Originally, after the Tripura Samhara failed to seriously wound Morgan and was instead countered by her, the trial was essentially over.
For these Indian Heroic Spirits, who had manifested in this Lostbelt under the orders of the Three Gods, there were still other matters they needed to handle.
"Is that enough? From what I can see, the three of you still haven't reached your limit. If you're not satisfied…"
Morgan leaned on her pitch-black magic spear.
"Though I'm not particularly the fighting type, I wouldn't mind continuing this battle with you."
"No need."
Arjuna rose from the blasted sand pit, brushing the dust from his white robe.
"This trial was ant to ask the newborn god about his true intentions. Even if he has now entrusted that authority to his wife, the result would still be—"
Before Arjuna could finish his unhurried sentence, he suddenly felt an enormous pressure approaching from another direction.
It ca from where his elder brother Bhima was.
And in that sa direction stood their old rival from life, Duryodhana.
The two had been dealing with that scheming Alien Apostle, and the sudden shift made Arjuna instinctively worry about his brother's safety.
But that concern quickly turned into surprise.
Tenkei Shiomi was slowly walking across the undulating dunes, approaching the battlefield.
That imnse pressure was radiating from Shiomi himself.
There was no killing intent, no intimidation. Yet simply standing there, his overwhelming presence was impossible to ignore.
"Looks like it's already over," Shiomi said.
"The Alien God had no intention of continuing the fight, so I let it go. As for the last Alien Apostle, that Kirei Kotomine, I've already dealt with him."
"You show up at the end and imdiately snatch the best part."
Bhima walked beside him, laughing as he teased.
"Though I guess that's only natural. After all, it was an Alterego mixed with composite divinity. Not exactly easy to deal with."
"Not easy? That thing was more like an unkillable cockroach."
Duryodhana looked thoroughly irritated.
"And it could fight too. I hate enemies like that, ones that sit right in the middle and refuse to go down."
Rama planted his sword into the ground.
"You two are safe as well. It seems everything went smoothly."
"In the end, it's because of my existence that you were given such troubleso tasks," Shiomi said.
"We once fought side by side, and now we have to clash as enemies. It doesn't feel right."
"No, please don't worry about it."
Arjuna, who had only fought alongside Chaldea during the battle at the Temple of Ti, accepted the situation calmly.
"No matter the battle, no matter the battlefield, if it is a fate already decided, then the proper path for a warrior is to face it head-on."
Karna spoke in his usual calm tone.
Shiomi shrugged in understanding.
If neither side minded, then this had simply been a test to prove their qualifications.
"Still, we didn't expect you to end up fighting the 『Alien God』. Being able to hold them back here is sothing we should thank you for."
Morgan walked over to Shiomi's side, naturally looping her arm around his as she joined the conversation with the Servants alongside her husband.
Bhima thought back for a mont.
"Well, about that. After we manifested here, we had a bit of a disagreent and ended up clashing with each other first. Those Alien Apostles showed up right in the middle of that."
After all, they had been mortal enemies in life. Even if they now shared the sa mission, starting a fight before the real enemy arrived wasn't exactly surprising.
Rama had naturally tried his best to diate, but even he couldn't completely stop that kind of "internal conflict."
It was only when U-Olga Marie, who had escaped the Second Netherworld, appeared here that their reason to keep fighting disappeared. They had no choice but to shift their attention to the more important target.
The Alien Apostles were rely forced to protect her, soone who had no desire to fight, which led them into battle with the Indian Servants who had remained in the Third Netherworld.
Once Shiomi and the others arrived, the destruction of the Alien Apostles was practically inevitable.
However, when the 『Alien God』 first descended, it had claid that the Alien Apostles had already completed their mission and were only being kept around temporarily.
Now it seed that claim had probably been nothing more than U-Olga Marie's own assumption. Whether it could actually be carried out was another matter entirely.
After all, she herself wasn't the true Alien God, but rely one of the seven Alien Apostles.
What exactly Chaldeas was planning was still sothing that would only beco clear once they reached the Antarctic.
"Teacher!"
Olga Marie flew in from outside the battlefield with lusine carrying her, landing beside Shiomi.
"It's over. We can prepare to return," Shiomi told her.
"Yes, I've already contacted Storm Border," Olga Marie replied.
"Observations from outside show that the sandstorm in the Third Netherworld has gradually stopped. The mana flow and magnetic fields are stabilizing as well. It shouldn't affect travel anymore."
Rama looked surprised.
"So it's finally stabilized?"
"Finally?" Shiomi blinked.
"Wait… the abnormal environnt in the Third Netherworld wasn't sothing you deliberately set up?" Olga Marie also froze.
At that mont, Kukulkan suddenly appeared.
"Actually, Xoxoauhqui has always been a very calm desert region. The environnt only started getting worse recently. Probably shortly after you arrived here, before we t."
"The sandstorm was caused by the Alien God," Bhima added.
"That thing's power has always been unstable. Even when I tried to approach and attack, the abnormal gravity field kept interfering."
"Anyway, the problem's been resolved smoothly. And we don't have much ti."
Morgan reminded everyone.
"ORT was originally supposed to awaken in ten days. Now there should only be eight days left. It's ti to return."
Shiomi nodded in agreent. Before leaving, he turned to Rama and the others.
"What about you? Are you going to remain here on standby, or co with us to Chaldea?"
"According to Shiva's will, once the trial is complete, if we have not fallen in battle, we are to remain here and face the calamity that will appear later," Arjuna replied.
"Though Shiva did not state it explicitly, it now seems clear that it refers to the ORT you ntioned."
"I see."
Shiomi looked at them seriously.
"We still don't have a clear understanding of ORT. Based on the phenona shown by Tezcatlipoca, it most likely has extrely powerful environntal erosion abilities. If we can stop ORT's advance, we'll contact you and request your assistance."
Rama and the others did not refuse Shiomi's request. There was no reason to.
After agreeing to fight together, Shiomi and his group imdiately regrouped with the arriving Storm Border.
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