The Snowy Mountain Giant remained motionless, frozen in the same posture as before.

The cold, impossible for any human to withstand, had frozen every knight except the Commander and the Martial God.

The Commander felt a choking sense of injustice that she hadn’t experienced in years.
There was nothing she could do.

Was the Snowy Mountain Giant stronger than a Greater Outer God?
Not necessarily.

But she now understood why defeating this particular Entity was impossible.
The Giant operated on an entirely different concept than other Outer Gods.

Greater Outer Gods, as abstract entities, were paradoxically easier to sever.
Their completeness as beings meant they sought nothing external.

The Snowy Mountain Giant, however, didn’t merely drain warmth.
It absorbed its target's strengths, granting itself absurd power over all living things.

Yet it did not drain vitality.
Why, she didn’t know.
And that made the situation all the more cruel.

It didn’t bring death but rather condemned its victims to an eternity worse than death.

The Commander realized then—she was the Giant's next target.

The icy aura surged toward her.
Or rather, it felt as though something was being stolen from her very being.

An unfamiliar sensation enveloped her.

Pain.
The feeling of every cell in her body being twisted.

For some reason, her body didn’t freeze.
Instead, starting from her toes, her form began to contort grotesquely.

It was as if her body was rejecting the Giant’s authority outright.

The Commander shut her eyes tightly.

If only the Martial God had been frozen as well.
She wouldn’t have to endure the shame of him seeing her in this state.

It was a humiliating thought—one that left her drowning in despair.

The Martial God, uncharacteristically serious, gazed down at her.

“…So, that’s how it is, Commander.”

His tone was somber, devoid of his usual cheerfulness.
The combination of shame, guilt, and despair made the agony she endured unbearable.

The sound of her contorted voice filled the air.
Yet the Martial God didn’t avert his gaze.

Instead, his expression grew thoughtful.
No, it was a calculating expression—a look he wore when formulating a plan.

At last, he seemed to reach a decision.
The Martial God approached the Commander and gripped her arm firmly.

Immediately, the Commander felt a strange relief spreading through her body.

This could only mean one thing.

“…No! Stop! If you do this, your body might be destroyed!”

She cried out, but she couldn’t stop him.
Her body, now utterly powerless, couldn’t even twitch a finger.

She felt something being drawn from her.
The Martial God’s arm began to change, its skin darkening to a strange hue between black and teal.
His skin was gradually covered in scales.

The Martial God grimaced in pain, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.
Yet he didn’t stop.

“Hey, Commander. Do you think I’d abandon you for something like this? Do you think I’m that shallow?”

With those words, he continued absorbing whatever afflicted her until her body finally calmed.

The aftermath, however, was immediate.
The Commander’s consciousness began to slip deep within herself.

The Martial God finally released her.
But his expression was filled with agony.

“Argh… Hrrrrgghhh!”

Those were the last words the Commander heard before her consciousness faded completely into darkness.

 

“…It felt as if I were watching myself from far away. The moment I regained control was when the Martial God was glaring at me as if he might kill me. It seems whatever he absorbed woke me up.”

The Commander recounted this matter-of-factly, her eyes closed lightly, as if giving us space to process her words.

But her story left me filled with questions.
There were too many gaps, too many details left unsaid.

“…Commander, there’s something strange about this.”

“Hmm?”

“What exactly happened to you, and what did the Martial God absorb? Your explanation is lacking.”

The Commander gave me a bitter smile.

“…Sharp as ever, Tanton. Even when I try to gloss over things, you catch on.”

Of course.
Her account of her own experience had felt unusually vague.

The Commander exhaled softly before speaking again.

“To put it simply, I once tore off and ate someone’s flesh.”

Her words brought my thoughts to a halt.
Even Marenne, who had been quietly listening, widened his eyes in shock.

Not even the Vice Commander, who had known her for so long, seemed aware of this part of her past.

“I misheard, didn’t I?”

“No, you heard correctly. It’s a story from long ago. When I was still an apprentice knight, there was someone who killed all my comrades. In my desperation to land one last blow, I bit into their flesh and held on. That’s how I ended up like this. Even in excruciating pain, I didn’t stop hunting them down. Looking back, it was madness.”

Immortality.
A body that wouldn’t die, no matter the attack—even against a Greater Outer God.

“That person… were they an Outer God?”

“Hmm. Yes… or were they? No, they definitely looked human.”

The Commander appeared lost in thought.
If it was such a painful memory, it seemed impossible to forget.
Yet something seemed to block her recollection. She furrowed her brows in frustration, scratching her head.

Was it the lingering effects of the Snowy Mountain Giant?
Or something else entirely?
Whatever it was, the Commander seemed unable to recall.

“In any case, you could consider me a mutation with the power of an Outer God. I suspect my memory loss stems from my body instinctively rejecting the Giant’s authority.”

As severe as her story was, she spoke as though it no longer troubled her.
That made it hard to find the right words to say.

Just then, the Vice Commander’s office door creaked open.

Standing there, now fully alert, was the Martial God. His sharp gaze darted toward the Commander.

A moment later, as if piecing something together, he burst into loud laughter.

“Ha! My calculations were spot-on! Look, Commander! You’re alive, and so am I!”

As if stitching the story together with his usual gusto, the Martial God strode toward the Commander and lightly slapped her on the shoulder.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.
The Martial God turned to the Vice Commander.

“Hey, Vice Commander! So, how’d you manage to save—what?! Why do you look so old?!”

His exaggerated reaction finally broke the tension, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed the Martial God had fully returned to his usual self.

 

We asked the Martial God to explain the situation, but he refused.

“Why talk about depressing stuff on such a happy day?! Let’s throw a festival, Commander! Ha!”

“You’ll have to explain everything eventually, Martial God,” the Vice Commander said, gripping his shoulder firmly.

“Especially how you managed to save the Commander.”

“Ah, still as stern as ever. Alright, alright. I’ll tell you someday. Good to see you’re still you, though.”

The Martial God suddenly widened his eyes, as if remembering something.

“Oh, right! This isn’t the time to be chatting! Commander! I’ll leave the festival prep to you. My daughter, I’m coming for you!”

With that, he bolted from the room, leaving me feeling utterly drained.

Somehow, I understood why the Outer God hiding within him had acted so awkwardly.
That wasn’t acting—it was all it could manage.

Watching the Commander chuckle softly, the Vice Commander approached her quietly from behind.

“Hmm?”

“…You called it a flaw, but you could’ve told me sooner.”

“…Sorry, Vice Commander. I suppose I was afraid of being different. That’s why I kept it hidden from all of you.”

The Commander glanced at me, smiling warmly.

“But I could learn a thing or two from Tanton. Like turning one’s differences into strengths.”

W-Wait a second.
Being praised so suddenly made me a little embarrassed.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.

“…No matter what, I’m prepared to accept every part of you, Commander,” the Vice Commander said with a soft smile.

The Commander’s expression turned blank for a moment as she looked at him.

“There’s no need to divide things into strengths and differences. It’s all of those combined that made me respect you in the first place.”

The Vice Commander knelt carefully, bowing his head.

“…Thank you, Commander, for returning to us.”

As he tried to rise, he was interrupted.

Crash!

“Ugh?!”

The Commander grabbed him with speed that even the Vice Commander couldn’t react to.
Her grip was almost an embrace as she pulled him close, smiling with an expression full of… possession.

“Vice Commander, do you remember what I said before I left on the expedition?”

“You said you’d return to my side no matter what…”

“No, before that.”

“T-That was…”

She had spoken so faintly back then that even I hadn’t caught it.
What had she said?

“From your reaction, I’d say you still remember.”

“Why bring that up now…?”

“Does that mean you agree, then?”

“…It’s too much for someone like me, but…”

“Yes or no?”

“…Then yes.”

“Hmm.”

The Commander’s expression shifted.
It was a look I’d only seen on Outer Gods when they were about to pounce on me.

“C-Commander, your face is too close.”

“…Then prove it, here and now.”

“Commander! We’re in public! And how could I possibly—”

“…I won’t let you go.”

“W-Wait a second…!”

I decided not to watch what happened next.
As much as I shipped the Commander and the Vice Commander’s romance, witnessing it this directly felt like an intrusion.

The walk back to the outpost felt oddly refreshing.

“Darling?”

…Or maybe not so refreshing.