After receiving my doctorate, I spent some satisfying time with my wives.

Eating meals, taking walks.

It had been a long time since I'd returned to the Rheinland main residence.

As soon as we arrived, I threw Zernya and Rustila onto the bed. My two wives let out cute screams as they fell onto the mattress.

"What's this, revenge for last night?"

"I'm ready. Let's see how many times you can go today."

Both wives eagerly removed their clothes.

Unlike usual, I took the initiative in mingling bodies with my wives.

That day, I ejaculated more than ten times. Part of it was the excitement from earning my degree, but Ireh's stamina buff played a major role.

However, the price for overdoing it was steep.

By morning, my lower back had fallen into a state of delirium.

"Urghh."

"Honey, are you okay?"

"Looks like you overdid it."

"Oh dear, wait a moment. I'll heal you."

Zernya used her constellation medical techniques to soothe my back.

The pain subsided.

The problem was my stamina.

"This isn't looking good... I won't be able to get up today."

"What should we do?"

"Let's call Ireh. Her spirit bullets should be able to heal this."

And so my two wives really did summon Ireh.

Ireh entered the bedroom with a blank expression.

"Eek!"

For reference, I was currently shirtless.

"What happened here?"

"I used up all my energy during last night's activities. My body won't move properly."

"That's... that's bragging. How serious is it?"

"Serious enough to call an ambulance, but honestly, you know... It's not like I collapsed while researching. It would damage my dignity as the head of the Rheinland family."

I asked Ireh to help me just this once.

Ireh sighed.

"Fine. Let's make sure this doesn't happen again."

"Thank you."

Ireh pulled out her spirit gun from subspace and aimed it at my waist. I lay spread-eagled, waiting for her treatment.

Click!

The bullet hit me.

[— Your stamina is recovering due to the "Bullet of Vitality" effect.]

The stiff, powerless sensation gradually subsided. Vigorous energy began to circulate through my lower body as the fatigue disappeared.

Yes, vigorous energy.

Blood circulation.

My mind froze as I felt a certain part of my anatomy suddenly swell.

"Kyaaak!"

And thus, another embarrassing memory was added to my life.

***

I had shown Ireh something she shouldn't have seen. So, as an apology, I decided to treat her to lunch.

"Hey, girls."

"What is it, unni?"

"Can a man's middle part really grow that quickly?"

Pfft!

Zernya, who had been elegantly enjoying tea time, suddenly spat out her drink. Rustila also seemed flustered, looking at Ireh with bewildered eyes.

"Unni? What are you saying?"

"S-sorry. This isn't something to discuss here. What nonsense am I..."

Ireh hung her head. Zernya, who had been thumping her chest, caught her breath. As she cleaned up the messy teacups and table, she said:

"The speed was faster than I expected. Hard to believe it's the same person who was so spent last night."

"Zernya, what outrageous things are you saying in front of unni...!"

"I'm speaking medically, just medically."

Zernya smiled with a sidelong glance.

"You know, combining Ireh unni's abilities with mine might create something amazing. For example, a treatment for erectile dysfunction."

Ireh's face turned bright red. She didn't speak again until the meal was ready.

"Everyone looks so harmonious, how lovely~!"

Pwooo.

A trumpet sound accompanied a woman's voice. Our heads turned simultaneously.

A female figure wearing a billowing steel skirt was sitting casually in the middle of the living room sofa.

Matonica.

Shterm's direct avatar.

"An enemy."

Sonia immediately drew her calipers and stepped forward. Ireh also pulled out her spirit gun, and Rustila took out and loaded her emergency sword.

While Rustila protected me, Sonia folded space and charged.

"Wait, wait a moment!"

Clang!

From top to bottom. Matonica's shoulder was torn off by the calipers' blade.

Pwooo.

With the sound of a deflating trumpet, she retreated dozens of steps backward. However, it was nearly impossible to escape from Sonia, who had completely assimilated with Cartesia.

"I can see you."

The opposite leg came off.

Matonica grimaced and pulled out her flagpole.

[— Avatar 'Matonica' uses "Steel in the Twilight".]

Bright light circled around the flagpole and began welding her severed limbs back together. Thin sparks flew, but fortunately, they didn't catch fire on the floor.

Matonica blocked Sonia's attack with her flagpole and shouted:

"Stop, stop! Wait a moment!"

"Sonia, you can stop now!"

I called Sonia off.

If it had been just Ireh and me, it might have been different. But now we had the Great Triangle plus Sonia. Matonica was an opponent we could defeat.

Matonica must know we had the advantage. As usual, she probably hadn't come to fight.

"Phew, good. Now we can talk. Better than those Darwin guys at least. I'll give you bonus points."

"Young master, who is this person?"

"Matonica. She's the one behind the Magnus Order."

"Have you met her before?"

"Three months ago, in my lab."

Sonia continued her questioning without lowering her guard.

"Why did you tell me to stop attacking? That's an avatar of another outer god. Given how she infiltrated this far, she must be quite skilled. If we don't eliminate her now, we could face serious consequences."

"Because it might be an opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

Yes. An opportunity.

A perfect chance to properly bait the outer god Shterm.

"Hey, Eidel von Rheinland. Why aren't you using our exalted one's invitation now that you've received your doctorate or whatever? Let's just talk, okay? I'm not causing any harm!"

Matonica spoke in a tone that was rather servile for an avatar.

Compared to the Darwin faction that only engaged in reproduction and slaughter, one might think, "This is an avatar...?"

That is, if I didn't know Shterm's personality.

Everything Matonica was doing now was an act. However, her characteristically arrogant tone was seeping through like honey, impossible to hide.

"Come on, quickly write the invitation."

"Invitation?"

"I gave it to you!"

"I don't remember. I think I lost it even if I had it."

"What? Are you crazy?"

Matonica's voice lowered before returning to normal. She seemed to be suppressing her anger, which only confirmed my theory.

I waved my hand dismissively.

"I wasn't planning to go anyway. What benefit would talking with you bring us?"

"Benefit? Plenty."

"What advantage could we gain from talking to an outer god?"

"Our Maxwell faction knows the future. If our conversation goes well, we might share future information. We could also form an alliance. Just like how you humans are getting along fine with that Entol outer god!"

Clap!

Matonica brought her hands together.

[— A "Dimensional Gate" is forming.]

"Anyway, it's unfortunate you lost the steel invitation that would have allowed you to enter at will. We'll have to take you by force. Enjoy your cozy time with our exalted one, hahaha!"

Whoosh.

A strong wind blew in.

While objects like dishes and lamps remained in place, our bodies were sucked into the hole.

***

"Ugh!"

"Ah!"

"Kyaa!"

"Heurk."

"Hmph."

Except for Sonia, who landed gracefully, the four of us fell and collapsed in succession.

I could barely breathe. I was about to be crushed to death under the women. While not as bad as being crushed by research papers, this was still hardly a good way to go.

"Everyone please get up. The young master is struggling."

"S-sorry, Eidel!"

"At least I had a soft landing thanks to you."

"Zernya, is that something to say to your husband?"

We regained our senses and looked around.

Bizarre spheres floated above the reddish sky. They moved in patterns, like fine sand carried by the wind.

A higher dimensional world.

This was the imaginary space, home of the aberrant beings and the steel outer god.

"...What is that?"

Zernya pointed to the middle of the sky.

A dark, fish-shaped entity was swimming through the heavens.

Boom boom boom.

It gradually descended.

The overwhelming pressure made it impossible to even think of escaping. Even if we tried to flee, it would be impossible to go anywhere in this desert-like expanse.

"There is no need to fear."

A voice that could split the sky in half.

It was the arrival of the iron fortress, Shterm.

"I too am but a piece of nature. You are also mere specks of nature. We all gathered from the same point and were born as the same objects. Thus, humans and stars are like siblings, like parents and children, like teachers and disciples. So there is no need to fear."

Despite its imposing size, the voice was gentle. It was reassuring enough to make one feel at ease.

This is the weakness.

The moment you lower your guard, it's over. Predators bare their claws when their prey is most relaxed, drinking water without a care.

"Why did you bring us here?"

"To negotiate."

"Negotiate?"

"A great end approaches soon. An end we did not intend. That power will soon compress this universe and our higher-dimensional universe into a single point, completely shattering everything."

Ireh made a sound as if she had realized something.

"The Big Crunch..."

Big Crunch.

The Great Collapse.

The theory that someday this universe will endlessly contract and perish.

"It seems the returner young lady knows something. Or perhaps you were subtly informed by Laplace's minion."