The Fourth Netherworld, Yayauhqui.
"Oh? So that man has finally recovered all of his authority as a god?"
Camazotz hung upside down in the sky, sohow staying aloft without even moving his wings.
He was not speaking to himself, but to the group about to pass through this place.
Tezcatlipoca, Daybit, Tlaloc and Izcalli traveling with them, and a number of Oceloh warriors as well.
Camazotz was no longer interested in what these people intended to do, so as long as they did not co looking for trouble, he had no intention of doing anything.
"Just reclaiming his authority would have been one thing. But that man gave up all of it without the slightest hesitation."
A battle-hungry smile appeared on Tezcatlipoca's face.
"And in exchange for abandoning that authority, he gained a power beyond even what he himself expected."
"Hmph..." Camazotz curled his lip coldly. "So by your logic, it would have been better if he'd taken all of that authority from the very beginning?"
"The mont you allowed that witch to get involved, the whole thing was already compromised," Daybit sharply pointed out Camazotz's mistake.
According to the original agreent, Shiomi's authority and flesh were supposed to belong entirely to Camazotz.
"Don't put it that way, Daybit." Tezcatlipoca sounded thoroughly amused. "Out of all the Servants manifested here, that witch was the only one who could really be useful. After all, when a man who insists on holding onto his human heart sees soone with the exact sa face as his woman, of course he's going to waver."
"If we're talking about mistakes, then your real mistake was failing to exclude the [Alien God] from the equation." Camazotz shot back just as sharply. "That authority was spread too widely, and that woman ended up unable to interfere with Chaldea anyway. The result was always going to be the sa."
"There's no point in standing here arguing any further. I only have four minutes left today, and I have no intention of wasting them here."
With that, Daybit started moving again, continuing through the Fourth Netherworld.
Tezcatlipoca did not stop him. Instead, he sat down on a nearby rock and continued chatting with Camazotz.
In any case, catching up to the main group later would be effortless for him.
"I'm interested in the war between you and that man, but my ti is short as well. I'm heading to the Ninth Layer to prepare the final battlefield," Tezcatlipoca said. "Oh, and I heard about it. After your last fight with Tenkei Shiomi, when your authority was taken and you fled in defeat, he held a morial in Ka'an for the warriors who died there."
"Tch... always doing pointless things." Camazotz looked deeply displeased.
Tezcatlipoca took a drag from his cigarette. "No, I'd say that man understands proper conduct quite well. Whether a warrior is living or dead, they deserve respect. As expected of soone taught by the Queen of the Land of Shadows. Even if he cannot beco a god, he is still at least a first-rate warrior."
"Then what about you?" Camazotz asked. "Are you really going to keep that tedious trial going? If I kill Chaldea here, then all of your waiting will be for nothing, and the revived ORT will simply be sealed by back into an even deeper part of the mantle."
"That wouldn't be so bad either."
Tezcatlipoca flicked away the half-smoked cigarette, then jumped down from the rock where he had been sitting.
"Then let enjoy your war from the deepest depths of Mictlan, Camazotz, last warrior of the Kingdom of Ka'an, King of Braves."
With those words, Tezcatlipoca's figure vanished into the shadows near Mictlan's Ninth Layer.
Camazotz disappeared as well, leaving behind only a long, chilling laugh filled with aning.
...
"So that's how it is... Kirei Kotomine. So this ti, he's really dead."
After returning to Storm Border, Shiomi sought out Caren so they could speak alone about one particular matter.
Around the ti Caren was about twenty, Shiomi had told her who her biological father was, along with the sowhat complicated history between that man and her adoptive father.
Naturally, Shiomi had hidden nothing about Kirei Kotomine, including the fact that he had gone missing after the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Caren had never held any feelings for her biological father.
Shiomi had adopted her while she was still an infant, and from the ti she was old enough to rember anything, she had only ever known one father.
The source of her blood was not enough to affect how she chose or understood family.
It was just that, sowhere along the way, that familial bond had quietly beco mixed with sothing that could not be put into words.
"It was sothing I should have settled completely back in 1994," Shiomi said with a helpless sigh, apologizing to Caren.
He was not apologizing for killing Kirei Kotomine, but for failing to clean up the aftermath thoroughly, which had led to everything happening as it had now.
"Even if he had died more than twenty years ago, Antarctic Chaldea would still have found soone else to take his place," Caren said. "For example, that evil monk could have manifested personally as a Servant."
"That's not impossible."
Faced with Caren's calm acceptance, Shiomi felt he himself was being less composed than he should have been.
After all, when it ca to Sakura and Caren, concern always clouded his judgnt.
"Besides, now that this has finally been brought to an end, all you need to do now, Dad, is focus on what you have to do and move forward with Mother."
Caren leaned against Shiomi's shoulder.
"I'm not a child anymore. You can't keep treating like one forever."
"I know. But habits aren't so easy to change. All I can do is try not to interfere with any of your choices, while making sure neither of you ever faces any danger."
Shiomi put an arm around her shoulders and gently rubbed her head.
Caren laughed.
"It's not that I dislike it when you do that, Dad. I just want you to understand that I'm already an adult. A mature woman."
"Of course. Personality-wise, Caren is a little more mature than Sakura."
"You really shouldn't let Sakura hear you say that, or she'll get jealous again."
Caren stayed nestled against Shiomi, her voice carrying a faintly intimate note.
"If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, then no one will know." Shiomi could not help smiling. "Besides, Sakura and the others have gone with Tepeu to the End Observation Station, stitlan."
Caren opened her eyes again and looked into the distance, toward a natural landscape completely different from Mictlan's. It was green as well, but its distinct character was obvious at a glance.
"Why didn't you go, Dad?"
"I wasn't interested. In the end, it's only the Inner Sea of the Planet from this Lostbelt, projected as a shadow onto Mictlan." Shiomi shook his head. "Your mother and Baobhan Sith are more interested in that sort of new experience."
"Archetype... what exactly is it?" Caren suddenly asked.
"El-lloi II never explained it?" Shiomi looked surprised. "That's common knowledge in the world of Magecraft..."
He paused, then gave up.
"Well, whatever. We're resting right now anyway, so I'll explain it again."
"Mmm~"
There was a trace of unmistakable happiness in Caren's voice as she answered.
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