After ending the Imaginary Submersion, when the Storm Border returned to the skies above the Bleached Earth, those aboard could already observe an enormous surge of Mana coming from the storm wall surrounding the Lostbelt.
It felt as though an explosion could erupt at any moment, tearing open the violent barrier and dragging most of the outer regions into the devastation.
Before Romani could decide whether to initiate another Imaginary Dive to evade the blast, the storm wall began to dissipate—and the explosion had already occurred.
Under the immense magical pressure, the storm wall swelled like a balloon pushed to its limit. Just as it seemed about to burst, it suddenly contracted, settling back into stillness.
Then, as the Lostbelt vanished, the storm wall faded with it, leaving no trace upon the planet's surface. What remained was only the same Bleached Earth seen elsewhere—blank and empty.
A ray of light flared into existence on the deck of the Storm Border. From within it emerged the figure of "Unity God Morgan."
Seeing that the Lostbelt had disappeared without a trace, she let out a small breath of relief and casually brushed the dust from her clothes.
"As expected," Shiomi said. "The detonation of the Crystal Mountains was arranged in advance by the Alien Apostle, then triggered by the 'Alien God.' It looks like they meant for us to be buried along with the Lostbelt."
"Even so, to suppress the Crystal Mountains within the scale of the Lostbelt's destruction, and then escape using 'Independent Manifestation'…" Morgan chuckled softly. "My husband, how many more surprises are you hiding from me?"
"You were the one leading it. I should be the one saying you're too much of a genius—mastering my power that quickly," Shiomi replied dryly.
Morgan's smile only widened.
She drew in a slow breath. "It's time to release the 'Unity God' state. Even I can feel the strain of maintaining it. Are you all right, my husband?"
"…Probably."
Hearing the uncertainty in his voice, Morgan let out a quiet sigh.
Then they released it.
Fatigue crashed over her like a tidal wave. Morgan nearly lost her footing and collapsed onto the deck.
Shiomi reached out to support her, but he was hardly in better shape. What would normally have been effortless now felt unexpectedly difficult.
They ended up clutching each other, swaying in the wind atop the deck for quite a while before finally managing to sit down, just shy of collapsing outright.
"It's a formidable power, but the cost is equally heavy," Morgan said, holding Shiomi's hand.
"Yeah. We didn't have any rehearsal—it was all improvised in the moment," Shiomi nodded seriously. "If you and I hadn't already achieved perfect harmony, I probably wouldn't have lasted even three minutes."
As a brand-new form debuting in battle against the 'Alien God,' lasting more than five minutes was already an achievement.
"Perfect harmony, hm…" Morgan rolled the words over her tongue and gave him a charming smile. "I won't ask what kind of 'perfect' you're referring to."
"Wouldn't asking kill the mood a little?" Shiomi rubbed his nose, looking faintly guilty.
Morgan watched him quietly. "Then why not use something this powerful sooner?"
"…Because there was still a trace of hesitation in my heart." Shiomi shook his head. "If I hadn't seen Zeus with my own eyes and realized the gap between myself and a Chief God, I probably wouldn't have revealed my divine name and completed my own Divine Core."
"A completed Divine Core…" Morgan gently cupped Shiomi's face. "So aside from me, can the others do this with you as well?"
"No." Shiomi shook his head.
"…Because there's no perfect harmony?" Morgan raised a brow. "You're always together, aren't you?"
"Perfect harmony is only one of the conditions. It also requires the accumulation of thousands of years." Shiomi shook his head. "Besides, Master isn't dead—she's an existence that isn't a god, yet is almost like one. Artoria and Scathach are goddesses to begin with. If I attempted 'union' with them, it would likely result in our Divine Cores devouring and merging with each other.
"As for Touko, she's still a human Magus. She simply doesn't have the necessary qualifications."
"Only Morgan—who has lived for over six thousand years as a Fairy of Paradise—can accomplish this."
"In short, I'm the only one who's truly special, right?" Morgan's eyes gleamed with a trace of smug delight.
Shiomi nodded again. "Yeah. I'm not lying. And also—"
"And also?"
"This is my way of making up for what I owe you." Shiomi frowned, guilt plain on his face. "I left you behind again… Even if I managed to come back in the end, I still feel like I need to do something…"
"It's already enough."
Morgan understood.
She had gone through this twice already—twice experiencing the kind of emotional upheaval that turned her world upside down. She didn't want to endure a third time.
Especially that helplessness—watching him walk away alone, powerless to stop him, unable to do anything.
But Shiomi had found a way to answer her feelings. A way to reassure her.
By becoming one, they hadn't just gained greater strength and a means to confront stronger enemies. He had given her something else—an unprecedented sense of security.
No matter what lay ahead, no matter how the world might change, that would not.
Such a tangible sense of belonging… She had once believed that feeling could never deepen beyond what she already knew. Yet once again, Shiomi had overturned her understanding.
It couldn't be described in words.
It was simply the certainty that even if heaven and earth dissolved back into chaos and creation began anew, they would never be separated.
That certainty was intoxicating.
More importantly, from now on, the way she fought alongside him would change.
Just thinking about it made any unknown hardship seem trivial. Morgan tightened her arms around the man she loved beyond measure, as if holding fast to the dream of her entire life.
"But in that case, someone else will have to handle the leylines-blocking armament from now on," Morgan said with a smile.
"Baobhan Sith should be able to manage. Teach her properly," Shiomi replied with a grin. "Or we could have Sakura take a turn?"
"Let them rotate. Operating that consumes a great deal of Mana. They're not me—their control over Mana still has a long way to go," Morgan said, her tone slightly stern.
"Yeah. We can figure it out later." Shiomi turned to look toward the cabin.
The Storm Border had already landed on the bleached surface. Master and the others had come out from inside, ready to welcome them.
"There's something more important to deal with first." Morgan's gaze fell on Melusine.
In her half-dragon, half-fairy form, her Mana hovered at the brink of losing control, as though she might revert to the Dragon of Albion at any moment.
She was watching them anxiously, like a child who thought she had done something wrong.
Even though… she hadn't.
Supporting one another, Shiomi and Morgan walked over to Melusine.
"Lift your head. You didn't do anything wrong. If anything, I should be thanking you. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to fight properly when I rushed back to the detached palace."
As he spoke, he raised a finger and gently tapped Melusine's forehead.
The dragon maiden returned once more to her fairy form.