other strikingly familiar.
"Isn't that Atalanta?" Ritsuka whispered to Mash.
Mash nodded slightly. "Yes, but who's the other one?"
They'd met Atalanta in the first Singularity, where Morpheus had freed her from her contract, briefly making her an ally. That encounter revealed her close bond with Morpheus.
Seeing her with him now wasn't surprising, but the other beautiful girl's intimacy with Morpheus was.
Recalling Morpheus' report, a name flashed in their minds.
"Medea, Atalanta!" Artemis called out cheerfully.
Medea rushed to Artemis upon seeing her, while Atalanta, spotting the moon goddess, grew slightly reserved.
But she soon smiled.
She still recalled the shock of learning the truth... that the sultry woman who'd partied with Morpheus on the ship was her revered moon goddess!
Shock aside, there was no crisis of faith. Gods could love too, right? Perfectly normal.
And if the goddess loved the same man she did, didn't that prove her taste was impeccable?
Still, seeing her goddess watch her walk arm-in-arm with her beloved made Atalanta blush shyly.
Among the three, she was the only one who'd only kissed Morpheus once, stirring a restless anticipation in her.
She suddenly looked forward to nightfall.
But for Atalanta, that wish was proving hard to fulfill.
"Set sail?!" Atalanta looked at Drake, puzzled by the sudden departure.
"Yup. I lost, so she's calling the shots now," Drake said, pointing at Mash, who added, "We may need to search other areas of this sea. According to Romani, this region might be a hub for legendary pirates, with plenty of treasures!"
"Exactly, treasures!" Drake exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement, as if she couldn't wait to hunt for gold and jewels.
Morpheus shrugged at Atalanta. "No worries. The ship's big, with plenty of space and time."
Atalanta lowered her head, only to hear laughter. Turning, she saw Artemis chuckling at her.
Atalanta fumbled for words as Artemis approached, grinning. "If you'd been more honest back then, you might've been together by now."
"Lady Artemis, I-I…" Atalanta murmured, then lifted her head. "I've chosen him!"
"Good choice. Better taste than most!"
Meanwhile, Mash and Ritsuka confirmed the stranger's identity... Medea. Was this place turning into a Greek hero convention? All the Servants so far were Greek, and they all seemed here for Morpheus.
Mash's earpiece buzzed with a frantic voice.
"They're all here! How are all his closest allies here?!"
It was Olga Marie, clearly losing it somewhere back at Chaldea.
Ritsuka, hearing this, shrugged. "Some people just can't take the initiative. Without change, we'll see more of this."
Mash didn't quite follow, but Ritsuka seemed to understand everything.
Once aboard, Drake set the massive ship in motion, larger than even the Argo Morpheus had once sailed.
Finding a quiet, private cabin was easy for them.
With Drake in charge and Mash and Ritsuka outside, any pirate threats likely wouldn't require their intervention.
Watching Morpheus and company leave, Ritsuka wore an envious look.
Mash, curious, asked, "Senpai, want to join them?"
"Nah."
"Then?"
"I just think Morpheus lives so freely. He doesn't care about appearances. He acts purely on his desires, within reason," Ritsuka said. "Most people would worry about showing their best side, at least to seem less… lustful."
"Oh, I get it. You mean Morpheus-senpai's a flirt."
Ritsuka almost denied it but, realizing Morpheus wouldn't care, nodded. "Yup, that's what I mean!"
She laughed. "That's why the Director's so frustrated."
"Huh?"
"If Morpheus showed even a hint of hesitation or cared about his image, the Director could use it to pressure him into choosing one person. But he doesn't, so there's no leverage."
"When someone's shameless, they're unstoppable. This guy's shameless in love," Drake, who'd appeared beside them, chimed in.
She licked her lips. "Besides, a guy who catches so many women's eyes… maybe he's got something special."
"Special?" Mash thought of strength.
"Special?" Ritsuka thought elsewhere.
"Like, particularly tasty," Drake said with a mischievous grin.
Mash didn't catch it, but Ritsuka knew she'd guessed right.
…
For a woman forged in the Age of Gods in Greece, baring skin was no big deal. Raised by beasts, a hunter and hero, Atalanta cared even less.
But today, her cheeks burned as she gazed at that man.
Her first time brought fear, but once fulfilled, it was overwhelming... like suddenly possessing the entire world.
The experience was magical, and the rhythm that followed was intoxicating, like savoring the finest wine.
She felt drunk on it.
The sensation was so exquisite, unforgettable, urging her to indulge further.
Time sped by; blissful days always did. When she came to, they lay together, silently staring at the ship's deck.
To them, the deck was now the ceiling.
Her wish was fulfilled. The man she'd chosen was finally hers, even if it took ages... long enough for a mortal to live nearly a hundred lives. But she'd waited, and it was worth it.
Ignoring the ache below, she looked at Morpheus, smiling. "Up for more?"
Like a hunter, she challenged her prey.
Clearly, a few times weren't enough. She wanted to stay like this forever.
…
Mash and Ritsuka were surprised. The journey had been safe, aside from odd, duplicated pirate-like monsters... no real threats.
The ship reached a lush, vegetated island, and they went ashore, calling for Morpheus and the others.
Moments later, Drake sensed something, drew her gun, and fired into nearby bushes.
As gunfire rang out, Fou stirred restlessly. Mash asked, puzzled, "What's wrong, Miss Drake? Enemies?"
"Nah, just felt something and took a shot."
Mash was baffled. "'Felt something' and 'took a shot'…?"
Drake's logic was hard to follow.
Drake explained, "When you get a bad feeling, shoot to scare it off. Survival trick!"
Mash was stunned by the reckless mindset. "So brutal… Is this an outlaw's way of thinking?!"
Ritsuka, meanwhile, wondered, "Did you hit anything?"
"Haha, gotta check to know!" Drake laughed, heading toward where she'd fired.
Mash hesitated. "Miss Drake's nothing like Jeanne or Nero. She's a type I've never encountered… Senpai, our cautious advance plan's failed. What now?"
"No big deal. Let's go check it out. Besides, they're just sightseeing over there," Ritsuka said, pointing at Morpheus and company enjoying the scenery, grinning. "So, relax."
Drake's voice called out, "Hey, come look at this!"
They hurried to her, finding her staring at a stone tablet.
The tablet bore runes. Seeing no one could read them, Morpheus stepped forward.
"I've got this."
"Pretty recent, maybe a week old?" Da Vinci's voice came through the communicator, clearly seeing the runes too.
Morpheus and Da Vinci translated simultaneously.
"The once-slumbering Bloodaxe King will awaken here again."
Da Vinci, surprised, asked, "You know runes too?"
Morpheus nodded. "Of course. My profession demands it. I can read most scripts and understand most languages."
Da Vinci laughed. "Oh, right, the Bloodaxe King... sounds familiar."
"Bloodaxe King, the Viking king who ruled Norway in the ninth century!" Romani shouted. "Be careful... the tablet's signature matches those pirate duplicates!"
As he spoke, more ghostly pirate-like figures appeared, only to be swiftly dispatched by the group.
Then, a stronger presence emerged... a bare-chested man wielding a giant axe, eyes glowing red, glaring at them.
He let out a bizarre, guttural roar, interspersed with a broken self-introduction.
"Gagagaga! I! I am! Eric! The great, Eric!"
His words carried a rhythmic cadence.
"Grah! Kill! All who block me, kill! All dead! Jijiji!"
Morpheus thought the man was utterly mad, beyond saving.
Before the pitiful Viking king could attack, Mash struck. Thanks to Morpheus' training, her shield maintained a partial release state.
The energy-charged shield slammed into Eric, knocking the Viking king to the ground.
Simultaneously, Ritsuka drew her sword, cleaving Eric in two with one slash!
He didn't even get to show his valor before disintegrating into light, vanishing into the ether.
"That sword's your work?" Artemis, sharp-eyed, noticed something about Ritsuka's blade and asked.
Morpheus nodded. "Yup, made it for her to protect the world. A backup if anything goes wrong."
He turned to Drake. "Captain, we keep moving?"
***
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