While Yuuya and the others were testing their strength in the [Heavenly Realm], Lexia and Luna, who had received permission from her father, King Arnold, were moving forward with their plan to study abroad in the world where Yuuya was living.
As Lexia walked down the castle's corridor in high spirits, Owen looked at her strangely.
Then Lexia noticed Owen and immediately gave him an order.
"Owen, let's go to the Great Devil's Nest."
"…..Huh?"
The remark was so out of the blue that it made Owen freeze. But Lexia did not seem to mind and continued.
"The sooner, the better, you know! We have to leave as soon as possible!"
"W-wait a minute!"
"I won't wait! We've got to get ready now!"
"Eehh? Ah, Le-Lexia-sama!"
"…Hah. I can't wait to see what's ahead of us…"
Luna sighed in vain as she walked behind Lexia, and Owen was forced to head for the Great Devil's Nest without knowing anything about the situation.
＊＊＊
Then the scene was once again set in the [Heavenly Realm]──.
"This is our base."
"Oh…"
A few moments after Dea-san's shocking words, we went to visit the base of the observers.
Normally, we could move around in an instant with Dea-san and her group's divine authority, but they went out of their way to make us move around on foot so that we could see as much of this world as possible.
The scenery of this town of these observers was very simple, with only a few small houses dotting the streets, just like Kamakura houses.
There were no distinctive buildings, nor were there any vehicles coming and going. It was really just a row of houses that looked like Kamakura houses.
It was very fantastic with the surrounding atmosphere, but I was a little surprised because I expected the observers to be living in a more amazing place.
Perhaps sensing my feelings, Gwen-san, who had been assigned to show us around, told us.
"From your perspective, it looks like a simple town, doesn't it?"
"T-that's right."
"But that is from the perspective of those in the lower worlds, where it takes a lot of effort to get something."
"Eh?"
"We can create anything we want. For example… tell me what you want."
"Eehh?"
E-even if I suddenly asked for something I wanted…
W-what do I want?
"U-um… a TV?"
After all, we don't have a TV in our house on Earth.
Oh, by the way, we must have run out of eggs, and I want some eggs too. I'll have to go buy some when I get back.
As I recall the things I need for daily life on Earth, Gwen-san gave me a subtle look.
"How should I put it…? Even though you're from the lower world, you're strangely ordinary."
"I-is that so?"
"Well, that's fine. Just watch."
After saying that, Gwen-san stuck out his right hand.
The next moment, the [Divine Authority] explained early by Dea-san appeared on Gwen's right palm. It shook greatly, and transformed into a huge flat-screen TV!
"E-eehh!"
(…A truly mysterious power.)
While everyone was amazed at Gwen-san's power, he continued indifferently.
"This is the power of the divine authority, the power of us observers. Because of this power, we can create anything we need. Hence, we don't need things."
"Y-you can create anything, you say…? Even human beings?"
When Iris-san asked this, Gwen-san tilted his head in wonder.
"Why do you think it can't be created?"
"What?"
"Ah, come to think of it… neither your world of Argena nor the Earth was directly created by us. However, there are countless worlds in this world that we observers have created from scratch. It is observers like us who have created the great ancestors of the human beings who now live there. Besides, we do not have the same basic needs as you do."
"You mean, like appetite?"
"Yes. Therefore, we do not need entertainment; we do not need to eat or sleep. We don't need to reproduce, and we only create our mates with our divine authority. There is no concept of life span. Perhaps that is why you call us gods."
"I see… So you are indeed gods. There was no way we could win from the beginning."
When Odis-san recalled the battle with Gwen-san and had a bitter look on his face, Iris-san came up to me as if she had just remembered.
"I mean, Yuuya-kun! You won against this god-like being, didn't you? When did you become so strong?"
(Speaking of which… I never thought you'd become that strong, no matter how much I told you to train yourself.)
"Rather, you were strong enough to make us, the Holy, lose face."
Iris-san and the others, including Yuti and Gwen-san, asked me with interest.
"Interested. Yuuya, you were sent to the past world after the attack of the Evil cult, and as soon as you came back from there, you became abnormally strong."
"I'd like to know about that too. How did you get that much power while being from a lower world?"
"U-uh… it's a long story, but…"
I once again told them about my experiences in the past world.
Lanael-san had explained briefly to them before, but she had kept quiet about the fact that I had defeated the false dragon with Sage-san because it was difficult to explain such things, as the information had already been erased from the world.
But this time, when I revealed that as well, they were all appalled.
"Y-you met the sage…?"
"A-and that he had trained you…"
"…There were two Genesis Dragons? I never thought that even my memory was being manipulated…"
While each of them was shocked by other matters, Gwen-san was also greatly shocked.
"I-is the sage you speak of that much of a person…?"
"Yes. The reason I was able to defeat the false dragon and Gwen-san was all thanks to Sage-san… Zenovis-san."
"….."
From Gwen-san's point of view, it would not be very believable.
Now that I have been shown the divine authority that I just saw, I can understand why observers are called gods.
It must be very hard to believe that there are beings in the lower world who are as powerful as or more powerful than such observers.
"Um… I know that I've met him directly, but as for Zenovis-san, I feel that it's useless to think about this or that…"
"Astonished. I'm surprised that Yuuya would say that much… Right?"
"Woof?"
"Fugo?"
"Pii!"
Yuti asked, and Night and the others nodded.
"Anyway, Zenovis-san is an amazing person."
"Umm… then he should help us all the more…"
Well, from Gwen-san's perspective, it must be painful not to be able to borrow Sage-san's help.
"…Of course, we can't do as much as Zenovis-san, but we'll do our best too!"
"…No, I don't blame Yuuya-dono. Putting the rest aside, just being able to borrow Yuuya-dono's help is a big deal."
"Don't you think that the way you say it is kind of annoying?"
"We respect those who have the ability. Hence, I am just stating the facts."
"…I'll make sure to shut you up."
While Iris-san was getting determined to fight against Gwen-san's words, Odis-san suddenly asked him something that was bothering him.
"By the way… your leader, Dea-dono, told us to quit being human, but is that to acquire divine authority? Or are we to become observers like you?"
C-certainly, if we were to acquire divine authority, we would be able to handle it like Gwen-san… it would be a terrible thing.
First of all, we wouldn't have to worry about daily necessities. If we run out, we can just create them.
And with the way he talks, he could produce foodstuffs and really live without having to go outside the house.
…Somehow, my thought process reeks of common people, but I shouldn't be concerned about that.
Anyway, there is a possibility that we can obtain power that is too heavy for human beings.
Gwen-san shook his head.
"No, as expected, even if you obtain divine authority through this training, you won't be able to obtain the power of an observer like us."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. No matter how much you deviate from being a human, you are still a lower-world being. Therefore, it is impossible to escape the laws of the lower world. But even so, you can acquire enough divine authority to inflict a wound on a false god."
"I see…"
"So, although it is not as applicable as Gwen-san's group, it is possible to acquire the power to use it as a fighting force.
Or rather, now that I think about it, status-wise, I'm not a human, but a transcendent species, which is a mysterious species.
I feel like I've already quit being human, but I never thought I'd quit being human in earnest with this training…
After walking around the city for a while, we reached a particular house.
"This is the house you will be using."
It was a pure white house, just like everything else around it.
When I touched it with my hand, I felt a strange sensation.
Moreover, although it looked small from the outside, when we entered the house, we found that the space inside was quite large, and there were even rooms set for each member of our group. This must be another special space created by the divine authority.
I suddenly activated my [Identification] skill, but nothing was displayed.
"As a matter of fact, I don't think the laws of your world will apply in this world."
"Y-yes."
It seemed that he knew I had used my skills and warned me.
"Nevertheless, you can use the laws that work on yourselves. It's engraved in your body."
I see. So that's why I could activate [Holy Evil Creation] or [Magic Armor]?
As each of us looked around the house, Gwen-san called out.
"Tomorrow, you will undergo the trial for renouncing your human nature. By the way, no matter how long you spend in this world, you will never age, but rather you will grow in your present state. That is how different the flow of time and the load on the body is in comparing your world and the [Heavenly Realm]. And if you can successfully win the battle against the false gods, we will return you to the time you came here."
"That would be much appreciated."
I knew from my reunion with Lanael-san that the flow of time was different, but I was relieved when it was explained again. It would be no laughing matter if I could win against a false god, but when I returned to the original world, it would be a hundred years later.
"Anyway, get some rest today in preparation for tomorrow. See you later."
After saying that, Gwen-san left.
"H-how should I put it… He's really a business-like person, isn't he?"
"Well, we are not here to get acquainted with each other. Isn't that fine?"
"T- that's true, but…"
(We were told that our bodies would stop aging, but it appears that we're not hungry either.)
"Oh, now that you mention it…"
Since I had moved quite a bit in the previous battle, it would not be surprising if I was hungry, but I did not feel particularly hungry, as if I were in a state of fullness, and it did not seem to matter if I ate or not at this point.
"I wonder if we really need to sleep as well?"
When Odis-san mentioned this, Ouma-san, who had been sleeping at his own pace since he came to this world, opened his mouth.
"Fuwahh… you can sleep if you want to. Just like that guy said, you have a lot of things to do tomorrow, don't you? I think you should focus on getting some rest instead of thinking about this and that right now."
"Woof…"
"Fugo."
"Pii."
Night and the others looked at Ouma-san, dumbfounded, but Ouma-san fell asleep again without paying attention to them.
"W-well, putting aside Ouma-san himself, I think what he is saying is right, so let's rest for the time being."
"Affirmative. I'll take a look at the room."
"Right."
"Suggestion. Yuuya."
"Eh?"
While I was thinking that each of us would be resting in our respective rooms, Yuti told me with a serious expression on her face.
"Rest. I don't feel sleepy, but I need rest. So let me use Yuuya's bath."
"Bath?"
"Ara, Yuuya, you have such a useful item! If that's the case… since you have it, let's use it."
The unexpected turn of events surprised everyone, and they all ended up taking a bath before going to bed altogether.
＊＊＊
"──This is the first time for Yuti-chan and me to spend time together alone like this, isn't it?"
"Affirmative."
After Yuuya prepared the bath, Yuti took a bath with Iris as the ladies took the first bath.
Originally, Yuti came to live at Yuuya's house and started taking baths there habitually, and before she knew it, she had come to like the idea of taking baths.
Seeing Yuti relaxing slowly, Iris smiles and looks a little sad.
"…It would have been better if she had been here, too."
"….."
Iris was referring to the "Bow Saint" who had been Yuti's master, and Yuti understood immediately that she was talking about her.
Then Iris bowed her head to Yuti.
"I am sorry. When your master was in trouble, we couldn't do anything about it. That's why you are──"
"Stop. That's enough."
Yuti says quietly.
"Useless. Master is dead, and I tried to destroy the world. No matter what I say, the past will never change."
"….."
Yuti is right; even if Iris apologizes here, Yuti's master will not come back, and Yuti herself cannot undo her own mistakes.
However──.
"Change. Before, I wanted to take revenge on this world that abandoned my master. But Yuuya accepted me like that. It is true that my heart is still painful, and I cannot forgive those who betrayed my master. But… I know that I'm not the only one like that now. It's okay."
"…I see."
Iris smiled gently at Yuti, who looked straight ahead.
"Alright! Then Onee-san will wash your back, Yuti-chan!"
"Excited. Please do. I'll wash Iris's back, too."
──Thus, Yuti and Iris enjoyed the bath while deepening their friendship.
＊＊＊
Meanwhile, Yuuya and the others bathed after Iris and Yuti, but…
(…..)
"….."
"….."
"Woof…"
"Fugo~"
"Piii~"
──There was an indescribable feeling in the air.
Both Usagi and Odis were immersed in the bathtub, silent, not moving a muscle.
"….."
(…..)
Unable to bear this situation, Yuuya finally opened his mouth.
"U-um… would you like me to wash your backs?"
(Hmm. You don't have to be concerned about it.)
"N-no. I'll wash Night and the others, too, anyway…"
(Is that so…? Then, please.)
"Yes. Please do me too."
When Yuuya and the others got out of the bath, they each chose a room and rested their bodies in preparation for tomorrow.