Seizing the moment, Morgan raised her wand high and slammed it down onto the deck, the clear, ringing crack echoing across the suddenly silent sky and sea.
Countless chains burst forth from the surrounding void, surging from all directions straight toward Kirschtaria's position.
Using Astromancy Magecraft on such a scale would have been one thing if it had succeeded.
But Kirschtaria not only failed to achieve his objective, he also had to guard against the threat of being overwhelmed by Shiomi's counterattack. The cost of sustaining such large-scale Astromancy far exceeded his estimates, leaving his magical energy unable to keep up.
The Fairy Eyes took in everything.
Morgan launched her ambush.
The mana driving the leylines to seal and suppress the armaments came largely from conversions within Chaldea's power system.
After an hour of uninterrupted bombardment, Morgan still retained the strength to strike decisively.
This was the moment to bring down Kirschtaria and uproot the Crypter who stood at the heart of this Lostbelt.
Even if he died, as long as the body remained, Shiomi could revive him. Under certain conditions, even a conditional resurrection was possible.
With that in mind, Morgan had no intention of holding back.
She rarely carried out executions with her own hands, yet as she tightened her grip for the killing blow, her fingers still trembled instinctively.
"Hehehe~, wishful thinking!"
A proud, haughty voice rang out without warning. Beating wings swept aside the chains that Kirschtaria had no way to evade, dispersing Morgan's attack in an instant.
Orange-red hair flowed freely, and two pairs of wings of different forms spread wide behind her.
Wearing a cold, disdainful smile, she looked down at Shiomi below, as well as the people aboard the Storm Border behind him.
"Aphrodite." Shiomi stared straight at her. "Did you defeat… no, did you kill my master and the others?"
"I did intend to kill them," Aphrodite replied, casually gripping Kirschtaria by the back. "But right now, there are matters more important than killing those people. Zeus still needs this man as an ally. He cannot be captured, and he cannot be killed."
"Is that really so?" Shiomi said, his gaze never leaving Aphrodite.
He noticed she looked somewhat disheveled. Most likely, she had been caught between his master and Artoria, forced into an awkward position, and used the chaos of his battle with Kirschtaria to withdraw from the island.
As for her claim that it was Zeus's order, it was probably true, at least in part.
Skadi and Morgan arrived behind Shiomi one after the other.
Morgan stood upon the surface of the sea, while Skadi hovered in midair.
"Hmph… so even with me stepping in personally, I still can't stop Chaldea's advance." Kirschtaria accepted his defeat calmly, without a hint of anger. "However, Professor Shiomi, you and Chaldea have proven your strength. Allowing you to set foot on Olympus would be extremely dangerous."
"So you're running?" Shiomi said.
"It's a retreat," Kirschtaria replied. "Atlantis and this sea are yours. But I'll make thorough preparations within the 'Void Cavern.'"
Clearly, Kirschtaria had abandoned his previous strategy of scattering his forces and repeatedly searching for chances to annihilate Chaldea.
With Artemis gone, the Lostbelt had also lost its absolute dominance of the skies.
And given Chaldea's talent for concealment, Artemis had never been able to pose a truly effective threat in the first place.
At that moment, Shiomi noticed Peperoncino moving toward Hinako Akuta and the other two, seemingly preparing to take them away from the area.
Elsewhere, Demeter rose into the air once more, drifting toward Aphrodite's side.
"If you want to chase us, then come," she said. "Next time, I'll make you understand exactly what it means to stand against the Goddess of Love and Beauty."
Recalling Artemis's form in satellite orbit, Shiomi had every reason to believe that both Aphrodite and Demeter possessed manifestations similar to that one.
Besides, Shiomi himself had another problem to deal with…
Seeing that Chaldea had no intention of pursuing them, Kirschtaria and his group withdrew, vanishing from the sea.
Only Demeter lingered for a moment longer, casting a deep, lingering look at Shiomi before leaving.
Once their figures disappeared, all that remained before his eyes were countless shattered warships drifting across the ocean, the corpses of magical beasts, and the bodies of fallen Olympian soldiers.
"Their presence is completely gone," Morgan said, not especially disappointed.
"Don't chase a cornered enemy" and "chase a cornered enemy" could both be right. It all depended on the moment.
"We received Scáthach's transmission. They're coming toward the coast of Hecate Island," Skadi reported, confirming his master and the others were safe.
Shiomi trusted his master's strength, but he couldn't help worrying about the danger of fighting Aphrodite. Once he knew they were all right, the last knot in his chest finally loosened.
"Is that so? Then… good…"
His legs suddenly went weak. He could no longer maintain his footing on the water, and his body pitched straight down into the sea.
Fortunately, Morgan reacted instantly and caught him in her arms.
"My husband?"
"Looks like… I overdid it… a little…"
Shiomi's head drooped. His whole body hung limp, fingertips trembling faintly, not a shred of strength left to give.
"The ritual, the Noble Phantasm, the Reality Marble, and then going up against that young man's Astromancy Magecraft…" Skadi descended beside him, helping Morgan support Shiomi's weight. "Even I wouldn't dare fight with that little restraint. I can't believe you held on until they were gone before you finally collapsed."
That was exactly why Shiomi had watched Kirschtaria's group withdraw without pursuing.
Everyone had burned through more or less of their reserves in that fight, and he had already reached his limit. If he chased them recklessly now, he'd only become dead weight, and there was even a chance he'd be captured.
"If I stop putting on a front, who knows how many casualties the next fight will cost," he murmured.
By the time he finished speaking, Morgan and Skadi had already carried him onto the Storm Border's deck and laid him down.
The ship began moving in to dock, preparing to end its combat posture.
Several Nemo sailors in charge of duties rushed out with a stretcher in hand.
With internal communications restored, Olga Marie saw Shiomi's exhausted state at a glance. She immediately ordered the sailors to take him in and escort him back to his room to rest.
"…I'm not even injured. This is a bit much," Shiomi muttered. He was so drained that even talking felt like work, but he couldn't help himself.
"Get some proper rest. We'll make you a potion that restores you quickly," Morgan said.
Skadi nodded. "We gathered plenty of rare herbs in Atlantis. The results should be excellent."
"Mm…"
No matter how many years passed, Shiomi still hated taking medicine, and he could already tell his good days weren't over yet.
After all, among the top Magus at his side, the one everyone called Orange was probably the worst at making potions.
He squeezed his eyes shut in "misery," deciding he'd sleep first and deal with the rest later.
At least dreams were sweet…