"Although I didn't have ti to look closely before, I can confirm that the Third Netherworld is a desert region."
On the bridge of the Storm Border, Shiomi was holding a brief strategy eting with Romani and the others.
After all, both their overall direction and their operational policy were already very clear.
While trying to reclaim the authority stolen from Shiomi, they would continue descending through the underground world of Mictlan in search of ORT.
And along the way, they would eliminate any enemies who might beco a threat.
"But for a desert region, the weather is a little too harsh," Olga Marie said as she looked at the footage on the monitor. "This is basically a sandstorm zone, isn't it? Weren't we told there was no guardian here? Sohow it feels even worse than the First Netherworld."
The First Netherworld, governed by Morgan of Proper Human History, had been wrapped in dense fog and turned into a massive natural Magecraft Workshop that amplified the Fairy Queen's power.
"As for that..." Romani switched through several images and displayed them side by side on the screen. "According to the observations from Trisgistus II, this really is a natural phenonon. There are no signs of workshop formation anywhere in the Netherworld, and no barrier has been detected either."
"No, more precisely, the Mana here is just too abundant. If sothing is hiding inside it, that alone could be enough to cover it up."
Sion pushed up her glasses as she added that in a not particularly responsible tone.
Shiomi gave a helpless smile.
"So in short, even if we call it a natural phenonon, we still have to take Mictlan's unusual nature into account. Maybe the distinctive phenonon of the Third Netherworld is connected to the will of Maya?"
"That's the only assumption we can really make," Romani said with a nod. "Also, you said the 'Alien God' is in this place. Are you sure?"
"At the very least, that's what my sense of my own authority is telling ," Shiomi replied with a nod. "If the authority was stolen again by soone like Camazotz, then that would be a different possibility."
Speculation was one thing, but considering the overwhelming power of the 'Alien God,' there were probably not many beings in Mictlan capable of defeating her and taking sothing from her.
Kukulkan was one possibility.
Then there was Tezcatlipoca fighting at full power in his chief god form.
And also Camazotz, whom they had just ntioned. Though that man had claid he had returned to the Fourth Netherworld to recuperate and would wait there for Chaldea to arrive.
Judging by the structure of Mictlan's Netherworld layers, the Fourth Netherworld was most likely the eighth layer of the underground world itself, the final checkpoint before reaching Mictlan's deepest depths.
"Then for now, let's proceed on the assumption that the 'Alien God' is hiding sowhere in the Third Netherworld," Romani said.
"We'll start the operation five hours from now," Olga Marie added. "Since it's a desert region, the temperature inside the Third Netherworld is probably going to be very high, and the environnt itself is extrely harsh. Even for Teacher as the Unity God, and for Lady Morgan, it's bound to have so effect."
"Yeah, probably a little," Shiomi said with an easy laugh. "Just imagining fighting in there and ending up with a mouthful of sand if I'm not careful is already pretty awful."
"Teacher..."
Olga Marie could not help smiling at that.
Even though she knew Shiomi was only trying to lighten the mood and help everyone relax, it still worked. The tension in the room eased naturally.
"The other thing is the situation in xico City," Romani said with a gentle smile as he changed the display on the screen. "The infiltration mission you carried out earlier seems to have produced very noticeable results."
What appeared on the screen was xico City, with more than half of it devastated by the flood.
They could see surviving Ocelotl working hard to rebuild the city, and their progress was anything but slow. The city was recovering at a visible pace.
"Based on the current rate, xico City should be rebuilt in about five days," Sion said, then could not resist adding a teasing comnt. "That really is a shocking speed of recovery. Even in Proper Human History, after a catastrophic flood on top of the destruction a Noble Phantasm would inflict on a city, it shouldn't be possible to rebuild this fast."
"Maybe it's because of Tezcatlipoca's power, or perhaps that rain god Tlaloc?" Shiomi guessed. "Either way, in a sense this place is still in the Age of Gods. So being protected by gods and receiving the corresponding blessings isn't strange."
At that point, Olga Marie operated the display and enlarged several surveillance images from outside the city.
"Look. Ocelotl warriors are patrolling, and so of them clearly seem to be moving closer to the Third Netherworld."
"Then we need to keep xico City under watch," Shiomi said. "If we get shot in the back while we're investigating the Third Netherworld, that'll be a problem."
After all, Tlaloc and Tezcatlipoca were still around. There was no telling what they might do.
The Storm Border was flying through the sky. Even though it was far from xico City, that did not an it could not be observed.
No concealnt thod would escape Tezcatlipoca's eyes.
Whether the god of war would watch Chaldea's battle with the 'Alien God,' and perhaps even with unknown enemies, like a spectator enjoying the show, or whether he would jump in himself, was impossible to say.
That was simply how hard it was to predict the whims of the wind of impermanence.
And in any case, the Storm Border had no plans to enter the Third Netherworld. The sandstorms full of turbulent Mana would be a serious obstacle to navigation.
"While Teacher is fighting on the front line, Storm Border will switch to cruising alert mode and stay on guard against attacks from xico City," Olga Marie ordered. "And Master Scáthach will remain on standby aboard the ship. If Tlaloc gets around our firing range and jumps onto the ship to launch a surprise attack, we'll need Master's god-slaying power."
Shiomi approved of that plan.
"I'll talk to Master about it."
"That leaves the question of whether we should go straight into the Third Netherworld, or send soone in first to scout the interior and then co back," Sion said, raising the final issue. "Or maybe we should find a way to stop the sandstorms in the Third Netherworld?"
Of course, the latter was possible, but it would also amount to announcing Chaldea's arrival to whatever was inside.
Even if they had the advantage in strength, they still ought to make use of surprise to increase that advantage further.
"As for that, my suggestion is to send soone in first to investigate," Olga Marie said. "Though that in itself is dangerous..."
"How about asking Kukulkan?" Sion suggested. "Since she's moving together with us, this might be a good chance to confirm what she's really thinking."
"That makes sense," Shiomi agreed.
Just then, Olga Marie suddenly grabbed Shiomi's arm.
She had almost instinctively reached for his hand.
"Teacher, there's sothing I'd like to discuss with you in private."
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