The battle was over, and the girls of the Astraea Familia received treatment on the spot.
When Gareth learned Kaguya and Ryuu had fought Valetta, he was astonished.
The highest combat power of the Thanatos Familia.
A First-Class Adventurer at Level 5.
And these two girls were only Level 3.
Even with two of them, managing to hold off such an opponent was a miracle.
Among Adventurers, a single level difference was considered an insurmountable gap.
This was a common knowledge.
Yet these two had faced an enemy at Level 5 and emerged mostly unscathed!
'Was it because of the Zanpakuto? No wonder Finn and Riveria were so interested in that boy.'
If only he could use other blacksmiths' weapons... But he already had an exclusive contract.
He was curious about what kind of weapon the Zanpakuto was, to be able to provide such a massive boost to combat power.
"The military police of the Ganesha Familia will arrive soon. Leave the investigation to them. You may return and get some rest."
Gareth, as the commander on-site, made the decision.
"We're fine, but I never expected you to be here."
"Haha, Finn sent me. He used a bizarre spell that lets him speak into my mind. Even though I'm at the Tower of Babel, I can converse with the old man at Twilight Manor."
"Speak into your mind?"
"That's right. And this spell seems to be the same one the Swordsmith Boy uses."
"The Swordsmith Boy? You mean Rayleigh?"
"That's right. But it suddenly got cut out."
"Cut out?"
Kaguya and Ryuu exchanged a glance, then ran toward the Tower of Babel.
After a moment's hesitation, the other girls of the Astraea Familia followed them.
...
Time passed.
Rayleigh's consciousness returned.
He felt exhausted, his eyelids heavy, and his limbs unresponsive.
Yet he could hear voices.
"His eyelids are twitching!"
"Really?"
"Rayleigh, are you awake?"
"There's response."
"By the way, Lady Astraea, are you alright? Should I take over as the pillow?"
"Heh, I'm perfectly fine. This child is my savior, and this is the least I can do to repay him."
'Was that Alise's voice? And Ryuu, Kaguya, and—is that Lady Astraea?'
'Wait a minute.'
This pillow is so soft and springy. It has a faint, pleasant fragrance and a smooth hand stroking his forehead.
'Is this...?'
A legendary lap pillow!
Rayleigh opened his eyes.
The faces of Alise, Kaguya, Ryuu, and several other girls crowded his vision.
"Rayleigh, you're awake! That's wonderful!"
Seeing his companions' concerned expressions, a sharp pain shot through his head and memories surfaced.
Right.
After using Tenteikūra, he collapsed. The overwhelming spiritual pressure had strained his body.
No wonder he couldn't move.
His muscles and nerves must be torn. Any ordinary person would be paralyzed, but he was a Shinigami. With Kaidō, he would recover his mobility in no time.
"Alise... Ryuu, Kaguya... Huh? Tsubaki?"
Behind the girls of the Astraea Familia stood Tsubaki, a half-dwarf with Far Eastern blood. Her presence surprised Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh-boy, you're finally awake. What's wrong? Surprised to see me?"
"Of course. You're always so busy," Rayleigh said, offering no excuse.
Tsubaki dropped all pretense. "Alright, our Goddess asked me to take care of you in her place. You aren't disappointed, are you?"
Rayleigh shot her an annoyed glare.
Tsubaki's gaze shifted, a smirk curving her lips.
She spoke in an odd tone, "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter much if I'm missing from the picture, with so many lovely ladies around."
She put on a wistful expression, but her eyes glinted with mischief.
'This woman!'
"Heheehe." A melodious laugh came from behind his head, accompanied by a faint tremor.
Rayleigh realized all his companions were in front of him.
'Then who's providing the lap pillow?'
He struggled to turn his head, straining to look upward.
All he saw was a pair of nice breasts.
As if understanding his intent, the woman tucked her hair behind her ear and lowered her head to meet his gaze.
"Did you sleep well, young man?"
'Ah!'
The Goddess, Astraea.
Rayleigh's eyes widened.
This thigh, with its balance of softness and elasticity, belonged to the Goddess.
And he was lying on it?
"You can't move yet. Your injuries are quite severe."
Astraea cupped his cheeks with both hands.
"You did wonderfully," she said softly. "Thanks to you, both the Gods and Orario are safe. You must be exhausted."
Rayleigh felt his heart tremble at the Goddess's gentle touch.
He sensed a divine aura emanating from her—not from the power of a God, but from an innate nobility.
"Honestly, you were too reckless!" Kaguya scolded. "I heard you used.. what is it again? Bakudō Number 77? You said you could only use spells below Number 40. What if the risk exceeded your calculations? Did you even consider that?"
Lyra, standing nearby, spoke up. "Don't let Kaguya's words fool you. She was terrified for you, almost to the point of tears!"
"I wasn't crying!" Kaguya retorted.
Rayleigh looked at Kaguya, whose eyes were slightly red, and smiled. "Thank you for worrying about me, Kaguya. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
'It's true. There shouldn't be a next time.'
'Though being cared for by someone you care about feels good—even enjoyable—it's not right.'
'I can't let the people I care about worry like this.'
'I need to become stronger.'
'The Evilus... They're perfect as fuel and stepping stones for my growth.'
"This is the Dian Cecht Familia's healing ward. The Guild paid for your treatment, you just need to rest and recover."
'The Dian Cecht Familia?' Rayleigh froze.
'So this is still the Tower of Babel—just on a different floor.'
'This is the Dian Cecht Familia's high-level healing ward—you could think of it as the ICU of this world.'
'My injuries shouldn't be severe enough to warrant ICU care.'
'As for resting and recovering... That's even less necessary. With injuries like this, Kaidō can heal them quickly.'
As everyone knows, Shinigami bodies are a mystery—some are tough enough to tank the attacks of multiple Captain-class enemies at once, while others are so fragile they go down from a single sword strike.
Drip...
Savoring this heavenly treatment, he decided to explain everything a little later!