"Mmm, this smell…"
Before Su Mo even opened the takeout boxes, the aroma alone was enough to stir the seemingly lifeless Paimon from her spot on the bed. She shot upright, eyes sparkling.
"I smell delicious food!"
Before Lumine could even reach the table, Paimon zipped over like a bullet and hovered eagerly above the dishes, nearly drooling as she took in the scent.
"It's Honey Carrot Fried Meat," Su Mo explained, placing the food on the table. "A specialty from the Good Hunter restaurant."
Lumine joined them and began setting the table. "It already sounds tasty."
Paimon didn't wait a second longer—she grabbed her utensils and dug in with glee. "Let's eat!"
Su Mo and Lumine exchanged a knowing glance. Having traveled together this long, they were well aware of Paimon's bottomless appetite. If they didn't eat fast, she'd finish everything, including the crumbs.
The food lived up to its reputation—the flavors were rich and satisfying, far better than their usual campsite fare. After finishing, they left the plates on the table; the inn staff would collect them in the morning.
Paimon floated lazily around the room, her belly visibly round. "Man, no matter how much you eat, you never gain weight," Su Mo commented, poking her tiny stomach with curiosity.
"Of course not!" Paimon declared proudly. "I've got the kind of body that doesn't get fat, no matter how much I eat!"
Lumine took a thoughtful pause, then said with a straight face, "By emergency food standards… that might actually make you defective."
"Huh?!" Paimon jolted upright, looking betrayed. She turned her suspicious gaze on the two of them like a wife who had just caught her husband cheating. "Wait a minute… are you two hiding some other emergency food behind my back?!"
Lumine couldn't help but burst out laughing. Paimon, full and silly, was always a source of joy.
Su Mo, however, tried to suppress a laugh. His thoughts drifted to the small Seelie spirit they'd eventually meet—and the water spirit Endora. Both were considered "companions," and if things went as expected, Paimon's exclusive position might really be at risk someday.
After dinner, and a quick wash-up for everyone, the long trek of the past month finally caught up with them. Too exhausted for late-night conversations, the three of them collapsed into bed.
Two separate blankets. Paimon in the middle. And with the trust Lumine had in Su Mo, there were no worries.
....
....
Meanwhile… in the mist space.
The versions of Su Mo from the Campione, Fairy Tail, and DanMachi worlds were in the middle of a strategic discussion.
"What do you think of my plan?" the DanMachi world Su Mo asked, turning to the others.
"Seizing the power of the Moon Goddess, huh? Well… putting aside the difficulty for a moment, the potential gains are huge," Campione world Su Mo nodded. He remembered clearly how terrifying Artemis's divine powers were.
In the world of DanMachi, gods rarely revealed their true strength. Artemis's power was one of the few exceptions.
Even just the divine energy transferred to Antares was enough to form a magic circle as massive as the moon itself—capable of unleashing a destructive force that shook the dungeon to its core. And that was without her divine weapon: Orion's Arrow.
With that sacred relic in hand, the damage would likely be even greater. The idea of destroying a planet with a single shot suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched.
"But the real problem," the Fairy Tail world Su Mo chimed in, "is figuring out how to obtain Artemis's divine power."
The Su Mo from the Campione world pointed out a key issue. "Gaining authorities through slaying gods—this setup only works in my world due to the dark ritual of Pandora. It's a grand magic where the 'Circle of Usurpation' serves as the core, using the defeated deity's power as a sacrifice to grant a human divine might. But this ritual only functions in my world. In your world, even if you kill Apollo, you won't gain any authorities."
After all, the god-slaying ritual was triggered by Pandora herself. And in an alternate universe where Pandora has no influence, no matter how many gods you kill, it would be useless.
As for why he specifically mentioned Apollo, the reason was simple. Among the gods of Orario, most weren't particularly hated—except that guy Apollo. That creep was the only one who no one would miss if he were gone. So, using him as an example was only natural.
Hearing Su Mo of Campione explain, the Orario Su Mo shook his head with a calm smile. "I never planned to use such extreme methods. Artemis is Hestia's close friend. I wouldn't lay a hand on her just for power."
Sure, the power of the Moon Goddess was anything but trivial. But to Su Mo, there were many ways to acquire such might. If it wasn't the only path, there was no reason to harm Artemis.
"I was just thinking—if even a monster like Antares could absorb Artemis's divine power, then surely there's a way for us to do the same?"
That was his honest thought. Although he hadn't yet found a method to absorb divine energy, he didn't believe it was beyond his capabilities—or beyond the capabilities of his counterparts in other worlds.
And, he was absolutely right.
The moment he finished speaking, the Su Mo from Fairy Tail opened his mouth. "Now that you mention it, I actually have an idea."
"Oh?" Orario Su Mo's eyes lit up with delight. He hadn't expected his other self to be so reliable, offering a solution right away.
"It's simple," the Fairy Tail Su Mo said. "If Antares could absorb the divine power of Artemis, then we don't need to reinvent the wheel. We can just copy its method."
"You mean…" the other two Su Mos caught on instantly.
"Of course! Take Over Magic!"
The Orario Su Mo slapped his thigh in excitement. "Why didn't I think of that? If I use Take Over Magic to transform into Antares, I should be able to absorb Artemis's divine power as well!"
After all, if a monster like that could do it, so could he. There was just one issue…
"Antares is hideous. It doesn't match my dashing good looks."
The statement made Campione Su Mo roll his eyes. "You're really getting hung up on that?" He sighed, but then frowned as well. Just thinking about Antares—a scorpion-like, tentacled, blob of a beast—was enough to make him pause. "Actually… I kinda agree with you. That thing's ugly."
"Our Su Mo charm can't be tainted by such an eyesore," Fairy Tail Su Mo added with a sage nod.
Being strong was one thing. Looking cool was forever.