Even though the fight was confined to a single area, the tremors rolled through heaven and earth, and the entire underground world felt the sheer force behind them.
Birds in the forest scattered in fright, bursting into flight in every direction.
Morgan stopped and looked up through a gap in the trees.
"That tremor… it's my husband using 'Earth Mother's Feast,' after it affected the whole area." After a brief read of the Mana, she made her call. "The projected impact point is close. He's fighting there. We need to move."
She turned to Scáthach and Artoria.
During the fall into the underground world, Shiomi sensed the danger closing in and shoved her into the water mirror, sending her back to Storm Border ahead of him.
They had still been forced into an emergency landing, but fortunately, the Unity God form of Shiomi and Morgan drew the attention of the 'Alien God' and that mysterious giant of light. Storm Border itself took no damage. The crew, however, were thoroughly rattled by the landing and left reeling.
Once Morgan was forcibly returned to the ship, she immediately explained the situation. Everyone who could deploy formed several search teams at once, splitting up and sweeping different directions toward where Shiomi might have come down.
With the 'Alien God' still out there, Shiomi couldn't just stay put. He would fight while withdrawing, and find a way to regroup with them.
"Looks like it's still going," Scáthach said, resting a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "My disciple has already completed his divinity. Even without merging with you, he has strength beyond what I can match."
Morgan frowned and looked back. "He's your disciple too. Are you saying you're not worried?"
"No." Scáthach's tone stayed even.
Artoria stepped in. "Scáthach means you should steady yourself. Don't let the situation drag you around and throw off your judgment. You look calm, but we can tell how anxious you are."
"…." Morgan had no answer.
Because Artoria had hit the mark.
Or rather, everyone felt more or less the same right now.
If they didn't have to remain with the ship to handle logistics and protect Storm Border, Skadi, Touko, and Olga Marie would have joined the search teams as well.
"You're right," Morgan said at last. "Either way, we pull ourselves together and rendezvous with my husband."
She took a deep breath and forced the restlessness in her chest down a notch.
The air in the rainforest was hot, damp, and suffocating. Without Magecraft to support them, the oppressive humidity alone would grind down most people's will.
And this wasn't just an untouched primeval jungle, either. Strange enemies roamed these woods.
Like just now. They'd only stopped to talk because they had just dealt with a group of humanoid raiders wearing jaguar masks and carrying automatic rifles.
No warning, no words, no hesitation. The instant they saw Morgan's group, they opened fire.
The result was exactly what you'd expect. Once they showed hostility, the squad of a dozen or twenty was wiped out in short order.
"I wanted to interrogate one of them, see if we could get any information." Scáthach drew the tip of the crimson spear from a jaguar-masked raider and clicked her tongue in frustration.
"Something's wrong." Artoria shook her head. "Even soldiers who make a living by killing usually break once their comrades fall. They run, or they surrender. But these men… it's like they only know how to fight. Even with no chance of survival, they still kept pulling the trigger."
Morgan knit her brows. "Most likely rules imposed by the Lostbelt King who governs this place, or by the deity that rules this region."
"That sort of thing does happen," Scáthach said. "American myth is unfamiliar to me, but the gods here… they all carry a very distinct, foreign kind of presence."
Her words brought Quetzalcoatl to mind, the one who had appeared in Uruk.
She really had been exactly that kind of god, bold and passionate, in love with battle and uncompromising in what she loved and hated.
"Yes." Artoria nodded, then urged, "We're short on time. Let's move."
The three of them set off again.
But this rainforest was utterly untamed. The only paths were faint trails worn by animals. Pushing through it was no easy task for the three of them.
They had considered flying, but only Morgan could sustain long-distance flight. That would leave Scáthach and Artoria behind.
For a search and reconnaissance mission, that wasn't a reliable option.
As they advanced, Morgan glanced back toward Storm Border. Through gaps in the forest canopy, she could see the Valkyries and Melusine circling high above.
"That aside," Scáthach said, looking toward the distant sky, "so this really is a ring-shaped underground world."
The entire subterranean realm was built like a vast cylinder. Even a conservative estimate put its diameter at over a hundred thousand kilometers. Without that kind of scale, the "sky" suspended at the center couldn't exist.
It was like a colony satellite from science fiction, except this one lay buried beneath the earth.
"And there's no visible opening," Artoria added. "The passage we used to enter seems to have been sealed."
"If we're leaving, we do it after we reunite with my husband," Morgan said flatly.
"Any luck contacting Tenkei?" Artoria asked.
Morgan shook her head. "The Mana link is still there, but it's heavily disrupted. I can sense my husband's presence and direction, but direct telepathic contact isn't possible."
"Then we'll just have to move faster." Artoria nodded seriously. "If that tremor really was Tenkei's doing, then his fight with the 'Alien God' has reached a stalemate…"
"Stop."
Scáthach, walking in front, suddenly spoke in a low voice.
Morgan and Artoria halted immediately.
From deep within the forest came the restless scraping of branches and leaves, an unsettling rustle. Then the growl of beasts, and what clearly sounded like the clash of battle.
"Someone's fighting up ahead," Scáthach said. "At least several kilometers out…"
Morgan suddenly pressed a hand to her forehead. "That feeling…"
"What is it, Morgan?"
"…No, it's nothing. Probably just interference with my senses causing a false reading." She shook her head. "Either way, let's go see who's fighting."
They picked up the pace at once, cutting through vines and brush, no longer bothering with subtlety as they carved a direct path toward the battlefield.
When they reached the outskirts of the combat zone, the sight before them made all three of them stop short.