In his sleep, Tsuna felt an itch on his nose. His body reacted instinctively, forcing his consciousness awake.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes for an instant, but when he saw who was standing before him, that alertness instantly faded away.
"Morning, Loki."
Maybe it was because he recognized the familiar face, but after greeting her, Tsuna lazily closed his eyes again.
"It's not morning anymore. It's already noon."
"So late, huh?"
Yawning, Tsuna sat up from the bath. He really had exhausted himself this time—no wonder he had to sleep until noon just to recover his energy.
In hindsight, spending time to make a Healing Hot Spring had been the right decision.
Even though the process had drained him physically and mentally, a good rest until midday was enough to bring him back to full condition.
"Sorry. I got a little too excited last night over something."
Tsuna admitted his fatigue was the result of his own overexcitement.
"Too excited? Don't tell me you were thinking about me and Hephaestus?"
"Ah? Uh…"
Should I have been?
While Tsuna was still processing that, Loki reached over and pinched his cheek.
"Alright, alright. I know you're not the type to suddenly start fantasizing about that kind of stuff. Come on—tell me what had you all worked up."
Seeing him tongue-tied, Loki cut him off with an impatient look, her words leaving him a little embarrassed.
"I was trying to create the Holy Grail of the Netherworld last night. It went even more smoothly than I expected."
"That Holy Grail—the one you said could reverse life and death? Didn't you say making that thing would attract the gods' attention? Why did you go and make it anyway?"
Loki's eyes sharpened, her tone carrying a hint of reprimand. Clearly, she was worried he'd done something reckless.
Tsuna hurried to explain.
"No, Loki. I didn't make it to pull off some kind of resurrection stunt."
"I told you before—until I reach a certain level of strength, I'm not going to bring trouble upon myself. I meant that. I wouldn't go against my own words just out of curiosity."
Loki studied him for a while before relaxing her stern expression.
"You'd better explain it properly. Otherwise, the next lesson will come from your goddess—and your fiancée."
That threat had some real weight behind it, enough to make Tsuna flinch.
Still, he understood her reaction. Given what he'd told her about the Grail's power, it made sense she'd worry.
So he quickly clarified.
"What I wanted from the Holy Grail was its ability to interfere with space and causality."
"The Holy Grail of the Netherworld—that name is literal, and it reveals the essence of its power. It's the key to opening the gates of the underworld."
"The underworld is the realm of the dead—a separate dimension, another space entirely. Only the dead can enter it. But the Grail, which connects to that realm, serves as the key to cross between them."
"To open a door is both a spatial and metaphysical act—a reversal of separation, of life and death."
"So, by interpreting its name that way, I built the Grail and infused it with abilities related to spatial, life, and causal interference. And it worked."
"Starting with a literal reading of its meaning was, apparently, the right move."
Loki listened to his explanation without interrupting, though her sharp mind quickly caught on to the most important part.
"So your real goal was the Grail's spatial interference?"
Before he could answer, her eyes lit up.
"The road home—right?"
Hearing her say it, Tsuna broke into a wide grin.
"Exactly. I made the Grail, used its spatial interference to enhance my sense of dimensional coordinates—and I found it. The position of the path home. Clearly. Perfectly."
"Home has been found!"
Loki's expression softened in understanding. Now she knew why he'd been so excited last night.
She glanced at his still-eager smile.
"So that's what had you worked up for three nights straight? Nothing else?"
Her tone carried heavy implication. Tsuna caught it immediately—he wasn't dense.
"Well… there's something else."
"When we actually go back, there'll be a lot to handle. For one thing, I'll need to introduce you and Hephaestus to my mother."
He rubbed his neck awkwardly.
"Though honestly, if I show up with two girlfriends at once, my mom might faint."
As soon as he said it, he noticed Loki's lips curl upward slightly. Clearly, she was amused by his answer.
"Yeah, showing up like that would definitely give her a shock."
"I mean, I don't mind, but you and Hephaestus standing side by side—there's definitely an age gap vibe."
Tsuna blinked, staring blankly at her.
"Loki, are you implying that you and I are actually close in age?"
A vein popped on Loki's forehead. She grabbed his face again, scowling.
"That's not the point! I'm saying Hephaestus looks totally mismatched with you!"
"If your mom sees you walk in hand-in-hand with Hephaestus and hears she's your fiancée, she's going to think Hephaestus is a pervert."
Her words made Tsuna pause for a moment before he sighed helplessly.
"Loki, maybe other moms would think that—but mine's a little… oblivious about those things. Honestly, she'd probably just be thrilled to meet you both."
"As for the girlfriend part, she'd be more curious about how you two became my girlfriends than anything else."
"And about Hephaestus being a pervert? No way. My mom would never think that."