Haimer turned his head.
And there she was.
——Amou Kirukiru.
She was wearing a white button-down shirt. The oversized hem just barely covered the tops of her thighs, leaving a pair of long, straight legs fully on display. Her hair was loose, falling freely around her shoulders, still dripping — droplets sliding down the curve of her neck and disappearing beneath her collar.
"Why didn't you soak a little longer?" he asked.
"From the looks of it, Hestia and the others are going to be in there for a good while yet."
"And what of it?"
"My God is thinking," Amou Kirukiru said, her tone light and unhurried.
Her hands didn't slow.
Instead, they glided from Haimer's temples to the back of his head, gently kneading the pressure points there.
"As a member of his Familia,"
"would it not be a dereliction of duty to go off enjoying myself and leave my God sitting here alone in the cold?"
"And besides..."
Amou Kirukiru paused.
The hand resting on Haimer's shoulder slid slowly along his collarbone, her fingertips tracing a path through the fabric of his shirt — the pressure controlled to a masterful degree.
"No matter how perfect the water temperature, without my God beside me, I always feel like something is missing."
"Because soaking with the others,"
"holds no interest for me."
Hearing that.
Haimer let out a helpless breath. He raised his hand and gave the back of hers — still resting against his chest — a light, gentle pat.
"You..."
"If Hestia ever heard you say something like that, she'd tear the roof down."
"That little vinegar jar is probably keeping a very close eye on you right about now."
"That's the short goddess's problem, not mine."
Amou Kirukiru was entirely unbothered.
"Besides," she added.
"The howling of a sore loser is rather amusing to listen to now and then."
"Being able to make that goddess of hers stamp her feet in fury —"
"that's its own kind of entertainment, isn't it?"
This girl...
She had genuinely started treating Hestia as a plaything.
Haimer could only shake his head in resignation.
But.
Before he could say anything,
Amou Kirukiru shifted, settling both hands back onto his shoulders.
Her thumbs pressed down with intent — firm, steady, working in slow circles.
The pressure was exactly right.
Astonishingly practiced. The push and pull of her fingers flowed with seamless, natural precision.
It was obvious she had done this many times before.
"Oh?"
Even Haimer was a little surprised. He felt his body relax on its own, leaning back into the chair, yielding to those hands moving along his shoulders and neck.
"You're unexpectedly good at this," he said, with genuine admiration.
After all.
Given Amou Kirukiru's personality — the kind where her answer to everything was just to swing a blade harder — it was difficult to imagine her having the patience to master something this precise.
"It's all thanks to my training days, when I was on my own," she said.
"Whether it was deep mountain forests or death-match dojos —"
"when I got hurt, when I was exhausted, there was no one to help. I had to work the soreness out myself."
"Because."
"If you want to grow stronger, your body is your foundation."
"If you don't knead the fatigue out of your muscles, the next day's training slows by a fraction."
"And that fraction —"
"is the difference between winning and losing."
"Do that long enough,"
"and it becomes second nature."
There was something in Amou Kirukiru's voice — the texture of memory.
No complaint in it whatsoever.
For the sake of growing stronger.
For the sake of chasing that summit of "the absolute strongest" —
Amou Kirukiru had truly paid a price most people could never fathom.
"That must have been hard," Haimer said softly.
Nothing sentimental in it. Simply the quiet acknowledgment of one who recognized a seeker's dedication.
At those words.
The fingers kneading his shoulders faltered — just slightly.
Then.
"Hard?..." Amou Kirukiru murmured under her breath.
She lowered her head.
And broke into a slow grin.
"That didn't count as hard."
"Because what I intend to do in the future is follow in my God's footsteps."
"And eventually — even beyond that..."
Amou Kirukiru leaned in.
Her lips brushed the shell of his ear, the tip of her tongue grazing lightly.
"I'm going to devour my God whole."
This was how she expressed her love for Haimer.
Grow stronger. Surpass. Conquer.
Haimer could only smile helplessly.
What grand ambitions. Boundless hunger, always.
And it was precisely because of that —
that Amou Kirukiru was, in his eyes, one of a kind.
At that, Amou Kirukiru's fingers pressed down again, this time with a touch more force.
*
Meanwhile.
At the far end of the first-floor corridor.
The thick bathroom door muffled most of the noise from the outside world — but it couldn't hold back the heat.
Inside the bath.
Steam drifted everywhere.
Tiny beads of water clung to the rock walls, sliding down the natural grooves of the stone.
"Splash——"
Water churned.
Somewhere in the haze of steam.
Hestia was leaning against the edge of the pool.
Most of her face was submerged.
Her black hair fanned out across the water's surface.
Only her pair of round blue eyes peeked above the waterline, staring vacantly at a small wooden bucket bobbing on the surface.
——The bucket rocked gently with the current.
Much like her own thoughts, drifting and slightly unmoored.
She was unconsciously blowing bubbles.
"Blub blub blub..."
A string of bubbles rose from beneath the surface and popped at the top.
The hot water had washed away every last bit of weariness.
And taken her brain along with it.
Hestia's mind was a blissful blank — only "this feels amazing," "don't want to move," and "what should we eat tonight" floating around in lazy rotation.
However.
That pleasantly dulled state didn't last long.
A wave — the ripple from Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina's water war — slapped directly against Hestia's face.
"Pbwah!"
Having held her breath far too long, Hestia had no choice but to shoot upright, gasping for air.
Droplets cascaded down the visually striking curves of her chest.
Rolling through that breathtaking valley.
And dropping into the water below.
Sending tiny ripples spreading outward.
She swiped the water from her face with a haphazard swipe of her hand.
Blinking, a little dazed, she looked left and right.
Her gaze swept first to Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina, who were having the time of their lives hurling water at each other over in the corner.
"Those two... they really never run out of energy, do they."
Hestia muttered.
Then.
Instinctively, she scanned the rest of the bath.
Looking for a particular figure — the one who was always finding ways to get under her skin.
Normally, at a moment like this,
that Amou Kirukiru person
would surely have taken the opportunity to lob some jibe her way — something like "drowned rat goddess" or worse.
But.
No matter how thoroughly she swept the pool with her eyes —
she even dunked her head underwater to check — though all she saw down there was a forest of pale white thighs —
that particular figure was nowhere to be found.
Of everyone in the bathhouse.
There was only one person missing.
"Hm?"
Hestia's brow furrowed.
The sense that something was off grew stronger and stronger.
She swept the room again — the two little ones splashing away with boundless energy over there (seriously, where does it all come from?).
Then Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary, who were busy scrubbing each other's backs.
Then Hanasaka Warabi, huddled in the corner with a thunderously sour expression on her face.
And finally...
Hestia even plunged her head underwater once more for good measure.
No Amou Kirukiru.
"Hm?"
"Something's not right."
"Where is Amou?"
Hestia surfaced with a splash, shaking the water from her hair.
"Ah..."
At that, Onigawara Rin — who had been helping the Holy Emperor scrub her back — paused, her hands going still.
Her expression became a touch awkward.
Her eyes wandered.
She pointed vaguely toward the closed door.
"Amou... she, uh... I think she slipped out a little while ago."
"Said she'd soaked enough..."
"And wanted to go report today's results to Kami-sama."
"What?!"
"She left?!"
The moment those words landed,
Hestia's eyes went wide.
Her blue pupils contracted sharply.
A massive wave of crisis crashed over her heart.
A man and a woman, alone together?
And on top of that — this morning, in Haimer's room, she had seen the look on Amou Kirukiru's face as she got up from that bed.
That expression — provocative, satisfied, even a little smug.
Even someone as blissfully oblivious as Hestia.
Right now.
Had her mind instantly flooded with a cascade of thoroughly age-inappropriate imagery.
And so.
Hestia panicked.
"Splash——"
The sound rang out.
She made to heave herself right out of the pool.
No hesitation whatsoever.
She hadn't even grabbed a towel.
That expanse of pale white, swaying enough to make eyes swim.
"Hey!"
"Hestia-sama! You're not dressed yet!"
"That's right, Hestia-sama, at least dry off first!"
Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary and the others were startled half to death.
They flung down their towels,
rushed over,
and grabbed hold of Hestia — who already had one leg flung over the edge of the pool —
and physically hauled her back in.
Because really.
If they let Hestia go charging out there stark naked right now,
never mind causing trouble for their Kami-sama — though Kami-sama probably wouldn't mind the view — the situation would become spectacularly chaotic.
Still.
Thinking about how Amou Kirukiru's offensive had truly been growing more and more relentless lately —
she was now even willing to give up precious bath time, seizing every moment she could to stay by Kami-sama's side.
Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary and the others began to feel a creeping sense of urgency themselves.
Especially when they glanced toward the door.
And quietly sighed.
Because.
The competition.
Was just too fierce.
"Uwah!"
"What are you doing!"
"Let go of me!"
"I need to get out there!"
Hestia struggled with everything she had.
"Calm down, Hestia-sama!"
Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary clung to Hestia's waist for dear life.
"Kami-sama and Amou will be fine!"
"And if you run out like this and someone gets an eyeful, then what?!"
"Then they get an eyeful! Who cares!"
"I'm a god! Haimer's a god too!"
"What does it matter?!"
"It matters a great deal!"
A flurry of chaos.
But Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary somehow, eventually, managed to wrestle Hestia back into the water.
...
In the end.
After pulling Hestia back and spending several minutes coaxing her down,
the group finally brought the slightly chaotic bath to a close.
One by one, they toweled off.
Retrieved clothing from the lockers in the changing room, prepared in advance.
The soft rustle of fabric filled the air.
"Creak——"
The door swung open.
Hestia burst out first.
Her hair still damp and clinging to her cheeks, that blue ribbon tied lopsided and loose — clearly knotted in a hurry.
She charged into the hall.
Immediately swept the room with her eyes.
And then.
Froze.
She saw Haimer sitting in his chair, drinking tea.
Amou Kirukiru was standing behind him, fingers working his shoulders in a perfectly proper massage.
A little close, admittedly.
And dressed a little provocatively.
But.
Still within tolerable limits.
"Phew..."
Hestia let out a long, long breath of relief.
But this couldn't go on.
She couldn't just leave things like this.
Hestia pressed her lips together, her expression turning thoughtful as she began quietly scheming in the back of her mind.
Meanwhile.
After washing up and tidying themselves,
the others filed out one after another.
Each one presented a completely refreshed appearance.
Their skin, softened and flushed a healthy pink by the hot water, carried with it a faint, clean fragrance.
"..."
Only.
At the back of the group.
Something was a little off.
The Holy Emperor, walking behind Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary,
was moving with unusual hesitation.
She hadn't emerged the way the others had — naturally, easily.
Instead, she lingered.
She had nearly hidden herself behind Kikakujou Mary entirely, pausing after every step, almost reluctant to look up in Haimer's direction.
Her head stayed low, her hands fidgeting self-consciously with the hem of her skirt.
Because.
Right now.
The Holy Emperor was wearing a pale blue dress.
——One of Kikakujou Mary's personal everyday clothes.
Tailored in the refined Western style that Kikakujou Mary favored,
with a fitted waist
and ruffled cuffs.
For the Holy Emperor,
the dress was a surprisingly good fit in terms of size.
The two of them were roughly the same height, after all.
However.
Compared to the pure white formal robes the Holy Emperor wore every day,
this dress had a neckline
that was cut a touch lower.
After all, Kikakujou Mary was the type built generously.
For Kikakujou Mary herself, it might have been perfectly modest.
But for the Holy Emperor,
the result was a vast expanse of snow-white neck and throat, delicate collarbone, and a considerable amount of cleavage —
all fully exposed to open air.
On that point alone,
this outfit was more than enough to make the Holy Emperor — who had always conducted herself with impeccable decorum as the face of a nation — burn with acute mortification.
Looking down at herself dressed like this, she felt thoroughly, undeniably improper.
Especially when she caught Haimer glancing her way.
The flush on the Holy Emperor's cheeks deepened considerably.
"It... it suits you very well, Holy Emperor-san," Kikakujou Mary said.
Noticing the Holy Emperor's discomfort,
Kikakujou Mary quietly slowed her pace,
falling into step beside her, with a warm smile:
"And honestly, you wear it even better than I do."
"The style complements your air perfectly."
"You're always dressed so formally — just looking at it is exhausting sometimes. A fresh style like this is a breath of fresh air — it really makes you stand out."
"N-no, not at all..."
The Holy Emperor's mind had gone completely blank; her voice came out barely above a whisper.
She lowered her head even further.
She couldn't find any words to answer with.
She could only passively endure the gazes of everyone around her.
In that moment.
She would have given anything to find a crack in the floor and disappear into it.
Noticing this, Kikakujou Mary could only sigh helplessly — and shot a pleading look toward her own Kami-sama.
Haimer's gaze settled on the Holy Emperor, and a gentle smile spread across his face.
"It really does suit you," he said.
"Compared to those robes that keep everyone at arm's length —"
"this look"
"actually suits your age far better, Holy Emperor-san."
"I-is that so..."
"Thank you... Kami-sama..."
Hearing Haimer say that, the Holy Emperor still burned with embarrassment — but the anxiety knotted up inside her dissolved considerably.
Especially when she stole a shy glance upward and found him smiling at her — her heart warmed in spite of itself.
After that.
The others came forward as well.
For each and every member of his Familia,
Haimer was naturally generous with his praise.
And.
Not everyone was as bashful as the Holy Emperor.
Tendou Kisara, for instance, was a great deal more at ease.
She strode out with confident steps, dressed in a spare training outfit of Amou Kirukiru's — a pure white sleeveless compression top paired with loose black practice trousers.
Barefoot on the wooden floor, each step landing with a crisp tap.
The style suited Tendou Kisara — a swordswoman through and through — almost too perfectly.
The compression top traced every line of her upper body — honed taut and powerful from years of swinging a blade — with effortless precision.
Especially the curves of her chest and waist, wrapped in that fitted fabric, radiated a kind of coiled, spring-loaded tension.
Her arms were completely bare, her skin fair and luminous under the light, muscle definition subtly visible — not bulky in the slightest, nor delicate — just right.
She walked to the center of the hall, rolled her wrists, then rolled her shoulders, seeming thoroughly satisfied with the outfit's range of motion.
"Nice clothes," she said.
"Breathable. Easy to move in."
"Better than I expected."
Tendou Kisara glanced over at Amou Kirukiru, the corner of her mouth curving upward.
"Naturally."
"My taste," said Amou Kirukiru, "has always been impeccable."
And that wasn't all.
"Also! Also!"
"Kami-sama! What about us!"
Right on cue.
Aihara Enju came running out from the back, pulling Hiruko Kohina along, and planted themselves in front of Haimer.
There.
Aihara Enju was wearing a bright orange hoodie, vivid as a little sun.
Underneath, a white inner shirt, the cuffs folded up a couple of turns to reveal slim but sturdy wrists.
On the bottom, white cargo shorts — the wide-cut legs making her own legs look even more slender.
On her feet, a pair of brown calf-length leather boots, two jingling clasps hanging from the shaft, clinking with each step.
The whole ensemble, on her, didn't feel bulky in the slightest — instead, it radiated a bright, scrappy energy.
Aihara Enju spun a full circle right in front of Haimer, her two orange-red twin-tails flying outward with the motion, trailing the clean scent of bath soap.
"Well? Well?"
"Kami-sama! This outfit is super cool, right?!"
Done speaking, she tilted her head back and looked up at him, eyes sparkling with little stars, her whole face practically screaming "praise me."
And Hiruko Kohina's outfit was no slouch, either.
She was dressed in a deep navy corduroy pinafore dress, the fabric soft and substantial, worn over a cream-colored knit sweater.
On her head sat a black beret, tilted at a slight angle, its brim pulled down to cover the upper half of her forehead.
The whole look tamped down a considerable amount of that wild, crackling bloodlust she usually carried around — and instead made her look like a precise, polished little window-display doll.
Except those big eyes of hers were still as restless as ever, darting around in every direction — and her hands were equally idle, picking at the copper fastener on her pinafore strap, clearly not yet fully at ease in this new look.
"Oh wow, they're so adorable!"
This kind of scene.
Watching two of Kami-sama's cute little ones make their grand entrance like this.
Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary and the others naturally lit up with delight and broke into applause.
But.
Standing further back, Hanasaka Warabi,
fixed her gaze on the two little ones — and her expression turned decidedly complicated.
Arms folded, back against the wall, lips pressed tight, brow faintly furrowed.
Because.
These outfits they were wearing — every single one of them — were from her private collection.
Clothes she had purchased specifically to make herself look a little more mature.
And the result?
On Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina —
they fit perfectly. Suspiciously perfectly.
Even better than when she wore them herself.
For Hanasaka Warabi — who had been fighting tooth and nail to shed the "little kid" label — this was nothing short of a pointed reminder: her build was on roughly the same level as these two small girls.
Thinking that, Hanasaka Warabi bit down on her teeth, turned her head away, and refused to look at the heartbreaking scene anymore.
Out of sight, out of mind.
"Mm."
"Quite dashing, the both of you."
"It suits you perfectly."
"Easy to move in, and still absolutely adorable."
"It seems Warabi"
"put a great deal of thought into picking these out for you."
The moment Haimer's words faded,
Hanasaka Warabi — who clearly hadn't expected her own God to still take the time to praise her — blinked in startled surprise. Then, instinctively, she turned her head.
And looked directly into Haimer's smiling eyes.
"!!!"
Meeting that gaze,
Hanasaka Warabi's composure collapsed entirely — a flush blazed across her cheeks, burning all the way down to the roots of her neck.
____
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