Moon bathingHe looked up at Susanoo with a face full of uncertainty. His upper body, rising from the water, swayed unsteadily, and droplets falling from his black hair traced down his flushed cheeks, shaping his lips before dropping away.

What the warrior god saw as he stepped into the Susabi's Galaxy of Fate field was a sight of him that could not be seen in his usual calm expression.

“Can I ask you something”

Susanoo crouched by the shore of the illusory starry sea and peered into the patient’s eyes. He assessed their complexion, noting the slight moisture in their eyes, before placing a hand on their pale forehead to check the temperature of their cheeks and neck as well.

With a faintly exasperated expression, he stared intently at the sick person’s face.

“You’ve got quite a fever. Why didn’t you say anything until it got this bad”

“…If I soak in the starry sea, I should be better by tomorrow… It’s not that I was hiding it.”

For a moment, Susabi returned to his usual stubborn tone, but he appeared dizzy, as if the fever was taking a toll on him.

These parts of you haven’t changed at all in a thousand years.

The warrior god’s usually stern expression softened for a brief moment. Then, he too stepped into the waters of the starry sea.

---------------------------------------

During a battle with demons a thousand years ago, there was a day when the young military strategist of the divine army mysteriously disappeared.

That day, he happened to be off-duty, so no one within the army paid much attention to it. However, as time passed and the sun began to set behind the western mountains, someone finally voiced their concern, sensing that something was amiss.

A soldier suggested to the general of the divine army, Susanoo, “Could it be that the strategist ran away” But Susanoo knew better than anyone that the strategist would never do such a thing. The general considered every possible scenario, but none of them seemed quite right.

Was there anything unusual in the boy’s behavior the day before

Susanoo recalled the boy’s actions the previous day. He had woken up at his usual time, participated in training, and then attended a military meeting… Now that he thought about it, the boy did seem to have a slightly flushed face.

The general suddenly had a realization and hurried to the strategist’s barracks.

There, in the corner of the strategist’s room, he discovered the edge of a fate field.

--------------------------------------

“As I recall, you were here before,” Susanoo said, sitting next to Susabi as he reflected on those times.He was submerged in the moonlit sea up to his waist, but there was no discomfort from the wetness, and the cool seawater felt rather pleasant.

When Susanoo offered his shoulder, Susabi hesitated for a moment before leaning his weight against him. The faint, distinct sound of his pulse came through the fabric of their clothing. After a brief pause, Susabi spoke as if making an excuse.

“In such an important time, if the god were to appear in such a disgraceful state, morale would falter…”

Susanoo thought Susabi's voice sounded like a thousand years ago, when he was a little boy. Perhaps sensing the presence of the war god, the Susabi's voice continued with its eyes still closed.

“…You were angry back then.”
“Of course I was. I was worried.”

Susanoo remembered the time when he had scolded Susabi in this very place. The boy’s body seemed so fragile, as if it might vanish into the starlit sea like a bubble. He had lifted that fragile body and peered into the face of the sickly figure. The little strategist was staring at the sky, tears spilled out in a steady stream.

“…Everyone is exhausted from the repeated attacks by the youkai. The medicine and drinking water are running low, and yet I…”

His expression was twisted with frustration.

“That’s enough. Rest for a while.”

Susanoo said this, hugging the boy tightly so that he wouldn’t see the expression of uneasy feelings on his face. …Indeed, such a thing had happened.

He quietly tucked away the memories of a thousand years ago in his heart and looked at the face of the Susabi leaning on his shoulder. Perhaps reassured, Susabi seemed to show a hint of relief, less tense than before.

“Even after a thousand years, you haven’t changed at all. Even if you rest here today, there’s no guarantee that your condition will improve in a day. So, what were you planning to do, Susabi”

“A day of rest will be enough. I’ll return to my duties without causing any trouble for the people in the garden…”

Susabi's voice was still the same. Susanoo, as if to cut him off, forcefully pulled him closer. They embraced in the starlit sea, with Susabi ending up on Susanoo’s lap.

“Wait. Please, stop worrying about me. Don't treat me like a child.”
“Susabi,Look at me"

Susanoo continued.

“Do you remember what I told you the day you had a fever like this”
“…………”
“Do you need me to say it again”

The surface of the calm starlit sea rippled slightly.

--------------------------------------

The boy was confused.
He never imagined that the general, whom he had always thought of as a terrifying and distant figure, would be so deeply concerned for him.
When the general’s voice, trembling ever so slightly, told him to rest, the boy tried to meet his gaze, but instead, his face was pressed firmly against the general’s chest with strong hands.

It was a very broad chest.

“…Don’t leave my side again. Strategist of the Moon Sea, I don’t want to lose you too.”

The general’s low, quiet, and lonely voice sank deep into the boy’s ears.

After a brief pause, in the stillness of the starlit sea, the faint sound of the boy’s sobs could be heard. In response, a large hand gently stroked his cheek, as if to catch those tears.

In the soft darkness of the starlit sea, the moonlight that illuminated them was endlessly gentle.