Generally speaking, spending an entire night in a hot spring isn't exactly a common occurrence.
But for a girl who was the incarnation of the strongest dragon, and Novia—whose stamina was bolstered by the "Dragon's Heart"—one night was far too short.
To be honest, this was Novia's first time truly experiencing something like this, so naturally, he felt a little bashful at first. But he quickly found his rhythm.
In any case, even after an entire night, Novia was still full of energy. He eventually decided it was time to leave. There was no need to overdo it—after all, there would always be a next time.
"All right, that's enough. We've been soaking long enough."
Novia planted a gentle kiss at the corner of Melusine's lips.
"Ehhhhh..." Melusine leaned in, whispering softly against Novia's ear, "It's only been one night. With my Dragon's Heart supporting you, even three days and nights wouldn't be a problem..."
The dragon maiden's pure voice, carried on her warm breath as it brushed against his ear, gave rise to a strange, ticklish feeling deep within Novia's chest.
"Be good."
"Okay, I'll do whatever you say, Novia."
The silver-haired girl slowly pulled her slender, pale wrist away from Novia's chest, leisurely began dressing herself, tugged down the hem of her skirt, and replaced her damp white garter socks with a fresh pair.
"Oh right, Novia... could you help me put these on? Pretty please?"
Maybe she was just teasing in her own way. But she did stop mid-motion, lazily raised one leg, and lightly swung her foot toward Novia's chest.
Novia didn't respond with something like "Do it yourself, what are you, a child?" Instead, he narrowed his eyes and, following the movement of her foot, caught it gently—then traced a finger across her sole.
"N-No... Novia, don't... I'm really ticklish... I-I can't take it..."
"Then don't hold back."
In the end, he delayed just a little longer. Eventually, he carried Melusine out of the hot spring where they had spent the entire night.
Once he dispelled the magic that concealed the hot spring's environment, warm air suddenly rushed through the third layer of the labyrinth—likely due to the poor ventilation after such a long soak.
Just like Novia and Melusine, whose entire bodies were flushed from the bath, Manaka Sajo and Shion were also slightly red. When the two of them saw Novia and Melusine exit together, they both trembled slightly, then took a deep breath before slowly getting to their feet.
Their half-lidded gazes—undeniably directed at Novia—were filled with meaning. It was as if they hadn't slept a wink, their eyes trailing down his body with a subtle intensity, as though words hovered just at the edge of their lips.
Seeing this, Novia could pretty much guess the reason.
…Perhaps Melusine's soundproofing spell hadn't been very effective?
He'd deal with that later once they returned to Romania. He wasn't too concerned. In fact, he already had the next steps planned out.
Since he had brought Melusine with him this time, he figured he might as well head to America next and participate in the Holy Grail War there—where he'd summon Nero.
[System Notification: Friendly Reminder — Time-Limited Crossover Ending Soon: 24 Hours Remaining]
Just as they stepped out of the labyrinth's gate, the group was greeted by the sight of thick green forest and a gentle sunset.
But immediately afterward, a system prompt popped up in front of Novia's eyes.
He stared at the glowing text, frozen in place.
The [Crossover] option was flickering slightly.
Different from previous times, this time there was no era marked next to the destination—only a line of question marks: ???.
And a five-minute countdown.
Novia mulled it over. If the limit was one day, it probably triggered sometime after defeating Wolfgang and sparing that blonde Dead Apostle. So… could it be connected to the Apostles or vampires?
Could it be... the Age of Gods, before its decline?
But just as the thought surfaced, he dismissed it.
No, that was unlikely. The system had never displayed any timelines related to the Age of Gods—whether Norse, Greek, or Japanese.
Still, the lack of a marked era also meant that he couldn't prepare by researching historical records in advance. There would be no way to influence the overall trajectory this time.
In other words, for this next crossover, Novia would have to rely solely on what he could remember from history or mythology.
But did he really need to take that risk?
After all, the rank he earned in Rome and all he'd done had already been etched into the world—woven into a dream shared by all life on the planet.
That alone was enough for him to disregard any potential Human Order Incineration scenarios. And besides, wasn't it true that Goetia still owed him a life?
Logically speaking, Novia no longer needed to concern himself with a timeline so mysterious. If he were to go, it would make far more sense to choose one where he knew the historical flow—something he could navigate easily.
But—
Novia had a hunch. A strong one.
Something on the other side was deeply tied to him—an event that might have started because of him.
The feeling was so powerful that, despite all the unknowns, he had already made up his mind.
"Melusine, Manaka, Sion… I need to take a quick nap. I'll be counting on you afterward."
The silver-haired boy looked into their eyes as he spoke. The moment his will was set, his vision went black. His body, now limp, fell into Manaka's arms—the fastest to react.
In the darkness of unconsciousness, he didn't know how much time had passed before a weathered, weary voice slowly echoed by his ear.
"Elder… this child… abandoned out here? In a place like this? This is the Great Desert…"
"This must be divine will. God is showing us that our interpretation of the mural legacy is correct. If we continue down this path, we'll surely find God's traces."
"What about the child, then?"
"We'll raise him, of course. And since the Romans have opened up trade again, feeding one extra mouth won't be a problem."
...
The time has come. The ancient bells will ring once more. A new world approaches.
Under the unfulfilled dream of the stars shared by all beings, the bells echo across the white earth.
The violet flame ignites hope—here it lingers. Death is not the end.
From the end comes the black, still longing—darkness is also light.
—Approx. 400 AD, interpretation of the mural legacy by the Huns.